List of United States Army four-star generals

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Flag of an Army four-star general Flag of a United States Army general.svg
Flag of an Army
four-star general

The rank of general (or full general, or four-star general) is the highest rank normally achievable in the United States Army. It ranks above lieutenant general (three-star general) and below general of the Army (five-star general).

Contents

There have been 258 four-star generals in the history of the U.S. Army. Of these, 244 achieved that rank while on active duty in the U.S. Army; eight were promoted after retirement; five were promoted posthumously; and one (George Washington) was appointed to that rank in the Continental Army, the U.S. Army's predecessor. Generals entered the Army via several paths: 162 were commissioned via the U.S. Military Academy (USMA), 54 via Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) at a civilian university, 16 via direct commission (direct), 14 via Officer Candidate School (OCS), eight via ROTC at a senior military college, one via ROTC at a military junior college, one via direct commission in the Army National Guard (ARNG), one via the aviation cadet program, and one via battlefield commission.

List of generals

Entries in the following list of four-star generals are indexed by the numerical order in which each officer was promoted to that rank while on active duty, or by an asterisk (*) if the officer did not serve in that rank while on active duty in the U.S. Army. Each entry lists the general's name, date of rank, [a] active-duty positions held while serving at four-star rank, [b] number of years of active-duty service at four-star rank (Yrs), [c] year commissioned and source of commission, [d] number of years in commission when promoted to four-star rank (YC), [e] and other biographical notes. [f]

List of United States Army four-star generals
#NamePhotoDate of rank [a] Position [b] Yrs [c] Commission [d] YC [e] Notes [f]
* George Washington
Portrait of George Washington-transparent.png
15 Jun 1775 81775 (direct)0(1732–1799) [g] Promoted to General of the Armies, 4 Jul 1976. Chancellor, College of William & Mary, 1788–1799; [5] U.S. President, 1789–1797. Awarded Congressional Gold Medal, 1776. [6]
1 Ulysses S. Grant
USGrantVignette.jpg
25 Jul 1866 51843 (USMA)23(1822–1885) [h] Promoted to General of the Armies, 19 Apr 2024. U.S. President, 1869–1877. Awarded Congressional Gold Medal, 1863. [9] Married great-aunt of Navy four-star admiral U. S. Grant Sharp Jr. [10]
2 William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman.jpg
4 Mar 1869 141840 (USMA)29(1820–1891) Superintendent, Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy, 1860–1861. Brother of U.S. Secretary of State John Sherman.
3 Philip H. Sheridan
General Philip Henry Sheridan during the 1880s.jpg
1 Jun 1888 01853 (USMA)35(1831–1888) Died in office.
4 Tasker H. Bliss
General Tasker Bliss.jpg
6 Oct 1917 21875 (USMA)42(1853–1930) [i] [j] President, U.S. Army War College, 1903–1905, 1909; [15] Governor, U.S. Soldiers' Home, 1920–1927. [12]
5 John J. Pershing
General John Joseph Pershing head on shoulders.jpg
6 Oct 1917 71886 (USMA)31(1860–1948) [k] Promoted to General of the Armies, 3 Sep 1919. Chairman, American Battle Monuments Commission, 1923–1948; Chairman, Tacna-Arica Plebiscitary Commission, 1925–1926. Awarded Pulitzer Prize for History, 1932; Congressional Gold Medal, 1946. [17] [18]
6 Peyton C. March
Peyton C. March.jpg
20 May 1918 21888 (USMA)30(1864–1955) [j]
7 Charles P. Summerall
Charles P. Summerall.jpg
23 Feb 1929 11892 (USMA)37(1867–1955) [l] President, The Citadel, 1931–1953. [21]
8 Douglas MacArthur
General Douglas MacArthur (signature removed).jpg
21 Nov 1930 91903 (USMA)27(1880–1964) [m] Promoted to general of the Army, 18 Dec 1944. Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy, 1919–1922. Awarded Medal of Honor, 1942; Congressional Gold Medal, 1962. [23] Grandson of Wisconsin Governor Arthur MacArthur Sr.
