The Average American Doesn't Know These US Presidents Served in the Military

From the earliest days of the republic through modern times, several U.S. presidents have brought military experience from the battlefield to the Oval Office. Military service has shaped their leadership styles, decision-making, and public image. Their history often influenced how they approached issues like national security, foreign policy, and potential warfare. A look at presidents with military service reveals how wartime experience has aligned with political power. Duty, discipline, and command, all of which are highly valued within the military, helped shape some of the nation’s most important leaders.

Presidents throughout America history have had varying degrees of service within the military. John F. Kennedy was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He commanded the patrol torpedo boat PT-109 in the Solomon Islands when it was sunk by a Japanese destroyer in 1943. Despite severe back injuries, he led his surviving crew members through dangerous waters to safety. He even pulled an injured sailor by gripping the strap of the man’s life jacket between his teeth while he swam to shore.

Dwight D. Eisenhower is the U.S. president best known for reaching the highest rank in the military before taking office. He served as a five-star General of the Army during World War II and was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe. During this time, he oversaw the D-Day invasion and the liberation of Western Europe.

Here, 24/7 Wall St. explored which presidents served in the military. We ranked them in ascending order along with their dates of presidency, military rank, and branch last served in. When two or more presidents had the same rank, we ranked earlier presidents higher than later ones. We used the U.S. Department of Defense chart of officer insignia to find equivalencies between ranks for different branches of the military.

This post was updated on November 25, 2025 to include how military experience helped shape presidents’ time in office, as well as brief descriptions of Kennedy’s and Eisenhower’s time in the military.

Why You Should Know This

Joe Biden | Joe Biden Accepts Party's Nomination For President In Delaware During Virtual DNC

When we elect the person who’s going to effectively lead the United States for the next four years, we’re searching for someone we trust. For many voters, knowing that the president participated in military service is a huge boon. Not every president has served in the military. While 31 presidents have joined the armed forces in some way, the following 14 have not:

Joe Biden
Donald Trump
Barack Obama
Bill Clinton
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Herbert Hoover
Calvin Coolidge
Warren G. Harding
Woodrow Wilson
William Howard Taft
Grover Cleveland
Martin Van Buren
John Quincy Adams
John Adams

Interestingly, Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt, who led the country through World War I and II respectively, never served in the military themselves. Still, looking at the presidents who did serve offers a better look into how they handled major crises and how their service influenced their presidential leadership styles. It also helps us learn what qualities voters appreciated in different eras.

Here are the 31 presidents with military service and the highest rank they achieved: