general ranks

7/24/2019 General Ranks

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The following Americans have been promoted to five-star rank or above:.............. ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............. ........ ....... 1

General officers in the United States.............. ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... .......... ........ ..... 2

Contents....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

History[edit]................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

American Revolutionary War era[edit].......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

American Civil War era[edit]........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3

World War I era[edit].................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

World War II era[edit]................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Modern use[edit]............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4

ummary[edit]............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 4

!laboration[edit]...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ... 4

George Washington[edit].................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4

See also[edit]................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

References[edit]................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ........... 5

Notes[edit]...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

External links[edit].......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

General (United States)............... ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... .............. ........ ........ 6

Contents....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Statutory limits[edit]........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 6

Appointment and tour length[edit]..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Retirement[edit].............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6

General of the Army (United States) .............. ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ........ . 6

Contents....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

PostAmerican !i"il War era[edit]..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

World War ## and $orean War era[edit].............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7

Modern use[edit]............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7

General of the Armies[edit]............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

E%ui"alent ranks[edit]...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

General of the Armies............... ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... .............. ........ ........ ... 8

Contents....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

!reation and early usage[edit]............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8

"eneral of the Army of the #nited tates[edit]........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ... 8

World War # and &ohn Pershing[edit]............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... .. 9

World War ## and six'star rank[edit]................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

(ouglas MacArthur and the rene)ed effort[edit]................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 10

George Washington[edit]................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 10

*ther ser"ice "ersions[edit]............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

The following Americans have been promoted to five-star rank or above..................... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ .......... ........ ........ .. 11

Chief of Staff of the United States Army................ ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............. ........ ........ 11

Contents..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12

Responsi+ilities[edit]...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12

History[edit]................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12

,ist of !hiefs of Staff of the Army -./01present2[edit]....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.............. ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ............... ........ ..... 1!

Contents..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

!hronological list[edit]................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

3ice !hairman +y 4ranch of Ser"ice[edit].......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.............. ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ................ ............... ................ ............... ............... ............... ...... 16

Contents..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17

4ackground[edit]........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17

Authority[edit]........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17

Assistants [edit]......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17

$istorical [edit].......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17

Appointment and rank[edit]....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17

,ist of !hairmen[edit].................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17

Chief of taff to the Commander in Chief %historical predecessor office&[edit].............................................................................................................................................................................. 17

Chairmen of the 'oint Chiefs of taff[edit].................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 17

!hairman of the &oint !hiefs of Staff +y 4ranch of Ser"ice[edit]............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 19

The following Americans have been promoted to five-star rank or above

Adm!"# $% &'( )"*+ ,($!-( (/(+ 24 "!' 1903

,((!"# $% &'( A!m($' . (!'- 3 (&(m(! 1919

#((& Adm!"# :##"m . ;("'+ 15 ((m(! 1944

,((!"# $% &'( A!m+ ,($!-( "!'"## 16 ((m(! 1944

#((& Adm!"#

,((!"# $% &'( A!m+ $>-#" "A!&'>! 18 ((m(! 1944

#((& Adm!"# ?'(&(! :. )m&@ 19 ((m(! 1944

,((!"# $% &'( A!m+ /-'& .


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,((!"# $% &'( A!m( ,($!-( :"'-&$ 4 >#+ 1976C /&' " (F(&*( "$&m(& d"&( $% 4 >#+ 1776"

1. The timing of the first seven appointments was to establish both a clear order of seniorit" and a near-e#$ivalence between the Arm" and %av" services. &n 1'!'( Arnold was honored b" being made

the first( and to date onl"( )eneral of the Air *orce. +e is the onl" American to serve in a five-star rank in two of its militar" services.

2. ," a ongressional Act of arch 2!( 1'/0( Admiral )eorge ewe"s rank was established asAdmiral of the %av"( a rank which was specified to be senior to the fo$r-star rank of admiral and was

e#$al to admiral of the fleetin the ,ritish 3o"al %av". Admiral ewe" was the onl" individ$al ever appointed to this rank( which lapsed with his death on 4an$ar" 16( 1'15. Admiral of the %av" was

considered s$perior to fleet admiral d$ring orld ar &&.

0. 7n eptember 0( 1'1'( 4ohn 9ershingwas promoted to the rank of )eneral of the Armies:officiall" )eneral of the Armies of the ;nited tates< in recognition of his service d$ring orld ar &. +e is

the onl" person promoted to this rank d$ring their lifetime.

!. (a$ring the;nited tates ,icentennial"ear( )eorge ashington was posth$mo$sl" appointed to the grade of )eneral of the Armies of the ;nited tates b" the congressional =ointresol$tion 9$blic >aw '!-!5'passed on 4an$ar" 1'( 1'56( with an effective appointment date of 4$l" !( 1556. This restored ashingtons position as the most senior ;.. militar" officer. ,etweenthe =oint resol$tion concerning ashingtons rank( the fact that 7mar ,radle" was still alive( and th$s still considered to be on active d$t"( and statements made and actions taken d$ring and afterorld ar && abo$t the relationship between )eneral of the Armies and )eneral of the Arm"( it appears )eneral of the Armies is s$perior in rank to )eneral of the Arm".

General officers in the 5nited States*rom ikipedia( the free enc"clopedia

A general officeris an officerof high militar" rank? in the $niformed services of the ;nited tates( general officers are commissioned officers above thefield officerranks( the highest of which is colonelin theArm"(arineorps( andAir *orceand captain( in the%av"(oast )$ard( 9$blic +ealth ervice ommissioned orps:9+


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)eorge ashingtonith the e@ception of )eorge ashington( the general officers at that point were brigadier generals or ma=or generals. Their insignia was one or two stars worn on a golden epa$let.ashington was the highest-ranking officerof the ontinental Arm"( holding the title of E)eneral and ommander in hiefE of the ontinental Arm". +e wore three stars on his epa$lets.

