List of presidents of the United States by military rank

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The United States Constitution names the president of the United States the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces. Many presidents, however, also served in the military before taking office; all but 13 of the 45 [lower-alpha 1] persons to become president have served.

Contents

Of the 32 presidents with military service, 31 have been commissioned officers, of whom five began their careers as regular officers (Jimmy Carter transferred to the Naval Reserve after five years in the Navy). There have been 13 presidents who held general officer rank (four regular officers, six militia officers, three volunteers).

In addition to this, 4 of them got military awards by heroism; Theodore Roosevelt (posthumous Medal of Honor), John F. Kennedy (Navy and Marine Corps Medal), Lyndon B. Johnson (Silver Star) and George H. W. Bush (Distinguished Flying Cross), although the third was object of controversy.

Table of United States presidents by military rank

General of the Armies

Rank orderHighest rankBranchPresidentCombat experienceService notes
1 General of the Armies of the United States
US flag 13 stars.svg
Continental Army/United States Army
Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg
Virginia militia
Brooklyn Museum - George Washington - Charles Willson Peale - overall.jpg
George Washington
[1] [2]
French and Indian War
(1754–1758)
Revolutionary War
(1775–1783)
Whiskey Rebellion
(1791–1794)
Served in the Virginia militia (1752–1758), attaining the rank of colonel; served as commander in chief of the Continental Army (1775–1783) during the Revolutionary War, with the rank of "General and Commander in Chief." Washington was a lieutenant general in the United States Army at his death. In 1976, as part of the Bicentennial, then-president Gerald R. Ford posthumously appointed Washington as General of the Armies of the United States, a rank that ensured he would forever rank above all other officers.
Seal of the United States Board of War and Ordnance.svg
United States Army
(Regular Army)
Grant, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S., three-quarter-length, standing - NARA - 558720.tif
Ulysses S. Grant
Mexican–American War and Civil War Graduated West Point; first Lieutenant General since Washington, appointed as four-star General of the Army of the United States in 1866. In 2022 Grant was promoted by the United States Congress to General of the Armies to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth. The rank of General of the Armies is considered senior to General of the Army. Grant became the third person to become General of the Armies after John J. Pershing and George Washington. Grant and Pershing are outranked only by Washington.

General of the Army

Rank orderHighest rankBranchPresidentCombat experienceService notes
2
U.S. Army O-11 shoulderboard (1959-2015).svg

General of the Army
Emblem of the United States Department of the Army.svg
United States Army
(Regular army)
General Dwight D. Eisenhower.jpg
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Supreme Commander of the Allied Invasion of Europe, primarily the Battles for Normandy, France and Germany World War II.
-
U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg
Army Distinguished Service Medal (5)
Navy Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Graduated West Point; served 1915–1952,resigned to run for president. Commission and rank restored by Congress in 1961. Commissioned but inactive until death. Served stateside during World War I and as Supreme Allied Commander during World War II.

Major general (O-8)

Rank orderHighest rankBranchPresidentCombat experienceService notes
3
Continental Army-Major general 1780.svg

Major General
Seal of the United States Board of War and Ordnance.svg
United States Army
North Carolina Militia
Tennessee Militia
Andrew Jackson by Ralph E. W. Earl 1837.jpg
Andrew Jackson
Revolutionary War, Creek War, War of 1812, First Seminole War.Served at age 13 as a militia messenger during the Revolutionary War; was captured, becoming the only president to have been held as a prisoner of war (Washington had surrendered in the French and Indian War but was immediately paroled); served in the War of 1812, attaining the rank of major general and became a national hero after his success at the Battle of New Orleans.
Seal of the United States Board of War and Ordnance.svg
United States Army
Rembrandt Peale - William Henry Harrison - Google Art Project.jpg
William H. Harrison
Northwest Indian War, War of 1812 Dates of service: 1791–1798, 1812–1814. Became national hero after success at the Battle of the Thames.
Zachary Taylor by Joseph Henry Bush, c1848.jpg
Zachary Taylor
War of 1812, Black Hawk War, Second Seminole War, and Mexican–American War Became a national hero because of his achievements in the Mexican–American War.
Union Army major general rank insignia.svg

Brevet Major General of Volunteers
Seal of the United States Board of War and Ordnance.svg
United States Army
(volunteers)
General Hayes.jpg
Rutherford B. Hayes
American Civil War Successful leadership in Virginia/West Virginia region; wounded at the Battle of South Mountain
Union Army major general rank insignia.svg

Major General of Volunteers
Seal of the United States Board of War and Ordnance.svg
United States Army
(volunteers)
General James Garfield - Brady-Handy.jpg
James A. Garfield
American Civil War His heroic ride at the Battle of Chickamauga later helped him to be elected president.
US Army O8 (Army greens).svg

