Posted on Feb 22, 2014
How do you feel about Soldiers not referring to our President as President Obama ….instead they just say Obama?
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When talking at work how do you feel if Soldiers don't give the President the respect by calling him President Obama? Do you correct Soldiers that don't use the term president? Why or why not
Discipline
Professionalism
Barack Obama
President
Posted 12 y ago
Responses: 56
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I agree. Irrespective of the man, he does rank as the CinC.
Quite like Major Dick Winter said in Band of Brothers, "You salute the rank, not the man." (Greatest Sobel-a$$-face scene ever, btw.)
Also, I recall President Bush being called "Dub-ya".
Quite like Major Dick Winter said in Band of Brothers, "You salute the rank, not the man." (Greatest Sobel-a$$-face scene ever, btw.)
Also, I recall President Bush being called "Dub-ya".
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SSgt (Join to see)
There was so much disrespect by liberals towards conservatives but with that said, as long as person shows deference to any president the same way as they do to the ones they like, then they are worthy of respect too. I guess it matters how we treat others as well.
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I may be considered very wrong in my thinking, but in my thinking, when I say "President Obama" I am referring to his position as CIC, if I say Obama, I am only referring to the man, not the position or office he holds. To me there is a big difference!
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SFC Collin McMillion
I'm sorry, but I don't understand your response. What does it have to do with the way people refer to the President, either as President Obama or just Obama. Is it possible you have commented to me about a different post from someone else by mistake?
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I was told his as a brand new private you must respect the rank (in this case the office of the president of the USA) and may not like the person but still be respectful.
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I think the President has to earn respect just like anybody else, but you should have respect for the office.
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I don't think it's a lack of respect thing just more of a simple response.! I don't refer to any president past of present as such.... Just their last name. Maybe you're looking too far into something that isn't there, just new times and ways of speaking
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An old LTC I worked with while deployed (fast fact - he had the longest time in service in CENTCOM at the time, and his prior combat patch was from Nam) used to constantly correct people who said "Bush" with "If I had to say President Clinton, you sure as hell have to say President Bush."
The politics aside, the core sentiment was absolutely right, just as many others have observed here. We are a civilian-led military for a very specific reason, and those offices grant titles we are obliged to honor, no matter what we think of the person in it. I don't think of it as a rank, like SSG Martin said, but simply a recognition of a core facet of our Democracy that is worth honoring.
The politics aside, the core sentiment was absolutely right, just as many others have observed here. We are a civilian-led military for a very specific reason, and those offices grant titles we are obliged to honor, no matter what we think of the person in it. I don't think of it as a rank, like SSG Martin said, but simply a recognition of a core facet of our Democracy that is worth honoring.
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Suspended Profile
That's exactly right. We aren't the leaders of our nation; the elected civilians are. Whether we like their policies or not, they are our legal superiors, and their offices are what give us our paychecks and authorities as military members. When we start to disrespect our civilian leadership, it's a symptom of thinking we could do it better, which is a very dangerous and slippery slope.
MAJ (Join to see)
Yes, I would. "President" Romney or McCain would have gotten the same formal respect as does President Obama, even though I disagree with their policies much more strongly than I do with the current PotUS. I do not have to respect a person in order to respect the authority they lawfully hold.
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SGT Spencer, <BR><BR>In uniform or civilian clothes on duty, it should be "President Obama". Period. In civilians, however, I really don't care. <BR><BR>Wrong or right, I get far more upset by people calling each other by their first names while in uniform. Also, I get frustrated when I am referred to as "Needham" rather than "SPC Needham". In civi's I don't care. <BR><BR>I could be wrong, and probably am by regulation. I, for one, will never make an on the spot correction for either of these issues when I make E5. I think there are far more important issues to concern myself with. Especially now, as a Jr. Enlisted Soldier. <BR><BR>V/R<BR>SPC Needham
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SPC Mikki Ekanger
First of all after checking snopes The above statement about the military paying for healthcare was incorrect. I'll stand corrected on that. As far as it being disrespectful, I tend to think that the president's overall attitude toward the military is equally disrespectful. Our military is an afterthought with Obama. Call it disrespectful if you'd like, I just think when you have troops gunned down at Fort Hood and it takes 6 for the sitting president to get there is pretty sad. Especially when his predecessor arrived and sat with them the victims. I think he's a weak leader of troops.
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CW3 (Join to see)
I understand your discontent with the President and I see you are no longer serving so I don't know how addressing the President(s) by name and title would apply to you. However the root of this discussion is whether its disrespectful to address the President without title. I disagree with a lot of politics and politicians but in uniform, in a public forum its unbecoming to criticize them--especially the Commander in Chief.
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I correct junior Soldiers, just so that they aren't set up for failure and they know what right is. As for the NCOs and Officers, they have already decided how they're going to refer to the President and all I do is try to set a good example when I can and refer to him the way he should be.
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This has been something that's been on my mind practically since our president took office, and it's not just within the militaries ranks. When it's ubiquitous among the media and common citizens to refer to the president simply as "Obama" it's hard to fault a soldier for doing the same.
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SGT (Join to see)
Especially the likes of CNN and FOX. It will be President Clinton but just Obama…...
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SSG Gerhard S.
SSG
This is nothing new, the same actions and mannerisms were present in the media when Pres Bush was in office, and Pres Clinton, and Pres Bush, and Pres Reagan, et al, before him.....
This is nothing new, the same actions and mannerisms were present in the media when Pres Bush was in office, and Pres Clinton, and Pres Bush, and Pres Reagan, et al, before him.....
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Dang! How old was this article? I don’t remember President Obama being in office for quite a while. 01/23/2022
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