A "ear prior to his death( ashington was appointed b" 9resident 4ohn Adamsto the rank of lie$tenant general in the ;nited tates Arm" d$ring the F$asi-arwith*rance. ashington never e@ercised active a$thorit" $nderhis new rank( however( and Adams made the appointment to frighten the *rench( with whom war seemed certain.

&n an act of ongresson arch 0( 15''( ongressprovided Ethat a ommander of the ;nited tates shall be appointed and commissionedb" the st"le of )eneral of the Armies of the ;nited tates and the present office andtitle of >ie$tenant )eneral shall thereafter be abolished.E The proposed senior general officer rank was not bestowed( however. hen )eorge ashington died( he was listed as a lie$tenant general on the rolls of the;nitedtates Arm".

After the 3evol$tionar" ar( the tin" ;nited tates Arm" at first had no active d$t" )eneral 7fficers. hen )eneral 7fficers were appointed again( the highest rank in the Arm" was a=or )eneral( with the senior a=or)eneral on the Arm" rolls known as the ommanding )eneral of the ;nited tates Arm". The position was abolished at the start of the 2/th cent$r" and replaced b" that ofhief of taff of the ;nited tates Arm".

American Civil War era[edit]

;l"sses )rant in the $niform of a lie$tenant general

tonewall 4acksonwearing the generic insignia of a onfederate general officer

The rank of lie$tenant generalremained inactive $ntil infield cottreceived a brevetpromotion to the rank in 18CC.[1]

7n arch 10( 1861( )eneral 7rder %o. 6 said that the position of Major General Commanding the Armywas entitled to wear three stars.[2]&n 186! ;l"sses . )rantwas appointed lie$tenant general and took command ofthe;nionforces. +e $sed the three-star insignia formerl" assigned to the position of a=or )eneral ommanding the Arm".

The onfederate tates Arm"$sed the rank oflie$tenant generalfor its corps commanders prior to the ;.. Arm"s adoption of the term. The two ranks were not s"non"mo$s. ;nlike the ;nion Arm"( the onfederate tatesArm" promoted n$mero$s officers to the ranks of >ie$tenant )eneral and )eneral :18 and 5( respectivel"ee( who chose to wear the insignia of the lower rank of acolonel:three stars< even after he became overall commander of the onfederate armies in 186C. :Among other general officers wearing colonels$niforms are %apoleon ,onaparteand the last 3$ssiantsar( %icholas &&.ee ,$llardwere promoted to >ie$tenant )eneral on 7ctober 16( 1'18. 7n eptember 0(1'1' 9$b.>. 66G!Cgranted 9ershing the rank of E)eneral of the Armies of the ;nited tatesE in recognition of his performance as the commander of theAmerican B@peditionar" *orce.After the war( in 1'2/( the >ie$tenant)enerals and )enerals reverted to their permanent ranks of a=or )eneral([!]e@cept for 9ershing. 9ershing retired from the ;nited tates Arm" on eptember 10( 1'2!( and retained his rank of )eneral of the Armies of the;nited tates $ntil his death in 1'!8. [C]A pop$lar belief that 9ershing wore fo$r gold stars d$ring his ten$re as )eneral of the Armies ma" originate with the artist 3ichard >eopold e"ffert whose famo$s portrait of 9ershing ashief of taff :right< depicted him as s$ch. &n fact there is no historical evidence that 9ershing act$all" wore an"thing other than the standard fo$r silver stars of a general. +e was later considered a five or si@-star general[citationneeded]as the res$lt of the creation of the )eneral of the Arm" rank in 1'!!. The rank of general was rea$thoried in 1'2' as a $ni#$e temporar" rank for the Arm" hief of taff starting with harles 9elot $mmerall. The mainp$rpose of this was to give the hief of taff of the Arm"( who had been a ma=or general( e#$al rank with the hief of %aval 7perations which had been a fo$r-star position since 1'16.

World War II era[edit]

>ie$tenant )enerals were rea$thoried on A$g$st C( 1'0'. *o$r >ie$tenant )enerals were a$thoried as temporar" ranks for the commanding officers of the fo$r n$mbered field armies at the time. The fo$r-star rank of)eneral remained $ni#$e to the hief of taff.

$ring orld ar &&most American )enerals held temporar" or HtheaterI appointments in theArm" of the ;nited tates.

;ntil the econd orld ar( the highest arine orps general rank was that of a=or )eneral( withThomas +olcombbecoming the first three-star arine general andAle@ander Jandegriftbecoming the first fo$r-star arinegeneral :both on active d$t"< in histor". Jandegrifts rank was awarded after becoming theommandant of the arine orps.

The second version of )eneral of the Arm"( collo#$iall" known as a E*ive-star )eneralE was created b" 9$b.>.58-!82passed on 1! ecember 1'!!([6]first as a temporar" rank( then made permanent 20 arch 1'!6 b" an actof the 5'th ongress.[5]&t was created to give the most senior American commanders parit" of rank with their ,ritishco$nterparts holding the rank offield marshal. The acts also created a comparable rank of *leet Admiralforthe %av". This second )eneral of the Arm" rank is not considered comparable to the American ivil ar era version.