9 Malin Craig
Malin-craig.jpg
2 Oct 1935 81898 (USMA)37(1875–1945) [n] Commandant, U.S. Army War College, 1935. [15]
10 George C. Marshall Jr.
George Marshall 1947.jpg
1 Sep 1939 51902 (VMI) [o] 38(1880–1959) [p] Promoted to general of the Army, 16 Dec 1944. Special Representative of the President in China, 1945–1947; U.S. Secretary of State, 1947–1949; Chairman, American Battle Monuments Commission, 1949–1959; President, American Red Cross, 1949–1950; U.S. Secretary of Defense, 1950–1951. Awarded Congressional Gold Medal, 1946; Nobel Peace Prize, 1953. [27]
* John L. Hines
Maj. Gen. J.L. Hines, Chief of Staff, 9-13-(24) LCCN2016849427 (cropped).jpg
15 Jun 1940 
  • (retired)
01891 (USMA)49(1868–1968) [q] Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, 1924–1926. [29]
11 Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D Eisenhower.jpg
11 Feb 1943 11915 (USMA)28(1890–1969) [r] Promoted to general of the Army, 20 Dec 1944. President, Columbia University, 1948–1953; U.S. President, 1953–1961.
12 Henry H. Arnold
Henry H. Arnold 1947.jpg
19 Mar 1943 11907 (USMA)36(1886–1950) [s] [t] Promoted to general of the Army, 21 Dec 1944; to general of the Air Force, 7 May 1949.
13 Joseph W. Stilwell
Stilwell001.jpg
1 Aug 1944 21904 (USMA)40(1883–1946) Died in office.
14 Walter Krueger
General Walter Krueger.jpg
5 Mar 1945 11901 (direct)44(1881–1967) [u]
15 Brehon B. Somervell
General Brehon B. Somervell.jpg
6 Mar 1945 11914 (USMA)31(1892–1955) [v]
16 Joseph T. McNarney
GEN Joseph T. McNarney.jpg
7 Mar 1945 71915 (USMA)30(1893–1972) [s]
17 Jacob L. Devers
GEN Jacob L. Devers.jpg
8 Mar 1945 41909 (USMA)36(1887–1979) Chairman, American Battle Monuments Commission, 1960–1969.
18 George C. Kenney
General George Churchill Kenney.jpg
9 Mar 1945 61917 (cadet)28(1889–1977) [s]
19 Mark W. Clark
General Mark W. Clark (cropped).jpg
10 Mar 1945 81917 (USMA)28(1896–1984) [w] President, The Citadel, 1954–1966; Chairman, American Battle Monuments Commission, 1969–1984.
20 Carl A. Spaatz
Carl Spaatz, Air Force photo portrait, color.jpg
11 Mar 1945 31914 (USMA)31(1891–1974) [s]
21 Omar N. Bradley
Omar Bradley, official military photo, 1949.JPEG
12 Mar 1945 51915 (USMA)30(1893–1981) [x] Promoted to general of the Army, 22 Sep 1950. Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction, 1977. [37]
22 Thomas T. Handy
GEN Thomas T. Handy, USA.jpg
13 Mar 1945 91916 (VMI) [o] 29(1892–1982)
23 George S. Patton Jr.
General George Patton by Robert F. Cranston, Lee Elkins, and Harry Warnecke, 1945, color carbro print, from the National Portrait Gallery - NPG-NPG 95 404Patton-000002.jpg
14 Apr 1945 01909 (USMA)36(1885–1945) Died in office. Father-in-law of Army four-star general John K. Waters.
24 Courtney H. Hodges
Lt. Gen. Courtney H. Hodges (cropped).jpg
15 Apr 1945 41909 (direct)36(1887–1966)
25 Jonathan M. Wainwright IV
Jonathan M. Wainwright (cropped).jpg
5 Sep 1945 11906 (USMA)39(1883–1953) Awarded Medal of Honor, 1945. [38]
26 Lucius D. Clay
GEN Lucius D. Clay portrait (cropped).jpg
28 Mar 1947 21918 (USMA)29(1897–1978) Special Representative of the President in Berlin, 1961–1962. Son of U.S. Senator Alexander S. Clay; father of Air Force four-star general Lucius D. Clay Jr. [39]
27 J. Lawton Collins
J-lawton-collins-1948.jpg
24 Jan 1948 81917 (USMA)31(1896–1987) U.S. Special Representative to Vietnam, 1954–1955. [40]
28 Wade H. Haislip
Wade Haislip.jpg
1 Oct 1949 21912 (USMA)37(1889–1971) Governor, U.S. Soldiers' Home, 1951–1966.
* Walton H. Walker
Walton H. Walker (US Army General).jpg
20 Dec 1950 
  • (posthumous)
01912 (USMA)38(1889–1950) [y] Died in office. Father of Army four-star general Sam S. Walker.
29 Matthew B. Ridgway
Matthew B. Ridgway.jpg
11 May 1951 41917 (USMA)34(1895–1993) Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1986; Congressional Gold Medal, 1990. [42]
30 Walter Bedell Smith
Lieutenant General Walter Bedell Smith, three-quarter length portrait, seated, facing front, in uniform.jpg
1 Jul 1951 21917 (direct)34(1895–1961) U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, 1946–1948; U.S. Under Secretary of State, 1953–1954. [43]
31 John E. Hull
John E. Hull (GEN) (cropped).jpg
30 Jul 1951 41917 (direct)34(1895–1975) Chairman, President's Board of Consultants on Foreign Intelligence Activities, 1958–1961.
32 James A. Van Fleet
James A. Van Fleet.jpg
31 Jul 1951 21915 (USMA)36(1892–1992) [44] Special Representative of the President in the Far East, 1954.
33 Alfred M. Gruenther
Alfred Maximilian Gruenther.jpg
1 Aug 1951 51917 (USMA)34(1899–1983) President, American Red Cross, 1957–1964. [45]
34 John R. Hodge
John reed hodge.jpg
5 Jul 1952 11917 (direct)35(1893–1963)
35 Maxwell D. Taylor
Maxwell D Taylor official portrait.jpg
23 Jun 1953 91922 (USMA)31(1901–1987) [46] [z] Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy, 1945–1949; U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam, 1964–1965; Chairman, President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, 1965–1969; President, Institute for Defense Analyses, 1966–1969. [48]
36 Charles L. Bolte
Charles L. Bolte.jpg
30 Jul 1953 21917 (direct)36(1895–1989)
37 William M. Hoge
William Hoge.jpg
23 Oct 1953 21916 (USMA)37(1894–1979)
* Robert L. Eichelberger
Robert Eichelberger (2).jpg
19 Jul 1954 
  • (retired)
01909 (USMA)45(1886–1961) [aa] Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy, 1940–1942. [50]
* Lucian K. Truscott Jr.
Lt. Gen. Lucian K. Truscott Jr (cropped).jpg
19 Jul 1954 
  • (retired)
01917 (direct)37(1895–1965) [aa] Deputy Director for Coordination, Central Intelligence Agency, 1953–1959. [51]
* Leonard T. Gerow
Gerow portrait.jpg
19 Jul 1954 
  • (retired)
01911 (VMI) [o] 43(1888–1972) [aa]
* William H. Simpson
GEN William Hood Simpson.jpg
19 Jul 1954 
  • (retired)
01909 (USMA)45(1888–1980) [aa]
* Ben Lear
Ben Lear.jpg
19 Jul 1954 
  • (retired)
01901 (direct)53(1879–1966) [aa]
* Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr.
General Simon B. Buckner, Jr.jpg
19 Jul 1954 
  • (posthumous)
01908 (USMA)46(1886–1945) [aa] Killed in action. Son of Kentucky Governor Simon Bolivar Buckner Sr.
* Alexander M. Patch
Alexander Patch portrait.jpg
19 Jul 1954 
  • (posthumous)
01913 (USMA)41(1889–1945) [aa] Died in office.
* Lesley J. McNair
Lesley McNair.jpg
19 Jul 1954 
  • (posthumous)
01904 (USMA)50(1883–1944) [aa] Killed in action.
* John L. DeWitt
John Lesene Dewitt copy.PNG
19 Jul 1954 
  • (retired)
01898 (direct)56(1880–1962) [aa] Commandant, U.S. Army War College, 1937–1939. [15]
* Albert C. Wedemeyer
GEN Albert Coady Wedemeyer.jpg
19 Jul 1954 
  • (retired)
01918 (USMA)36(1897–1989) [aa] Special Representative of the President in China and Korea, 1947. Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1985. [52] [53]
* Robert C. Richardson Jr.
