Why is it important to have the president as commander in chief of the armed forces?

Answer 1

The President of the US is elected for a fixed (4-year) term. The fact that he is commander-in-chief prevents the military from taking over the country. Generals who overstep their authority can be demoted and stripped of their authority by the President. History shows that a military coup is one the gravest threats to a democratic government -witness Egypt and Mynamar.

Answer 2

As the Commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces, the President serves as a source of unity for the different factions of the US Military. He is the only figure that serves as a superior to the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, etc. Disregarding the president, all these branches of the military are supposably equal in authority over armed forces. Having the President as the last word in matters allows the military branches to function and perform their duties efficiently without having any conflicts with each other.

In addition, by having a single person serve as the Commander-in-chief, the President can make critical militaristic decisions single-handedly without the burden of a time-restraining majority rules voting. In other words, where time is of the essence, the US military might not be able to wait for Congress to vote on how to approach a military decision; this is where the President comes in, making a quick decision himself according to what he/she believes is best.