The insignia for )eneral of the Arm"( as created in 1'!!( consisted of five stars in a pentagonal pattern( with points to$ching. The five officers who have held the 1'!! version of )eneral of the Arm" were

George !. "arshall 16 #e$em%er 1&''

#ouglas "a$Arthur 18 #e$em%er 1&'' #ight #. isenhoer 2* #e$em%er 1&''

+enry +. Arnold 21 #e$em%er 1&''

mar -radley 2* Septem%er 1&*

The timing of the first fo$r appointments was coordinated with the appointment of the ;.. %av"s five-star *leet Admirals :on 1C( 15( and 1' ecember 1'!!< to establish both a clear order of seniorit" and a near-e#$ivalencebetween the services.

A historical r$mor s$ggests that the title )eneral of the Arm" was $sed instead of the *ield arshal so that )eorge arshall wo$ld not be known as Earshal arshallE. ost militar" so$rces agree that it is more likel" thatthe rank was named after its 1'th-cent$r" co$nterpart and was so named beca$se the rank of *ield arshal was considered b" the ;.. militar" to be a B$ropean rank.

wight Bisenhower resigned his Arm" commission on a" 01( 1'C2 to r$n for president. After serving two terms( his s$ccessor( 4ohn *. Denned"( signed 9$b.>. 85G0on arch 20( 1'61 which ret$rned Bisenhower to Active$t" of 3eg$lar Arm" in grade of )eneral of the Arm" dated back to ecember 1'!!. This rank is toda" commemorated on the signs denoting &nterstate +ighwa"sas part of the Bisenhower &nterstate "stem( which displa"five silver stars on a light bl$e backgro$nd.[8][']

Modern use[edit]ummary[edit]

7fficial abbreviations below are $sed in the ;.. Arm" onl". The ;.. Air *orce does not abbreviate general officer ranks in signat$re blocks( b$t E,rig )en(E Ea= )en(E and E>t )enE :witho$t abbreviating periods< arecommonl" $sed.

Insignia Description

Brigadier General(-G)

/n the Army, -Gs typi$ally ser0es as #eputy !ommander to the !ommanding General of a di0isionand assists in o0erseeing the planning and

$oordination of a mission. /n an infantry %rigade (',*** to 6,*** soldiers) not atta$hed to a di0ision, a -rigadier General ser0es as the units

$ommander, hile a $olonelser0es as deputy $ommander. Similarly, Air or$e, -rig Gens $ommand large operational 3ings ith $olonels ser0ing as

deputy $ommanders. -oth ser0i$es -Gs ser0e as senior primary staff offi$ers of a !orps45um%ered Air or$eor higher le0el staff. -G and its

eui0alents $urrently ser0e as the$ommandantsand deansof the nited States Ser0i$e A$ademies.

Major General("G)

ypi$ally $ommands di0ision9si:ed units (1*,*** to 2*,*** soldiers) or ser0es as the deputy $ommander of a $orps. /n the Army, ma;or generals also

ser0e as -ran$h !hiefs (i.e.< /nfantry, Armor, =uartermaster, et$.), as ell as $ommandants of Army ser0i$e s$hoolsand $ommanding offi$ersof Army

"a;or Su%ordinate !ommands 9 for e>ample, the A!" ?ife !y$le "anagement !ommand(A!") and the Army /ntelligen$e and Se$urity

!ommand. /n the Air or$e, most ma;or generals are deputies or senior staff mem%ers of ma;or and ;oint $ommands, although a fe $ommand smaller

5um%ered Air or$es.

Lieutenant General(?G)

An Army or "arine !orps ?ieutenant General typi$ally $ommands a $orps9si:ed unit (2*,*** to ',*** soldiers), hile an Air or$e ?ieutenant

General $ommands a large5um%ered Air or$e$onsisting of se0eral ings. Additionally, ?ieutenant Generals of all ser0i$es ser0e as high9le0el staff

offi$ers at 0arious ma;or $ommand headuarters and he @entagon, often as the heads of their departments. he Superintendents of the nited States

Ser0i$e A$ademies are $urrently ?Gs.

General(G5)

!ommands all operations that fall ithin his geographi$al area. he !hiefs of Staff of the ArmyandAir or$eas ell as the !ommandant of the

"arine !orpsare four9star Generals. Generals $ommand ma;or areas of responsi%ility and hold the highest of military positions in the #epartment of#efense. Air or$e generals usually $ommand "a;or !ommands or nified !ommands. he !hairmanand i$e9!hairmanof the Boint !hiefs of

Staffare also four9star offi$ers.

General of the

Army(GA)4General of the Air

Force

his ranC is only used in time of ar here the $ommanding offi$er must %e eual to or of higher ranC than those $ommanding armies4air for$es from

other nations. he last offi$ers to hold this ranC ser0ed during and immediately folloing 3orld 3ar //. he "arine !orps does not ha0e an eui0alent

to this ranC.

(used %y @ershing)

(!on;e$tured

General of the Armies his ranC has not %een used on an a$ti0e duty military offi$er sin$e General @ershing as promoted to the ranC in 1&1&. General @ershing ore the

four stars of a general %ut in gold instead of sil0er. George 3ashingtonas posthumously appointed General of the Armies of the nited States during

the Ameri$an -i$entennialin 1&76. A si>9star 0ariation as designed (shon to the left) hen promotion to that ranC of #ouglas "a$Arthur for the

