['< sod > u. s. ranks have their roots in british military traditions, with the president possessing ultimate authority, but no " rank ", maintaining a civilian status. as with european monarchies, the position of the american president as the nominal head of the american armed forces general is deeply rooted in traditions going back centuries. < eod > < google sod > u. s. ranks still have their roots in british military traditions, with the president possessing most ultimate authority, but no " rank ", maintaining a civilian status. as with european monarchies, the official position of the american president as the nominal { { clarification needed | reason = « the president is not a mere nominal head, the president is the head } } head of the armed forces is deeply rooted in traditions going back three centuries. { { citation needed | date = 12 september 2016 } } < eod >']