The President is the only Commander in Chief

In My Humble Opinion
1

My office recieved a memo the other day stating that the term CINC (commander in chief) would no longer be used to describe the officers in charge of certain regions like, Central Command, because the only Commander in Chief is the President, the others haven’t earned that title.

I’m not sure I disagree with that, but it strikes me as odd regardless. What I am certain of is that had Clinton made this statement then he would have been impeached over it. Bush doesn’t have any kind of military record, so why is this a non-issue?

2

Bush has a military record – he served in the Texas National Guard, IIRC.

Partisan rumor-mongering tidbit #1: Word is that Pappy Bush helped him get in ahead of twenty-other candidates, so Junior would avoid going to 'Nam.

Partisan rumor-mongering tidbit #2: Dubya is suspiciously AWOL from the base attendance records from 1972-1973, right before he was due for his first mandatory drug test.

Still seems like a rather trivial matter to put out a memo about, though.

3

well, we work with the Department of Defense alot and the military is in and out, so the memo was needed to avoid any problems I guess.

4

At the opening of WWII the top admiral was known in messages as CINCUS (Commander In Chief, United States, with the Navy omitted). When pronounced as a word, this left a lot to be desired after Pearl Harbor so it was changed to COMINCH (Commander In Chief).

There is a lot of paperwork and message traffic generated over things like this. You just have to accept it.

5

So what are CINCPAC (C-i-C Pacific) and the other theatre commanders going to be called now?

6

To be honest I have forgetten exactly. I know for certain that it was abbreviated CC. I think it was Combat Commander.