in0asion of Bapan as %eing $onsidered, %ut as ne0er authori:ed.D1*E
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasker_H._Blisshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasker_H._Blisshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Pershinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Pershinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyton_C._Marchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyton_C._Marchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_Liggetthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_Liggetthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lee_Bullardhttp://www.law.cornell.edu/jureeka/index.php?doc=USPubLaws&cong=66&no=45http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Expeditionary_Forcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Expeditionary_Forcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Expeditionary_Forcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_officers_in_the_United_States#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_officers_in_the_United_States#cite_note-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Pelot_Summerallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_officers_in_the_United_States&action=edit&section=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Holcombhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Holcombhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Vandegrifthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commandant_of_the_Marine_Corpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commandant_of_the_Marine_Corpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_Congresshttp://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Public_Law_78-482http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Public_Law_78-482http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_officers_in_the_United_States#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_officers_in_the_United_States#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_officers_in_the_United_States#cite_note-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/79th_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_officers_in_the_United_States#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_officers_in_the_United_States#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_marshalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_marshalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleet_Admiral_(U.S.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_C._Marshallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_MacArthurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhowerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_H._Arnoldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Bradleyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedyhttp://www.law.cornell.edu/jureeka/index.php?doc=USPubLaws&cong=87&no=3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highwayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eisenhower_Interstate_Systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_officers_in_the_United_States#cite_note-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_officers_in_the_United_States#cite_note-9http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_officers_in_the_United_States&action=edit&section=6http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_officers_in_the_United_States&action=edit&section=7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigadier_general_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_(military)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_(military)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbered_Air_Forcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commandanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commandanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_(education)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Service_academieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_general_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Training_and_Doctrine_Commandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commanding_officerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commanding_officerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_TACOM_Life_Cycle_Management_Commandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Intelligence_and_Security_Commandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Intelligence_and_Security_Commandhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant_general_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbered_Air_Forcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pentagonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_Staff_of_the_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_Staff_of_the_Armyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_Staff_of_the_Air_Forcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_Staff_of_the_Air_Forcehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commandant_of_the_Marine_Corpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commandant_of_the_Marine_Corpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Defensehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Defensehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chairman_of_the_Joint_Chiefs_of_Staffhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_Chairman_of_the_Joint_Chiefs_of_Staffhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_Chairman_of_the_Joint_Chiefs_of_Staffhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Chiefs_of_Staffhttp://en.wikipe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/nsignia)

!laboration[edit]

After the close of the econd orld ar( )enerals were normall" promoted permanentl" to ,rigadier )eneral and a=or )eneral( with temporar" promotions to >ie$tenant )eneral and )eneral to fill senior positions asneeded. &n theor"( a )eneral wo$ld be e@pected to vacate their three- or fo$r-star rank at the termination of their assignment( $nless the" were placed in an e#$al ranking billet.o$glas acArth$r( who served as fo$r-stargeneral and Arm" hief of taff( reverted to two stars after his o to$r ended b$t chose to sta" on active d$t" in the ;nited tates Arm".

The practice of $sing >ie$tenant )eneral and )eneral as a temporar" rank contin$es to the c$rrent da"( altho$gh the term Htemporar"I is in name onl" since most three- and fo$r-star generals are e@pected to retain their rankregardless of their assignment. $ch officers are also almost alwa"s granted permanent retirement rank( as well( in the last grade the" held.

There have been no officers appointed to the rank of )eneral of the Arm" since7mar ,radle"and( in the 21st cent$r" ;.. militar"( f$rther appointments are highl" $nlikel" $nless the ;nited tates were to become involved ina ma=or war on the scale of orld ar &&.

&n the 1''/s( the efense epartment gave some indication that thehairman of the 4oint hiefs of taffwo$ld possibl" one da" be a position worth" of the rank )eneral of the Arm"( *leet Admiral( or )eneral of the Air *orceas appropriate. This wo$ld be problematic in that with the appointment of ;nited tates arine orps )enerals as hairman( there is no c$rrent five-star ; rank. ongressional so$rces indicated that there were no plansto promote an" modern-da" general officers to the rank of )eneral of the Arm".

The rank of )eneral of the Arm" is still maintained as a rank of the ;.. militar"( and co$ld again be bestowed pending approval of the ;nited tates ongress. The rank wo$ld carr" a special pa" grade =$st as the c$rrent

ranks of officers do. $rrentl" ;.. militar" polic" is that )eneral of the Arm"( )eneral of the Air *orce( and *leet Admiral are ranks onl" to be $sed in time of war when the commanding officer m$st be e#$al to or of higher rankthan those commanding armies from another nation.

George Washington[edit]Main article:Military career of George Washington

After orld ar &&( which saw the introd$ction of ;.. Efive-starE officers who o$tranked ashington( both ongress and the 9resident revisited the iss$e of ashingtons rank. To maintain )eorge ashingtons proper positionas the first Commanding "eneral of the #nited tates Army( he was appointed( posth$mo$sl"( to the grade of "eneral of the Armies of the #nited tatesb" congressional =oint resol$tion9$blic >aw '!-!5'4an$ar" 1'(1'56( approved b" 9resident )erald 3. *ordon 7ctober 11( 1'56. The epartment of the Arm" 7rder 01-0( iss$ed on arch 10( 1'58 b"ecretar" of the Arm"lifford Ale@ander( 4r.had an effective appointment date of 4$l"!( 1'56.[11]The rank ens$res that no ;nited tates militar" officer o$tranks )eorge ashington. [12][10][1!]

