Reference no: EM13802350
President and Military Experience
The position of president is the highest office in the nation. Many people believe in order to be president the person filling the office should have military experience. Since the 1992 the candidate that has won has had no military experience but prior to this year the majority of presidents had military experience. The public does not require their presidential candidates to have military experience and in the last few decades have elected presidents with no military experience despite the fact the country has been embroiled in the War on Terror. Presidents should be required to serve time in the military before running for this office.
America is always under the threat of war or dealing with a country secretly gathering nuclear weapons. Having a president that understands military strategy and understands what s needed during times of war or conflict with other countries. If the president was required to have served in the military their rank should not be considered but whether or not they received an honorable discharge would be an important factor. People that serve in the military and do not receive an honorable discharge are not considered to be loyal, trusted, or honorable and have been dismissed for unbecoming or bad behavior.
When a president understands military strategy they will better understand what should be done in times of war. If a president has never served in the military it will be far more difficult for them to understand the decisions that need to be made. The President is Commander in Chief of the Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marines. In order to serve this position effectively they need to have extensive knowledge of the military and what that entails (Nagl, 2012). Developing military strategy and making decisions is critical in times of conflict. When a president has military experience the people will have more confidence in their ability to successfully navigate the conflict.
On the other side of the argument are the people that find the president should not be required to have any military experience. According to this argument the President of United States does not need military experience because he has advisors that inform him of military strategy and provide advice in his decision making. The president does not engage in battle and despite the fact he is the Commander in Chief of all the branches of military will never have to actively engage in war (Mataconis, 2012). The president in fact does not need military experience because he only needs to be good at diplomacy.
People that support no military experience find if our fore fathers did not find it was necessary for the president to have military experience then this should not be a requirement in modern society. The president is only required to have the necessary political experience to be a good political leader not military leader. Some people find a president having military experience can be a hindrance and result in war when there could be peace. Presidents with no military experience are far more focused on finding a peaceful way to resolve conflicts.
When a president has military experience they have political advantage during elections especially in war time. Presidential candidates with military experience are far more effecter in military skirmishes and are more widely respected by citizens. Requiring all presidents to have military experience will increase the confidence of citizens and ensure if America goes to war the president will have the necessary experience to make an educated decision on what steps should be taken. When presidents fight for their country they show patriotisms and leadership skills.