Robert C RichardsonJr.jpg
19 Jul 1954 
  • (posthumous)
01904 (USMA)50(1882–1954) [aa] Military Governor of Hawaii, 1943–1944. [54]
38 John E. Dahlquist
John E Dahlquist.jpg
18 Aug 1954 21917 (direct)37(1896–1975)
39 Anthony C. McAuliffe
GEN Anthony C. McAuliffe.jpg
1 Mar 1955 11918 (USMA)37(1898–1975) Chairman, New York State Civil Defense Commission, 1960–1963.
40 Lyman L. Lemnitzer
GEN Lyman L. Lemnitzer, portrait as SACEUR (cropped 2).jpg
25 Mar 1955 141920 (USMA)35(1899–1988) [56] [ab] Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1987. [59]
41 Williston B. Palmer
Williston B. Palmer.jpg
1 May 1955 71919 (USMA)36(1899–1973) [60] [ac] Brother of Army four-star general Charles D. Palmer.
42 Isaac D. White
Isaac D. White.JPG
22 Jun 1955 61922 (Norwich)33(1901–1990)
43 Willard G. Wyman
Wyman Willard G (cropped).jpg
1 Mar 1956 21919 (USMA)37(1898–1969)
44 Cortlandt V. R. Schuyler
Cortlandt V R Schuyler.jpg
18 May 1956 31922 (USMA)34(1900–1993) Commissioner, New York State Office of General Services, 1960–1971.
45 George H. Decker
General George Decker portrait, CSA (cropped).jpg
31 May 1956 61924 (ROTC)32(1902–1980)
46 Henry I. Hodes
Henry I. Hodes.jpg
1 Jun 1956 31920 (USMA)36(1899–1962)
47 Bruce C. Clarke
General Bruce C. Clarke.jpg
1 Aug 1958 41925 (USMA)33(1901–1988)
48 Clyde D. Eddleman
Clyde Davis Eddleman.jpg
1 Apr 1959 31924 (USMA)35(1902–1992) Commandant, U.S. Army War College, 1955. [15]
49 Carter B. Magruder
GEN Carter A. Magruder, USA.jpg
1 Jul 1959 21923 (USMA)36(1900–1988)
50 Charles D. Palmer
GEN Charles D. Palmer, USA.jpg
1 Oct 1959 31924 (USMA)35(1902–1999) Brother of Army four-star general Williston B. Palmer.
51 Clark L. Ruffner
Clark L Ruffner.jpg
1 Mar 1960 21924 (VMI)36(1903–1982)
52 James E. Moore
GEN James Edward Moore (retouched).jpg
21 Apr 1960 31924 (USMA)36(1902–1986) Commandant, U.S. Army War College, 1953–1955; [15] U.S. High Commissioner, Ryukyu Islands, 1955–1958.
53 Herbert B. Powell
Herbert B Powell.jpg
1 Oct 1960 31926 (ROTC)34(1903–1998) [62] U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, 1963–1967.
54 James F. Collins
James F Collins.jpg
1 Apr 1961 31927 (USMA)34(1905–1989) President, American Red Cross, 1964–1970. [63]
55 Guy S. Meloy Jr.
General Guy S. Meloy Jr.jpg
1 Jul 1961 21927 (USMA)34(1903–1964)
56 Paul D. Adams
Paul D. Adams portrait.jpg
3 Oct 1961 
  • Commander in Chief, U.S. Strike Command (USCINCSTRIKE), 1961–1963.
  • Commander in Chief, U.S. Strike Command/U.S. Commander in Chief, Middle East, Africa South of the Sahara, and South Asia (USCINCSTRIKE/USCINCMEAFSA), 1963–1966.
51928 (USMA)33(1906–1987)
57 Paul D. Harkins
Gen. Paul D. Harkins.jpg
2 Jan 1962 21929 (USMA)33(1904–1984)
58 Earle G. Wheeler
Earle Wheeler official photo.JPEG
1 Mar 1962 81932 (USMA)30(1908–1975) Widow married Army four-star general Frank S. Besson Jr.
59 Barksdale Hamlett
Barksdale Hamlett.jpg
2 Apr 1962 21930 (USMA)32(1908–1979) [64] President, Norwich University, 1966–1972.
60 Paul L. Freeman Jr.
GEN Paul L. Freeman Jr. (cropped).jpg
1 May 1962 51929 (USMA)33(1907–1988)
61 Robert J. Wood
Robert J. Wood.jpg
1 Sep 1962 
  • Director of Military Assistance, 1962–1965.