See also[edit]

>ist of ;nited tates fo$r-star officers

>ist of ;nited tates Arm" fo$r-star generals

>ist of ;nited tates %av" fo$r-star admirals

>ist of ;nited tates arine orps fo$r-star generals

>ist of ;nited tates Air *orce fo$r-star generals

>ist of ;nited tates oast )$ard fo$r-star admirals

>ist of ;nited tates militar" leaders b" rank

;nited tates Arm" officer rank insignia

;nited tates arine orps officer rank insignia

;nited tates Air *orce officer rank insignia

4oint *orce Air omponent ommander

4oint *orce >and omponent ommander

4oint *orce aritime omponent ommander

References[edit]

Bicher( 4ohn +.( andBicher( avid 4.(Civil War High Commands( tanford ;niversit" 9ress( 2//1(&,% /-8/!5-06!1-0.

ommanding )enerals and hiefs of taff:;nited tates Arm" enter of ilitar" +istor"iggett and ,$llard >ose ar 3ankThe %ew Kork Times( 4$ne 0/( 1'2/

C. 'ump up (E+ow man" ;.. Arm" five-star generals have there been and who were the"LE. ;nited tates Arm" enter of ilitar" +istor".

6. 'ump up (E9$blic >aw !82E. 3etrieved 2//5-1/-22.

5. 'ump up (E9$blic >aw 000( 5'th ongressE. %aval +istorical enter. 11 April 2//5. 3etrieved 2//5-1/-22.

8. 'ump up (EBisenhower ilitar" 3anksE. Bisenhower 9residential enter. Archived from the originalon 2//5-/6-12. 3etrieved 2//5-1/-22.

'. 'ump up (EBisenhower 3esigned as )eneralE.Bisenhower 9residential enter. 3etrieved 2//5-1/-22.[dead lin"]

1/. 'ump up (ervice recordof o$glas acArth$r( 7peration ownfall1'!C 9romotion 9ackage 9roposal

11. 'ump up (9romotion order of )eorge ashington( ilitar" 9ersonnel 3ecords enter :*ile7rders 01-0.=pgand *ile7rders 01-0 over >etter.=pg


6/20

DhideE

United States commissioned officerand officer candidateranks

ay grade ! Branch of ser"ice#fficer

candidate#$% #$& #$' #$( #$) #$* #$+ #$, #$- #$%. #$%%

/#0s12

Specialgrade

Appro>imate insigniaD1ED2E

D2E

Air or$e !adet44 ! 2d ?t 1st ?t !apt "a; ?t !ol !ol -rig Gen "a; Gen ?t Gen Gen GADFE DE

Army !#4! 2? 1? !@ "AB ?! !? -G "G ?G G5 GADFE GASDFE

"arine !orps "idn4 !and 2nd?t 1st?t !apt "a; ?t!ol !ol -Gen "a;Gen ?tGen GenDE DE

5a0y "/#54 ! 5S ?BG ? ?!# !# !A@ #"? A#" A#" A#" A#"DFE A5DFE

!oast Guard !#4! 5S ?BG ? ?!# !# !A@ #"? A#" A#" A#"DE DE

@u%li$ +ealth Ser0i$eD!E 5S ?BG ? ?!# !# !A@ A#" A#" A#" A#" DE DE

5AA !orps ! 5S ?BG ? ?!# !# !A@ #"? A#" A#"D'E DE DE

D1ENo universal insignia for officer candid ate rank; Navy candidate insignia shown

D2EUnofficial 1945 proposal for General of the Armies insignia; ohn ! "ershing#s GA$ insignia% ; George &ewey#sANinsignia%

DFE'ank used for specific officers during (orld (ar )) and *orea only+ not permanent addition to rank structu re

D'E

Grade is authori,ed -y the U!$! .odefor use -ut has not -een createdDEGrade has never -een created or authori,ed

DhideE

United States 3arrant officerranks

4$% 4$& 4$' 4$( 4$)

Air or$e 31D1E !32D1E !3FD1E !3'D1E !3D1E

Army 31 !32 !3F !3' !3

"arine !orps 31 !32 !3F !3' !3

5a0y 31

D1E

!32 !3F !3' !3

!oast Guard 31D1E !32 !3F !3' D2E

@u%li$ +ealth Ser0i$eD2E D2E D2E D2E DFE

5ational $eani$ and

Atmospheri$ Administration

DFE DFE DFE DFE DFE

D1EGrade inactive

D2EGrade is authori,ed for use -y U!$! .ode-ut has not -een created

DFEGrade never created or authori,ed

General -5nited States2*rom ikipedia( the free enc"clopedia#his article is ao$t the fo$r-star ran". %or the roader sense of the term& see General officers in the United States. %or other $ses& see General 'disamig$ation(.

;.. Arm"(;.. Air *orce( and;.. arine orpsfo$r-star insigniaof the rank of )eneral. t"le and method of wear ma" var" between the services.

&n the ;nited tates Arm"( ;.. Air *orce(and;.. arine orps( generalis a fo$r-stargeneral officerrank( with the pa" gradeof 7-1/. )eneral ranks above lie$tenant generaland below )eneral of the Arm"or)eneral ofthe Air *orce? the arine orps does not have an established grade above general. )eneral is e#$ivalent to the rank ofadmiralin the other $niformed services.ince the grades of )eneral of the Arm" and )eneral of the Air*orce are reserved for war-time $se onl"( and since the arine orps has no five-star e#$ivalent( the grade of general is c$rrentl" considered to be the highest appointment an officer can achieve in these three services.

Contents

[hide]

1 tat$tor" limits

2 Appointment and to$r length
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7/20

0 3eti rement

! +istor" and origins

C ee also

6 3eferences

Statutory limits[edit]

Arm" ervice ;niformsho$lder strap with the rank of )eneral

3ank flagof a general of the Arm"? the arine orps e#$ivalent has ! stars in a circ$lar manner? the Air *orce e#$ivalent has a bl$e backgro$nd rather than red.