Major General
American Red Cross (Under jurisdiction of the US War Dept)
William Howard Taft, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing left - restored - LCCN92522143.jpg
William Howard Taft
NoneHe was Secretary of War under President Theodore Roosevelt from 1904 to 1908. Taft also joined a Connecticut Home Guard unit during World War I. He was commissioned with military rank in the American Red Cross by President Wilson August 1917 [3]

Brigadier general (O-7)

Rank orderHighest rankBranchPresidentCombat experienceService notes
4
Union Army brigadier general rank insignia.svg

Brigadier General
Seal of the United States Board of War and Ordnance.svg
United States Army
New Hampshire Militia
Franklin Pierce - 1852.jpg
Franklin Pierce
Mexican–American War Served in New Hampshire Militia from 1831 to 1847 and attained the rank of Colonel. Appointed to command 9th Infantry Regiment during Army expansion for Mexican–American War. Subsequently, promoted to Brigadier General and command of a brigade.
Flag of New York (1896-1901).svg

New York State Militia
Chester A Arthur 1859.png
Chester A. Arthur
Inspector General of the New York Militia

Civil War
Joined militia as Judge Advocate of 2nd Brigade. Appointed Quartermaster General on Governor's staff, and later appointed Inspector General. Offered command of brigade raised in New York City, but Governor declined to allow him to leave state service. Left service in 1863 after new Governor appointed a successor.
Seal of the United States Board of War and Ordnance.svg
United States Army
AndrewJohnson1860.png
Andrew Johnson
Military Governor of Tennessee

Civil War
Served in the 90th Regiment of Tennessee Militia in 1830s. Later appointed Colonel.
Seal of the United States Board of War and Ordnance.svg
United States Army
Indiana State Militia
GenBenHarrison.jpg
Benjamin Harrison
Civil War Battle of PerryvilleAtlanta CampaignBattle of Nashville

Colonel (O-6)

Rank orderHighest rankBranchPresidentCombat experienceService notes
5
US-O6 insignia.svg

Colonel
Seal of Virginia.svg
Virginia State Militia
Albemarle County
Mather Brown - Thomas Jefferson - Google Art Project.jpg
Thomas Jefferson
NoneLike other Virginia gentlemen, he had militia duties, and did administrative work
Colonial-Red-Ensign.svg
Virginia Colonial Militia
Orange County
1811, Sharples, James, James Madison.jpg
James Madison
NoneLeft militia to enter Virginia legislature. (Some sources claim Madison briefly assumed command of an artillery battery during the British assault on Washington during the War of 1812. If true, he would join Washington (Whiskey Rebellion) as having seen military service as commander-in-chief.)
US flag 13 stars.svg
Continental Army
Virginia State Militia
James Monroe (1758-1831).jpg
James Monroe
Revolutionary War Dates of service: 1776–1779. Wounded and nearly died in the Battle of Trenton. Returned to Virginia to recruit and lead a regiment as a militia Lieutenant Colonel, but the regiment was never raised. Commissioned as a Colonel during British invasion of Virginia in 1780 to command the militia raised in response and act as liaison to the Continental Army in North Carolina. Appointed As Secretary of State during the War of 1812, scouted and deployed troops during the British invasion of Washington.
Tennessee Militia
border[ James K. Polk. Speaker of the House of Representatives, U.S. - from life & on stone by Chas. Fenderich ; printed by P.S. Duval, Lith., Philadelphia. LCCN2012648806.jpg
border[
James K. Polk
NoneCaptain in a cavalry unit beginning in 1821. Subsequently, appointed Colonel on staff of Governor William Carroll.
Seal of the United States Board of War and Ordnance.svg
United States Army
Col roosevelt rough rider.jpg
Theodore Roosevelt
Spanish–American War

Medal of Honor ribbon.svg
Medal of Honor
(posthumously; 2001)
Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the New York National Guard's 8th Regiment in 1882. Company commander with rank of Captain when he resigned in 1886. Famous for charge up San Juan Hill. Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. As ex-president, volunteered for service in World War I, but President Wilson declined.
Harry S. Truman WW I.jpg
Harry S. Truman
World War I
-
Armed Forces Reserve Medal ribbon.svg
Armed Forces Reserve Medal (2)
Served 1905–1911, then in World War I, 129th Field Artillery (1917–1919), Army Reserves (1919–1953) [4]

Commander (O-5)

Rank orderHighest rankBranchPresidentCombat experienceService notes
6
US Navy O5 insignia.svg
Commander
Emblem of the United States Navy.svg
United States Navy
(Reserve)
Portrait of Lyndon B. Johnson in Navy Uniform - 42-3-7 - 03-1942.jpg
Lyndon B. Johnson
World War II