31930 (USMA)32(1905–1986)
62 John K. Waters
John K. Waters.jpg
28 Feb 1963 31931 (USMA)32(1906–1989) Son-in-law of Army four-star general George S. Patton.
63 Andrew P. O'Meara
GEN O'Meara, Andrew Pick cropped.jpg
6 Jun 1963 41930 (USMA)33(1907–2005)
64 Theodore W. Parker
General Theodore W. Parker (cropped).jpg
1 Jul 1963 61931 (USMA)32(1909–1994) Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation, 1969–1972. [65]
65 Hamilton H. Howze
Hamilton Howze.jpg
1 Aug 1963 21930 (USMA)33(1908–1998)
66 Hugh P. Harris
GEN Hugh P. Harris (cropped).jpg
1 Mar 1964 11931 (USMA)33(1909–1979) President, The Citadel, 1965–1970.
67 Frank S. Besson Jr.
Frank besson.jpg
27 May 1964 61932 (USMA)32(1910–1985) [66] [ad] Incorporator, National Rail Passenger Corporation, 1970–1971; Member, Board of Directors, Amtrak, 1971–1977. Married widow of Army four-star general Earle G. Wheeler. [67]
68 Harold K. Johnson
HaroldJohnson.png
3 Jul 1964 41933 (USMA)31(1912–1983)
69 William C. Westmoreland
Gen William C Westmoreland.jpg
1 Aug 1964 81936 (USMA)28(1914–2005) [68] Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy, 1960–1963; candidate for Republican Party nomination for Governor of South Carolina, 1974.
70 Creighton W. Abrams Jr.
GEN Creighton W Abrams.JPG
4 Sep 1964 101936 (USMA)28(1914–1974) [69] Died in office. Father of Army four-star generals John N. Abrams and Robert B. Abrams.
71 Robert W. Porter Jr.
Robert W. Porter, Jr. portrait.jpg
18 Mar 1965 41930 (USMA)35(1908–2000)
72 Dwight E. Beach
Dwight E Beach.jpg
1 Jul 1965 31932 (USMA)33(1908–2000)
73 Charles H. Bonesteel III
GEN Bonesteel, Charles H III.jpg
1 Sep 1966 31931 (USMA)35(1909–1977)
74 Theodore J. Conway
Gen. Theodore J. Conway (cropped).jpg
1 Nov 1966 
  • Commander in Chief, U.S. Strike Command/U.S. Commander in Chief, Middle East, Africa south of the Sahara, and South Asia (USCINCSTRIKE/USCINCMEAFSA), 1966–1969.
31933 (USMA)33(1909–1990)
75 James H. Polk
Gen James Hilliard Polk.jpg
31 May 1967 41933 (USMA)34(1911–1992) Distant cousin of U.S. President James K. Polk.
76 Ralph E. Haines Jr.
Ralph Edward Haines Jr USARPAC.jpg
1 Jun 1967 61935 (USMA)32(1913–2011)
77 James K. Woolnough
General James K. Woolnough.jpg
1 Jul 1967 31932 (USMA)35(1910–1996)
78 Andrew J. Goodpaster
Andrew Goodpaster portrait.jpg
3 Jul 1968 61939 (USMA)29(1915–2005) [70] [ae] White House Staff Secretary, 1954–1961; Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy, 1977–1981; President, Institute for Defense Analyses, 1983–1985; Chairman, American Battle Monuments Commission, 1985–1990. Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1984. [71]
79 Ben Harrell
GEN Ben Harrell.jpg
4 Jul 1968 31933 (USMA)35(1911–1981)
80 Berton E. Spivy Jr.
Lt Gen Berton E. Spivy.jpg
31 Jul 1968 31934 (USMA)34(1911–1997)
81 Bruce Palmer Jr.
GEN Bruce Palmer Jr.jpg
1 Aug 1968 61936 (USMA)32(1913–2000)
82 George R. Mather
Gen George R Mather.jpg
1 Mar 1969 21932 (USMA)37(1911–1993)
83 Ferdinand J. Chesarek
Ferdinand J. Chesarek portrait.jpg
10 Mar 1969 11938 (USMA)31(1914–1993)
84 William B. Rosson
William B Rosson.jpg
15 May 1969 61940 (ROTC)29(1918–2004)
85 John L. Throckmorton
GEN John L. Throckmorton.jpg
1 Aug 1969 
  • Commander in Chief, U.S. Strike Command/U.S. Commander in Chief, Middle East, Africa south of the Sahara, and South Asia (USCINCSTRIKE/USCINCMEAFSA), 1969–1972.