The ;nited tates ode e@plicitl" limits the total n$mber of fo$r-star generals that ma" be on active d$t" at an" given time. The total n$mber of active d$t" general officers is capped at 20/ for the Arm"( 2/8 for the Air *orce(and 6/ for the arine orps.[1]%o more than abo$t 2CN of a services active d$t" general or flag officers ma" have more than two stars( [2]and stat$te sets the total n$mber of fo$r-star generals allowed in each service.[2]Thisis set at 5 fo$r-star Arm" generals( ' fo$r-star Air *orce generals( and ! fo$r-star arine generals.[2]

everal of these slots are reserved b" stat$te. *or the Arm" and the Air *orce( the hiefof taffand the Jice hiefof tafffor both services are all fo$r-star generals? for the arine orps( theommandant and theAssistantommandantare both fo$r-star generals. &n addition( for the %ational )$ard( thehief of the %ational )$ard ,$rea$ [0]is a fo$r-star general $nder active d$t" in the Arm" or Air *orce.

There are several e@ceptions to these limits allowing more than allotted within the stat$te. A fo$r-star officer serving as hairmanorJice hairmanof the4oint hiefs of taffdoes not co$nt against his services general or flagofficer cap. An officer serving ashief of the %ational )$ard ,$rea$does not co$nt against his services general officer cap. An officer serving in one of several =oint positions does not co$nt against his services fo$r-star limit?these positions incl$de the commander of a$nified combatant command( the commander of ;nited tates *orces Dorea( and the dep$t" commander of ;nited tates B$ropean ommandb$t onl" if the commander of thatcommand is also the $preme Allied ommander( B$rope.[!]7fficers serving in certain intelligence positions are not co$nted against either the fo$r-star limit nor the general officer limit( incl$ding the irector of the entral&ntelligence Agenc".[C]The 9resident ma" also add fo$r-star slots to one service if the" are offset b" removing an e#$ivalent n$mber from other services.[2]*inall"( all stat$tor" limits ma" be waived at the 9residents discretiond$ring time of war or national emergenc".[6]

Appointment and tour length[edit]

*o$r-star grades go hand-in-hand with the positions of office to which the" are linked( so these ranks are temporar". 7fficers ma" onl" achieve fo$r-star grade if the" are appointed to positions of office that re#$ire the officer tohold s$ch a rank. [5]Their rank e@pires with the e@piration of their term of office( which is $s$all" set b" stat$te.[5])enerals are nominated for appointment b" the 9residentfrom an" eligible officers holding the rank of brigadiergeneral or above( who also meet the re#$irements for the position( $nder the advice andOor s$ggestion of the ecretar" of efense( service secretar" :ecretar" of the Arm"(ecretar" of the %av"( or ecretar" of the Air*orce


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2 orld ar && and Dorean ar era

0 odern $se

! )eneral of the Armies

C B#$ivalent ranks

6 ee also

5 3eferences

8 B@ternal links

PostAmerican !i"il War era[edit]

)eneral of the Arm" sho$lder strap insignia( 1866G1852 :)rant and herman.58-!82passed on 1! ecember 1'!!( [0]as a temporar" rank( s$b=ect to reversion topermanent rank si@ months after the end of the war. The temporar" rank was then declared permanent 20 arch 1'!6 b" 9$blic >aw 000 of the 5'th ongress(which also awarded f$ll pa" and allowances in the grade tothose on the retired list. [!]&t was created to give the most senior American commanders parit" of rank with their,ritishco$nterparts holding the ranks offield marshalandadmiral of the fleet. This second )eneral of the Arm"rank is not considered comparable[who!]to the American ivil ar era version.

A memor" aid for the five-star generals and admirals of the ; militar"

The insignia for )eneral of the Arm"( as created in 1'!!( consisted of five stars in a pentagonal pattern( with points to$ching. The five officers who have held the 1'!! version of )eneral of the Arm" are

George "arshall #e$em%er 16, 1&''

#ouglas "a$Arthur #e$em%er 18, 1&'' #ight #. isenhoer #e$em%er 2*, 1&''

+enry +. Arnold #e$em%er 21, 1&''

mar -radley Septem%er 22, 1&*

The timing of the first fo$r appointments was coordinated with the appointments of the ;.. %av"s first three five-star fleet admirals:illiam . >eah"on ecember 1C( 1'!!(Brnest 4. Dingon ecember 15( 1'!!(andhester . %imiton ecember 1'( 1'!!< to establish both a clear order of seniorit" and a near-e#$ivalence between the services. The final naval appointment of five-star rank was that ofilliam *. +alse"( 4r.onecember 11( 1'!C.

Altho$gh briefl" considered([C]the ; Arm" did not introd$ce a rank offield marshal. The ;nited tates traditionall" $ses the term EmarshalE for a senior law enforcement officer( partic$larl" the ; arshals(as well as formerl"for state and local police chiefs. &n addition( giving the rank the name EmarshalE wo$ld have res$lted in )eorge arshall being designated as E*ield arshal arshallE( which was considered $ndignified.[C][6][5][8]

wight Bisenhower resigned his Arm" commission on a" 01( 1'C2 to r$n for president. After he served two terms( his s$ccessor(4ohn *. Denned"( signed9$b.>. 85G0on arch 20( 1'61( which a$thoried 9residentDenned" to reappoint Bisenhower Eto the active list of the 3eg$lar Arm" in his former grade( of )eneral of the Arm" with his former date of rank in s$ch gradeE.

