How much of his time would have taken to speak out in support of the troops?
Chain of Command
Excerpt:
By the Goldwater-Nichols DOD Reorganization Act of 1986, Congress clarified the command line to the combatant commanders and preserve civilian control of the military.
The Act states that the operational chain of command runs from the President to the Secretary of Defense to the combatant commanders.
The Act permits the President to direct that communications pass through CJCS. This authority places CJCS in the communications chain.
Further, the Act gives the Secretary of Defense wide latitude to assign the Chairman oversight responsibilities over the activities of the combatant commanders.
Authority
The effective use of the nation’s Armed Forces requires a unity of effort in the operation of diverse military resources. This goal is achieved through:
*strategic direction of the Armed Forces,
*operations under unified command,
*integration into an efficient team of land, naval, and air forces,
*prevention of unnecessary duplication of efforts or resources, coordination of operations, and
*effective combined operations
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/dod/chain.htm
No President in my lifetime has been as honoring, supportive, compassionate, and devoted to our brave military as Pres. George W. Bush, and they highly honor and respect him back.