Silver Star ribbon.svg
Silver Star
Awarded Silver Star by General Douglas MacArthur for his role as an observer on a B-26 bomber mission. This award has been subject to controversy. [5] [6] [7] [8]
NH 84098 Lieutenant Commander Richard Milhous Nixon, USN.jpeg
Richard Nixon
World War II
-
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal ribbon.svg
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
Served 1942–1945 on various islands in the South Pacific and commanded SCAT units in the South Pacific. United States Naval Reserve (1946–1966). [9]

Major / Lieutenant commander (O-4)

Rank orderHighest rankBranchPresidentCombat experienceService notes
7
Union army maj rank insignia.jpg

Major
Flag of New York (1896-1901).svg

New York State Militia
Unidentified Artist - Millard Fillmore - Google Art Project.jpg
Millard Fillmore
NoneYears of service: 1820s–1830s, 1860s–1870s
Union army maj rank insignia.jpg

Brevet Major
Seal of the United States Board of War and Ordnance.svg
United States Army
(volunteers)
McKinleyBrady 1865.png
William McKinley
Civil War Served in the Army of the Potomac, originally with the 23rd Ohio Infantry same as President Rutherford B. Hayes. First major engagement in West Virginia in 1861 and was present at the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.
US Navy O4 insignia.svg

Lieutenant Commander
Emblem of the United States Navy.svg
United States Navy
(Reserve)
GeraldFord1945.jpg
Gerald Ford
World War II
-
American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon.svg
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg
World War II Victory Medal
Years of service: 1942–1946. Served on USS Monterey. Earned 10 battle stars. [10] [11]

Captain / Lieutenant (naval) (O-3)

Rank orderHighest rankBranchPresidentCombat experienceService notes
8
US-O3 insignia.svg

Captain
Seal of Virginia.svg
Virginia State Militia
John Tyler - Governor of Virginia (c. 1826).jpg
John Tyler
War of 1812 Raised a company for the defense of Richmond in 1813
Seal of Illinois.svg
Illinois State Militia
Abelincoln1846.jpeg
Abraham Lincoln
Black Hawk War Initially elected to command a company as a captain. Was mustered in and out of service during the Black Hawk War, going from Captain to Private and finishing his service in an independent spy company commanded by Captain Jacob Early. Honorably discharged without seeing combat. Also served in Stillman's Run and Battle of Kellogg's Grove.
US Army Air Corps Hap Arnold Wings.svg
United States Army Air Forces
(Reserve)
Ronald Reagan in the US Army Air Force 1940s.jpg
Ronald Reagan
NoneServed as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve; served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, attaining the rank of captain. Was barred from combat because of poor eyesight. Narrated pre-flight training films under the Army Air Forces Motion Picture Unit.
US Navy O3 insignia.svg

Lieutenant
Emblem of the United States Navy.svg
United States Navy
(Reserve)
1942 JFK uniform portrait.jpg
John F. Kennedy
World War II

Navy and Marine Corps Medal ribbon.svg
Navy and Marine Corps Medal
Commanded a PT boat. Earned Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroism in the PT-109 Incident. [12]
George Bush, Navy pilot during World War II - NARA - 186380.tif
George H. W. Bush
World War II

Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg
Distinguished Flying Cross
Years of service: 1942–1955 (on active service 1942–1945). Second [13] youngest pilot in the United States Navy during World War II (Three days before turning 19). [14] Earned Distinguished Flying Cross.
United States Navy Presidents (cropped).jpg
Jimmy Carter
None
-
National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg
National Defense Service Medal
Years of service: 1946–1961 (on active service 1946–1953). Graduated 59th in class of 1946 out of 820, United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Submarine service (Nuclear Specialist). Midshipman during World War II, served during Korean War, but never sent to Korea

First lieutenant (O-2)

Rank orderHighest rankBranchPresidentCombat experienceService notes
9
US Air Force O2 shoulderboard.svg

First lieutenant
Mark of the United States Air Force.svg
United States Air Force
(Air National Guard)
GW-Bush-in-uniform.jpg
George W. Bush
None
-
Outstanding Unit ribbon.svg
Outstanding Unit Award
He performed Air National Guard duty as an F-102 pilot through April 1972, logging 336 hours, when he lost his authorization to be a pilot for failing to meet attendance and physical examination requirements. [15] He was later discharged eight months short of his six-year service requirement. [16]

Private

Rank orderHighest rankBranchPresidentCombat experienceService notes
10Private
Pennsylvania National Guard state seal.png

Pennsylvania National Guard
James Buchanan painted by J. Eichholtz.jpg
James Buchanan
War of 1812 Joined volunteer light dragoon unit and served in defense of Baltimore. Only future president with military service who did not serve as an officer.