This rank is toda" commemorated on the signs denoting &nterstate +ighwa"sas part of the Bisenhower &nterstate "stem( which displa" five silver stars on a light bl$e backgro$nd.['][1/]

+enr" +. E+apE Arnold( ageneralin the Arm"( was the ommanding )eneral of the Arm" Air *orces when he was promoted to the rank of )eneral of the Arm". After the ;nited tates Air *orcebecame a separate service oneptember 18( 1'!5( Arnolds rank was carried over to the Air *orce( as all Arm" Air *orce personnel( e#$ipment( etc. also carried over. Arnold was the first and( to date( onl" general of the Air *orce.+e is also the onl" personto hold a five-star rank in two branches of the ; Armed *orces.[11]

Modern use[edit]

There have been no officers appointed to the rank of )eneral of the Arm" since7mar ,radle".[12]The rank of )eneral of the Arm" is still maintained as a rank of the ;.. militar"( and co$ld again be bestowed( most likel"d$ring a time of ma=or war( pending approval of the;nited tates ongress.;nited tates militar" polic" since the creation of a fifth star in orld ar && has been to award it onl" when a commander of ;.. forces m$st bee#$al to or of higher rank than commanders of armies from another nation $nder his control. [10]+owever( ongress and the 9resident ma" award a fifth star at an" time the" see fit. [1!][1C]

Altho$gh the first hairman of the 4oint hiefs of taff(7mar ,radle"( was event$all" awarded a fifth star( s$ch a promotion does not come with the office? ,radle"s elevation was a political move to remed" the fact that hiss$bordinate( o$glas acArth$r( wo$ld otherwise o$trank him.[16][15]

&n the 1''/s( there were proposals in ;.. epartment of efenseacademic circles to bestow on the office of hairman of the 4oint hiefs of taff a five-star rank.[18][1'][2/]

At one time( after the concl$sion of the 9ersian )$lf arb$t before his ten$re as ecretar" of tate( there had been some talk of awarding )eneral olin 9owell( who had served as 4 d$ring the conflict( a fifth star. ,$teven in the wake of p$blic and ongressional press$re to do so( [1!][21]linton-)orepresidential transition teamstaffers decided against it. [1C][22][20]

As recentl" as the late 2///s( some commentators had proposed that the militar" leader in the ar on Terrorbe promoted to a five-star rank. [2!]&n 4an$ar" 2/11( the fo$nders of the Jets for *reedompolitical advocac" gro$pp$blished anop-edin the all treet 4o$rnalcalling for avid 9etrae$sto be awarded a fifth star in recognition of his work and the importance of his mission.[2C]Barlier( in 4$l" of 2/1/( .,. )rad" wrote an article in #he

Atlantics$pporting the same promotion.[26]

General of the Armies[edit]Main article:General of the Armies

The rank of )eneral of the Armies is considered senior to )eneral of the Arm"( and has been bestowed on onl" two officers in histor"( 4ohn 4. 9ershing(in 1'1' for his services in orld ar &( and )eorge ashingtonfor hisservice as the first commanding general of the ;nited tates Arm". :An e#$ivalent rank(Admiral of the %av"( was given to )eorge ewe".aw 66-!C(promoted 9ershing to the rank of E)eneral of the Armies of the ;nited tatesE[5][8]in recognition of 9ershings performance ascommander of theAmerican B@peditionar" *orces. The pec$liar wording of 9ershings new rank :i.e. Eof theArmiesE< was to disting$ish that this held a$thorit" over all armed services( as opposed to the ivil ar titleE)eneral of the Arm"E :itself an Arm" rank. timsonstated

+t a))ears the intent of the Army was to ma"e the General of the Armies senior in grade to the General of the Army. + have advised Congress that the War ,e)artment conc$rs in s$ch )ro)osed action. [citation needed]

timsons answer was ver" caref$ll" worded and nowhere did he ever act$all" state that 9ershing held si@-star rank. The sit$ation with 9ershing was seemingl" solved( b$t the matter of a si@-star general in the ;nitedtates militar" wo$ld reappear in onl" a few months d$ring the s$mmer of 1'!C.

As part of the preparation for 7peration ownfall:the planned invasion of 4apan


11/20

&t became obvio$s that the$preme ommanderfor the attack of 4apan wo$ld hold an enormo$s amo$nt of power and wo$ld command an invasion force larger than an" seen to date in the econd orld ar. &t wasalso clear that whoever this commander was wo$ld have direct command a$thorit" of not one( b$t several five-star officers. To that end( a proposal was disc$ssed in thear epartmentto appoint o$glasacArth$rto the rank of E)eneral of the ArmiesE and have this position be considered a si@-star general rank.

The proposal for acArth$rs promotion to a new rank was beg$n on 4$l" 20( 1'!C. [12]The Arm" draft for the promotion specified three ke" points regarding the renewed proposal for )eneral of the Armies

1. The position wo$ld clearl" be a si@-star general rank

2. The rank wo$ld be senior to )eneral of the Arm"

0. The rank wo$ld re#$ire a new insignia which incorporated a si@th star into the five-star design of )eneral of the Arm".

The proposal for acArth$rs promotion was dropped b" the ;nited tates Arm" on A$g$st 18( 1'!C( fo$r da"s after 4apans s$rrender anno$ncement( rendered the planned invasion $nnecessar". acArth$rs servicerecord indicates the promotion package was closed d$e to Elack of necessit" for s$ch a rankE. [10]

As this proposal to promote acArth$r was simpl" Eon the drawing boardE( the ;nited tates Arm" firml" states :to the present da"< that there has never been an officiall" recognied si@-star general rank in the ;nitedtates militar" hierarch". 4ohn 9ershings stat$s remains in a ver" gra" area( in partic$lar d$e to the vag$e statements made b" ecretar" of ar timson and the fact that 9ershing was never on active d$t" at thesame time as a five-star )eneral of the Arm". 9ershings rank has th$s been interpreted as a senior version of a fo$r-star general( an earlier version of a five-star general( or a si@-star rank that has never been officiall"recognied.[citation needed]

(ouglas MacArthur and the rene)ed effort[edit]

enate 4oint 3esol$tion for o$glas acArth$r to ass$me the rank of )eneral of the Armies

&n the earl" 1'C/s( s$pporters of o$glas acArth$rbegan to petition the ;nited tates government to a$thorie a EpromotionE to the rank of )eneral of the Armies. acArth$r was at this time a retired five-stargeneral and( with the movement to promote him( it was clear that :Arm" reg$lations notwithstanding< the general p$blic felt that the rank of )eneral of the Armies was a si@-star position.

