Military Firsts
The presidential firsts related to military service by the President of the United States.
Please visit the Military Service fact page to learn more about in which branches the presidents served.
| President | Note | |
|---|---|---|
| First president to have served in the Army | George Washington | |
| First president to have served in the Navy | John F. Kennedy | |
| First president to have served in the Air Force | George W. Bush | Air National Guard |
| First president to command a standing army | George Washington | Whiskey Rebellion |
| Fisrt president to serve as a war-time commander-in-chief | James Madison | War of 1812 |
| First president to serve in the Civil War | Ulysses S. Grant | |
| First president to serve in World War I | Harry S. Truman | |
| First president to serve in World War II | Dwight D. Eisenhower | |
| First president to have been a prisoner of war | Andrew Jackson | During the American Revolution |
| First president to serve and not become an officer | James Buchanan | |
| First president to have never served in the military | John Adams |
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