I’m sure this has been said many times upthread, but the President of the United States is Commander in Chief of the entire military.
He can order Marines to go off and face death, but he can’t ask one to hold an umbrella?
Apparently not.
Of course he can. He can countermand any current standing order out there, including this one. He can order them to drop and give him 20 push ups, while still wearing those nice white gloves.
As President, you’d mostly attend those “certain occasions” – military funerals, memorial ceremonies, etc. – in your role as President. Since the USA does not have a sash or chain of office for the Head of State to wear at ceremonial events, you just show up in your suit. (Dunno if I’ve ever seen a President wearing a VFW/American Legion hat while in office)
The military WILL outfit the CinC with environment-appropriate gear if he’s out on the field and it’s necessary for his safety – GWB’s flightsuit, for instance. Normally in those cases the garments are devoid of rank or unit insignia and simply show his name, the Presidential Seal and “Commander in Chief” on the patch. Since W had been a fighter pilot, his patch showed flight wings. Notice though that before giving the speech to the carrier’s crew, he changed back into his suit.
But in an non-fieldwork environment, there is no need to provide him a dress uniform.
Thank you, hateful racist, but your call can not be completed as dialled. Please hang up, and…keep it there.
I seem to recall seeing George Washington’s military uniform that he wore at his second inauguration. At the Smithsonian in Washington. Could that be correct? Or is it just that the styles of the day made it seem to my now-distant memory like a uniform? I remember it because the docent told us a story about Martha convincing him to wear it because George had had it made so long ago and only worn it once.
To be fair to the OP, the OP isn’t saying the Pres can’t order the marines to hold an umbrella, so your point isn’t to the point. The OP thinks the Prez shouldn’t so order. Of course, pretty much everyone disagrees with the OP on this point.
Maybe you’re thinking of another event associated with the second inauguration? He changed into uniform for a parade or something? Because AFAICT the record is clear that at the inauguration ceremony itself, G-Wash was rocking “a black velvet suit, silk stockings, and diamond knee buckles”.
Wait, that wasn’t the standard issue uniform in the Continental Army?
…huh.
It could have been that outfit. Uniform or civvies, I recall Martha urged him to wear it because he’d only done so once. In my mind’s eye, it’s looking like a uniform, but I think it must be that one.
George Washington: Super Pimp.
I guess Sicks Ate’s phone interwebs is still on the fritz or something, since he hasn’t been back in to address the photos of Marines holding umbrellas for previous Presidents…
Scroll down and you will see a picture of LTG Hal Moore and CSM Basil Plummley in uniform long after they retired.
Edit: nm
I see uniforms like that and I wonder how the military kept open gays out for so long.
There is actually some fun trivia coming from this thread that started with such little promise.
Shit makes good fertilizer.
Imagine the headlines if he told that Marine he didn’t need him to hold the umbrella.
“Obama tells military to stand down in front of foreign leader”
“If this administration can’t protect itself from moister what use will they be against terrorist?”
“President puts health at risk to do photo op” How many millions is it going to cost the taxpayers for every day you’re sick, lounging around in bed, wearing a pink fur lined bathrobe, eating bon-bons Mr. President? :mad:
I hope you posted that to the relevant threads.
(Not that it wasn’t relevant to the conversation or that the OP wasn’t pretty much irrelevant in the grand scheme of things…)
Funny how this type of scandal was never mentioned before, with previous presidents…
http://www.kfiam640.com/pages/MorrisOKelly.html?article=11300402