Did not serve

PresidentService notes
John Adams Adams was 41 years old when the Revolutionary War broke out and did not serve in the field. In addition to his diplomatic duties during the war, he served an executive role in managing the distribution of ammunition and other supplies for the Continental Army and coordinating strategic communication among the generals of the various theaters. He is sometimes called the "de facto Secretary of War" during this time.
John Quincy Adams The U.S. did not fight any major wars during the time when Adams was of the usual age for military service (18 to 33) and the peacetime armed forces were very small during this time. It would not have been expected for a member of a prominent, wealthy family to serve unless a war broke out.
Martin Van Buren Van Buren was a member of the New York state senate when the War of 1812 began and was involved in the military justice system and on issues of military administration during the war.
Grover Cleveland Drafted during the Civil War, but paid $150 for a substitute (a legal option under the terms of the Enrollment Act of 1863, and his substitute survived the war).
Woodrow Wilson The U.S. did not fight any major wars during the time when Wilson was of the usual age for military service (18 to 33) and the peacetime armed forces were very small during this time. Wilson was in his mid-40s and working as a professor at Princeton during the Spanish-American War. Moreover, his poor health (he had experienced a minor stroke in 1896), [17] would have disqualified him from any active service.
Warren G. Harding Harding was a 33-year-old member of the Ohio state senate when the Spanish-American War broke out.
Calvin Coolidge Coolidge was 26 years old, practicing as an attorney, and serving as a city council member when the Spanish-American War broke out.
Herbert Hoover Served in a private humanitarian capacity as a civilian in Europe during World War I. He was also involved in the Siege of Tientsin during the Boxer Rebellion as a guide for U.S. Marines.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Attempted to join the Navy during the Spanish–American War but was unable as he contracted measles. Served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy from 1913 and through World War I; when the U.S. entered the war in 1917 he offered his resignation so that he could apply for a commission in the Navy, but was refused by the president. However he did visit the Western Front 1918.
Bill Clinton Received a 2-A student draft deferment during the Vietnam War, and later registered for the draft. He received a high draft number, was not drafted and did not serve.
Barack Obama Reached age 18 in 1979, six years after the end of the military draft in the U.S.
Donald Trump Attended New York Military Academy 1964. Received four draft deferments while attending college, then one for medical reasons after he was diagnosed with bone spurs on his heels. [18]
Joe Biden While in school, received five student draft deferments and afterward was classified as unavailable for military service due to asthma.

See also

Notes

  1. As of 2021. While there have been 46 presidencies, only 45 individuals have served as president: Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms and is numbered as both the 22nd and 24th U.S. president.

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References

  1. wikisource:Public Law 94-479
  2. wikisource:Order 31-3 Department of the Army Order Number 31-3 of 13 March 1978
  3. The Washington times., August 07, 1917, NIGHT FINAL, Page 3, Image 3
  4. "Military Personnel File of Harry S. Truman". Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum . Retrieved January 1, 2009.
  5. "American Warriors Home Page". americanwarriorsfivepresidents.com. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  6. Commander Lyndon B. Johnson, USNR from the Naval Historical Center
  7. Caro, Robert (1982). The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Path to Power . Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN   0-394-49973-5. The most you can say about Lyndon Johnson and his Silver Star is that it is surely one of the most undeserved Silver Stars in history, because if you accept everything that he said, he was still in action for no more than 13 minutes and only as an observer. Men who flew many missions, brave men, never got a Silver Star.
  8. Tillman, Barrett and Sakaida, Henry. "LBJ's Silver Star: The Mission That Never Was" . Retrieved March 22, 2009. The fact is LBJ never got within sight of Japanese forces.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. "Richard Milhous Nixon: 9 January 1913–22 April 1994". Naval History and Heritage Command. United States Navy. February 18, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  10. "CNN.com Specials". cnn.com. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  11. Lieutenant Commander Gerald R. Ford, USNR from the Naval Historical Center
  12. Lieutenant John F. Kennedy, USN from the Naval Historical Center
  13. Ryder, Robert Randall "My War Chuck Downey Youngest Naval Aviator in WWII." Sea Classics, August 2013. "Off he went for training in Memphis, Tenn., before heading to Pensacola, Fla., for flight school, where he was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy on July 16, 1943. Downey was the tender age of 18 years, 11 months, and 14 days when he earned his wings."
  14. Lieutenant Junior Grade George Bush, USNR from the Naval Historical Center Archived 1997-02-06 at the Wayback Machine
  15. "Democratic Group's Ad Revives "AWOL" Allegation Against Bush". FactCheck.org. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
  16. Roane, Kit R. "Bush's military service in question – again (9/8/04)". USNews.com. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
  17. Lynn, Kenneth S. (2004). "The Hidden Agony of Woodrow Wilson". The Wilson Quarterly. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  18. Eder, Steve; Philipps, Dave (August 1, 2016). "Donald Trump's Draft Deferments: Four for College, One for Bad Feet". The New York Times . New York, NY. p. A1.