I have just observed the thirteenth peaceful change of federal executive power in my lifetime. For some, it was time for chills, others’ thrills.

But one small turn-of-phrase used frequently on inauguration day should send shivers down every American’s spine, and yet it is so common that hardly anyone notices it.

When politicians, the press or citizens use the term “commander in chief” instead of “commander in chief of the armed forces” to describe the president of the United States on a routine basis, it is not only incorrect. It is sloppy and disingenuous because it implies powers and responsibilities that the occupant of the White House does not possess.

The fantasy of presidents being “the commander in chief” creates an expectation that a strong, even authoritarian leader, one who keeps their own counsel and acts as they see fit with little or no responsibility to be accountable to the rules, is needed to “get us out of this mess.”

Throughout history, that choice by voters has proven to be a tragic, even fatal, decision for democracies. Messianic leaders with a cult-like following claiming to have the unrestricted power to “command” are an existential danger to not only America, but to the world.

Unless you are among the less than 1% of Americans actively serving in the uniformed services, the president is not your commander in chief. As a retired general officer, who commanded six operational units in peace and war, I think the casual misuse of this phrase is undermining Americans’ understanding of the president’s role in government.

Using the words “your commander in chief” without continuing with “of the Armed Forces” is not only misleading but also patently false. The Constitution only uses these words once in Article II, Section 2: “The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States.” In modern terms this includes all active duty service components and National Guard when federally activated—the Armed Forces. There is nothing else in the Constitution referring to the president as commander in chief.

“Commander in chief” implies full or nearly full control of all the functions of government. But no one, not even the president, has that much power because we are a nation of laws, and those laws act as both authority and limitation. And we should be glad of it.

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for official actions does not absolve the chief executive from faithfully executing the law as they are sworn to do. More importantly, it provides no protection for anyone (including military members) subordinate to the president who follows an order that violates the law. Everyone in and out of the government should be mindful that those narrow executive protections stop at the Oval Office door.

The president does not “run the country,” or the world for that matter. Almost every president in my lifetime has directly or indirectly claimed that they do — but it is not constitutionally or practically so.

Presidential actions or inactions may influence events, and we should hold them accountable for those choices. But that is far from being “in command” of national and world affairs which are often unforeseen and uncontrollable. Our national inclination to give credit or blame to the president as “commander in chief” for everything that happens coincident with their term builds unachievable expectations which are destined to disappoint.

In this time of ubiquitous mass media, unending political messaging, and difficult division, all of us — political leaders, candidates, the press, and most especially “We the People” — need to choose our words carefully and wisely.

The president of the United States is the head of one branch of our constitutional republic. But unless you are on active military service, he is not your commander in chief. So, let’s stop saying it. Instead, let us “well and faithfully discharge” our duties as citizens together as we exercise vigilance in what continues to be our great and ever-evolving experiment in self-governance.

Irv Halter, major general, U.S. Air Force (retired), is a 32-year veteran fighter pilot who served in Desert Storm and Afghanistan. He also held vice director for operations on the Joint Staff. Later he ran for Congress and served in Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s cabinet. He and his wife now live in Philadelphia.