General Discussion

PlanetaryOrbit

(155 posts) Tue Sep 10, 2013, 09:42 PM Sep 2013

What was the last presidential administration to not undertake major military action?

Military action has taken place in almost every recent U.S. presidential administration I can recall:

Obama - Drone strikes, military operation in Libya against Gaddafi

Bush II - war in Afghanistan, war in Iraq

Clinton - military operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, and also the cruise missile strikes on Afghan and Sudan targets

Bush I - military operation in Panama, and the Gulf War

Reagan - Grenada, airstrike against Libya

So, what was the last presidential administration to not undertake major military action? Carter? Ford?

Operation Eagle Claw (to rescue the American hostages in Iran) did take place under Carter's administration, but that was a justified military action in my opinion.

13 replies

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Highlight:

What was the last presidential administration to not undertake major military action? (Original Post) PlanetaryOrbit Sep 2013 OP

JFK H2O Man Sep 2013 #1

This message was self-deleted by its author Awknid Sep 2013 #2

You're being sarcastic, right? PlanetaryOrbit Sep 2013 #3

what about Carter? gopiscrap Sep 2013 #4

<COUGH> bobclark86 Sep 2013 #5

Jimmy Carter. Rhiannon12866 Sep 2013 #6

Jimmy Carter other than trying to rescue the hostages, I Uncle Joe Sep 2013 #7

Eagle Claw was a clusterfuck... bobclark86 Sep 2013 #8

The OP said "undertake". BlueCheese Sep 2013 #9

I seem to remember him... bobclark86 Sep 2013 #11

Carter, I guess. BlueCheese Sep 2013 #10

I believe he and Custer were cosmic twins. n/t Uncle Joe Sep 2013 #12

That's easy. Jimmy Carter the Peacemaker. Zen Democrat Sep 2013 #13

H2O Man

(76,631 posts)

1. JFK

Reply to PlanetaryOrbit (Original post)

Tue Sep 10, 2013, 09:43 PM

Sep 2013

Cuban missile crisis

Response to H2O Man (Reply #1)

Awknid This message was self-deleted by its author.

PlanetaryOrbit

(155 posts)

3. You're being sarcastic, right?

Reply to Awknid (Reply #2)

Tue Sep 10, 2013, 09:49 PM

Sep 2013

Right?

gopiscrap

(24,320 posts)

4. what about Carter?

Reply to Awknid (Reply #2)

Tue Sep 10, 2013, 09:57 PM

Sep 2013

But your assertion on Kennedy wouldn't surprise me

bobclark86

(1,415 posts)

5. <COUGH>

Reply to Awknid (Reply #2)

Tue Sep 10, 2013, 09:59 PM

Sep 2013

Vietnam <COUGH>

Rhiannon12866

(232,369 posts)

6. Jimmy Carter.

Reply to PlanetaryOrbit (Original post)

Tue Sep 10, 2013, 10:00 PM

Sep 2013

Uncle Joe

(61,428 posts)

7. Jimmy Carter other than trying to rescue the hostages, I

Reply to PlanetaryOrbit (Original post)

Tue Sep 10, 2013, 10:07 PM

Sep 2013

can't think of anything.

If you added every conflict the U.S. has been since its' inception I believe it's well over 200 years of war.

Thanks for the thread, PlanetaryOrbit.

bobclark86

(1,415 posts)

8. Eagle Claw was a clusterfuck...

Reply to PlanetaryOrbit (Original post)

Tue Sep 10, 2013, 10:22 PM

Sep 2013

We were still in Vietnam and Cambodia under Ford.

The last one was James Garfield, who died in 1881 after 200 days in office. He did damn near jump into a war in South America, though.

Link to U.S. military operations

BlueCheese

(2,522 posts)

9. The OP said "undertake".

Reply to bobclark86 (Reply #8)

Tue Sep 10, 2013, 10:25 PM

Sep 2013

Ford inherited the Vietnam War, which also ended during his presidency.

bobclark86

(1,415 posts)

11. I seem to remember him...

Reply to BlueCheese (Reply #9)

Tue Sep 10, 2013, 10:29 PM

Sep 2013

sending in troops to help evacuate Cambodia and Vietnam, as well as seize a merchant vessel in Cambodia.

The Mayaguez Incident

More Americans died there than in Benghazi.