&n 1'CC( the ;nited tates ongress considered a bill a$thoriing 9resident wight . Bisenhowerto promote acArth$r to the rank of )eneral of the Armies. The lang$age $sed in the bill states that the rank was tobe Ere-activatedE and that acArth$r was to be EpromotedE to the position. ith s$ch terms( the ongressional legislation all b$t confirmed that )eneral of the Armies was a senior rank to that of )eneral of the Arm".+owever( the Arm" itself still did not declare that )eneral of the Armies was a si@-star rank( and ongress did not act$all" pass( or even vote on( the proposed legislation.

+ad o$glas acArth$r act$all" been promoted( m$ch of the conf$sion regarding the stat$s of )eneral of the Armies wo$ld in all likelihood have been resolved. This wo$ld have been the case d$e to the n$mber offive-star generals still on the Arm" rolls( and to introd$ce a rank of )eneral of the Armies wo$ld have re#$ired some t"pe of formal reg$lation b" the Arm" dealing with seniorit" and insignia. +owever( the Arm" 4$dge

Advocate )eneralwarned that( sho$ld acArth$r accept promotion to rank of )eneral of the Armies( he wo$ld lose a large amo$nt of retirement pa" and benefits associated with the m$ch more firml" established rankof five-star )eneral of the Arm". TheArm" )eneral taffwas also concerned beca$se )eorge . arshallwas senior to acArth$r and that( sho$ld acArth$r be made a )eneral of the Armies( a similar meas$rewo$ld have to be passed promoting arshall as well.

,eca$se of the vario$s complications( acArth$r advised wight Bisenhower that he wished to decline promotion and the bill to promote acArth$r was dropped. $pporters of acArth$r contin$ed with f$rtherpetitions( however( and the acArth$r emorial in %orfolk( Jirginiapossesses n$mero$s letters from 1'62 thro$gh 1'6! attempting to obtain acArth$r a Esi@-star promotionE. &n the letters( as well as a congressionalrecord appendi@ from *ebr$ar" 1'62 :pages A86!-A86Cie$tenant )eneral )eorge ashington of Jirginia commanded o$r armies thro$gho$t and to the s$ccessf$l termination of o$r 3evol$tionar" ar?

hereas >ie$tenant )eneral )eorge ashington presided over the convention that form$lated o$r onstit$tion?

hereas >ie$tenant )eneral )eorge ashington twice served as 9resident of the ;nited tates of America? and

hereas it is considered fitting and proper that no officer of the ;nited tates Arm" sho$ld o$trank >ie$tenant )eneral )eorge ashington on the Arm" list?

%ow( therefore( be it

esolved y the Senate and Ho$se of e)resentatives of the United States of America in Congress assemled( That:a< for p$rposes of s$bsection :b< of this section onl"( the grade of )eneral of the Armies of the ;nited tates is established( s$ch grade to have rank and precedence over all other grades ofthe Arm"( past or present.:b< The 9resident is a$thoried and re#$ested to appoint )eorge ashington posth$mo$sl" to the grade of )eneral of the Armies of the ;nited tates( s$ch appointment to take effect on 4$l"!( 1'56.

A))roved ctoer //& /012.9$blic >aw '!-!5'

The formal promotion orderfrom the Arm" does not address si@-star stat$s? however the phrasing Es$ch grade to have rank and precedence over all other grades of the Arm"( past or presentE b"implication clarifies the relationship of ashingtons rank to 9ershings.

*ther ser"ice "ersions[edit]

)eorge ewe"

The ;nited tates %av" maintains one Es$per rankE known asAdmiral of the %av". The rank of Admiral of the %av" has onl" been held b" one person( )eorge ewe"(and at the time of its creation thisrank was considered little more than a fo$r-star admiral with an added honorar" title.[citation needed])eorge ewe" was deceased b" the time 4ohn 9ershing was appointed to the rank of )eneral of the Armies(and no formal attempt was ever made b" the militar" to compare the two ranks.[citation needed]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Commander_for_the_Allied_Powershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Commander_for_the_Allied_Powershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_MacArthurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_MacArthurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_of_the_Armies#cite_note-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_over_Japan_Dayhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_of_the_Armies#cite_note-13http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drawing_boardhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_of_the_Armies&action=edit&section=5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_MacArthurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhowerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhowerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Advocate_General's_Corpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Advocate_General's_Corpshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Army_General_Staff&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Army_General_Staff&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_C._Marshallhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk,_Virginiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_assassinationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_of_the_Armies&action=edit&section=6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Continental_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Continental_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_order_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_R._Fordhttp://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Public_Law_94-479http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/File:Orders_31-3.jpghttp://en.wikisource.org/wiki/File:Orders_31-3.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=General_of_the_Armies&action=edit&section=7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Deweyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admiral_of_the_Navy_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admiral_of_the_Navy_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Deweyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Deweyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_n

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