// salute.nw — Command
Commanders in Chief
Every President of the United States served as Commander in Chief from the moment they took the oath. 45 individuals. 47 presidencies. 27 who also wore the uniform.
45
Presidents
47
Presidencies
27
Also Served
29
Wartime CIC
47th
Donald J. Trump
2025–Present
Republican
Iran War
Wartime
46th
Joe Biden
2021–2025
Democrat
Afghanistan, Ukraine-Russia War (U.S. Support)
Wartime
45th
Donald J. Trump
2017–2021
Republican
Afghanistan, ISIS/ISIL Campaign
Wartime
44th
Barack Obama
2009–2017
Democrat
Afghanistan, Global War on Terrorism, Iraq, ISIS/ISIL Campaign, Libya
Wartime
43rd
George W. Bush
2001–2009
Republican
Afghanistan, Iraq
★ Veteran Wartime
42nd
Bill Clinton
1993–2001
Democrat
Bosnia, Haiti Occupation, Iraq, Kosovo, Somalia
Wartime
41st
George H.W. Bush
1989–1993
Republican
Gulf War, Panama, Somalia
★ Veteran Wartime
40th
Ronald Reagan
1981–1989
Republican
Grenada, Lebanon Intervention, Libya Bombing (Operation El Dorado Canyon)
★ Veteran Wartime
39th
Jimmy Carter
1977–1981
Democrat
Iran Hostage Crisis
★ Veteran Wartime
38th
Gerald Ford
1974–1977
Republican
Mayaguez Incident, Vietnam War
★ Veteran
37th
Richard Nixon
1969–1974
Republican
Vietnam War, Vietnam War
★ Veteran Wartime
36th
Lyndon B. Johnson
1963–1969
Democrat
Dominican Occupation, Vietnam War
★ Veteran Wartime
35th
John F. Kennedy
1961–1963
Democrat
Bay of Pigs Invasion, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War
★ Veteran Wartime
34th
Dwight D. Eisenhower
1953–1961
Republican
Korean War
★ Veteran Wartime
33rd
Harry S. Truman
1945–1953
Democrat
Korean War, World War II
★ Veteran Wartime
32nd
Franklin D. Roosevelt
1933–1945
Democrat
World War II
Wartime
31st
Herbert Hoover
1929–1933
Republican
30th
Calvin Coolidge
1923–1929
Republican
29th
Warren G. Harding
1921–1923
Republican
28th
Woodrow Wilson
1913–1921
Democrat
Mexican Expedition, World War I
Wartime
27th
William Howard Taft
1909–1913
Republican
26th
Theodore Roosevelt
1901–1909
Republican
Philippine-American War
★ Veteran Wartime
25th
William McKinley
1897–1901
Republican
Philippine-American War, Spanish-American War
★ Veteran Wartime
24th
Grover Cleveland
1893–1897
Democrat
23rd
Benjamin Harrison
1889–1893
Republican
★ Veteran
22nd
Grover Cleveland
1885–1889
Democrat
21st
Chester Arthur
1881–1885
Republican
★ Veteran
20th
James A. Garfield
1881–1881
Republican
★ Veteran
19th
Rutherford B. Hayes
1877–1881
Republican
★ Veteran
18th
Ulysses S. Grant
1869–1877
Republican
Great Sioux War
★ Veteran Wartime
17th
Andrew Johnson
1865–1869
Democrat / National Union
★ Veteran
16th
Abraham Lincoln
1861–1865
Republican
Civil War
★ Veteran Wartime
15th
James Buchanan
1857–1861
Democrat
★ Veteran
14th
Franklin Pierce
1853–1857
Democrat
★ Veteran
13th
Millard Fillmore
1850–1853
Whig
12th
Zachary Taylor
1849–1850
Whig
★ Veteran
11th
James K. Polk
1845–1849
Democrat
Mexican-American War
Wartime
10th
John Tyler
1841–1845
Whig / Unaffiliated
Second Seminole War
★ Veteran Wartime
9th
William Henry Harrison
1841–1841
Whig
★ Veteran
8th
Martin Van Buren
1837–1841
Democrat
Second Seminole War
Wartime
7th
Andrew Jackson
1829–1837
Democrat
Black Hawk War, Second Seminole War
★ Veteran Wartime
6th
John Quincy Adams
1825–1829
Democratic-Republican / National Republican
5th
James Monroe
1817–1825
Democratic-Republican
First Seminole War
★ Veteran Wartime
4th
James Madison
1809–1817
Democratic-Republican
Creek War, War of 1812
Wartime
3rd
Thomas Jefferson
1801–1809
Democratic-Republican
Barbary Wars (First)
Wartime
2nd
John Adams
1797–1801
Federalist
Quasi-War
Wartime
1st
George Washington
1789–1797
Unaffiliated
Northwest Indian War, Whiskey Rebellion
★ Veteran Wartime