As commander in chief of the armed forces
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James Madison was the only president to engage in combat while in office. It was during the War of 1812.
While technically the President cannot declare war without Congress, under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the President can send troops into combat as long as he informs Congress within 48 hours of doing so . Then he has 60 days and then another 30 days for withdrawal before he has to get Congressional approval or a formal declaration of war. Congress has to approve any additional funds that an undeclared war requires.
A formal declaration of war.
The President cannot spend money without the approval of Congress and cannot directly authorize the spending of money. The president makes an annual budget request to congress describing how the various departments of the executive branch will use the budget. There is also discretionary spending which has to be asked for annually which and the president irons out with congressional Appropriations Committees. Extra defense spending, for example, has to be asked for individually. The various departments that fall under POTUS recommendations include Education, Housing, Treasury, State (Foreign), Interior, etc. Congress brings in Dept Secretaries and questions them and it goes in/out of committee before it goes to the floor of the two houses. It passes by simple majority (after pork, or, paper-clipped add-ons mysteriously appear, usually to benfit one congressman's region). Because it is a resolution, not a bill, it does not go back to POTUS to be signed/vetoed. It just goes into effect from congress. From the dot gov: " the President's budget must request a specific funding level for appropriated programs and may also request changes in tax and entitlement law." The entitlement programs are: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Nutrition Assistance, Retirement Benefits, Veterans' Disability, and Unemployment Insurance This is an oversimplification that doesn't take into account, for example, Reconciliation. The entire process, enveloping all three branches of government is difficult even for congressman to learn fully. The president has a team of advisers just for budgetary spending. Congress has the Congressional Budget Office, committee experts, advisers, and aides. It's all part of the "Balance of Power" and the current budget procedures date to the Nixon era (except for the Byrd rule, which is also more complicated).
No US President hadany record as a combat fighter pilot. George W. Bush was in the Texas Air Froce Reserves and he may have flown old fighters, but never in combat. His father, George H. W. Bush was a notable bomber pilot and flew dozens of missions in WW II. Dwight Eisenhower was certified as a pilot of some sort but never flew in combat.