  • Commander in Chief, U.S. Readiness Command (USCINCRED), 1972–1973.
41935 (USMA)34(1913–1986)
86 John H. Michaelis
GEN John H. Michaelis (cropped).jpg
1 Oct 1969 31936 (USMA)33(1912–1985)
87 Lewis B. Hershey
L. B. Hershey 111-P-200365.jpg
23 Dec 1969 
  • Presidential Advisor on Manpower Mobilization, 1970–1973.
41913 (ARNG)56(1893–1977) [af] Relieved, 1973. Director, Selective Service System, 1941–1970. [73]
88 Frederick C. Weyand
Frederick Carlton Weyand.jpg
31 Oct 1970 61938 (ROTC)32(1916–2010)
89 Henry A. Miley Jr.
Henry A Miley.jpg
1 Nov 1970 51940 (USMA)30(1915–2010)
90 Frank T. Mildren
Frank Thomas Mildren.jpg
1 Apr 1971 21939 (USMA)32(1913–1990)
91 Michael S. Davison
GEN Davison Michael S.jpg
26 May 1971 41939 (USMA)32(1917–2006) Aunt married Navy four-star admiral Arthur W. Radford.
92 George V. Underwood Jr.
GEN Underwood, George V Jr.jpg
1 Oct 1971 21937 (USMA)34(1913–1984)
93 Donald V. Bennett
Donald Vivian Bennett.jpg
1 Sep 1972 21940 (USMA)32(1915–2005) Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy, 1966–1969; Director, Defense Intelligence Agency, 1969–1972.
94 Alexander M. Haig Jr.
General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.jpg
4 Jan 1973 [74] 51947 (USMA)26(1924–2010) [75] [ag] Deputy National Security Advisor, 1970–1973; U.S. Secretary of State, 1981–1982; candidate for Republican Party nomination for U.S. President, 1988.
95 Walter T. Kerwin Jr.
WalterKerwin.JPG
1 Feb 1973 51939 (USMA)34(1917–2008) Married widow of Marine Corps four-star general Keith B. McCutcheon.
96 William E. DePuy
GEN William E. DePuy, colour portrait (cropped).jpg
1 Jul 1973 41941 (ROTC)32(1919–1992)
97 Richard G. Stilwell
Richard G Stilwell.jpg
31 Jul 1973 31938 (USMA)35(1917–1991) U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, 1981–1985.
98 Melvin Zais
Melvin Zais.jpeg
1 Aug 1973 31937 (ROTC)36(1916–1981)
99 Bernard W. Rogers
GEN Bernard W. Rogers, SACEUR.jpg
7 Nov 1974 131943 (USMA)31(1921–2008) [76]
101 John J. Hennessey
GEN John J. Hennessey.jpg
8 Nov 1974 51944 (USMA)30(1921–2001)
101 John R. Deane Jr.
John R Deane.jpg
12 Feb 1975 21942 (USMA)33(1919–2013)
102 George S. Blanchard
GEN George S. Blanchard (cropped).jpg
1 Jul 1975 41944 (USMA)31(1920–2006)
103 William A. Knowlton
William A Knowlton.jpg
1 Jun 1976 41943 (USMA)33(1920–2008) Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy, 1970–1974. Father-in-law of Army four-star general David H. Petraeus.
104 Frederick J. Kroesen Jr.
Frederick Kroesen VCSA.JPG
1 Oct 1976 71943 (OCS)33(1923–2020)
105 John W. Vessey Jr.
Gen John Vessey Jr.JPG
1 Nov 1976 91944 (battlefield)32(1922–2016) [77] Special Presidential Emissary for POW/MIA Affairs, 1987–1997. Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1992. [78]
106 Sam S. Walker
Gen. Sam Sims Walker.jpg
1977 11946 (USMA)31(1925–2015) [79] Superintendent, Virginia Military Institute, 1981–1988. Son of Army four-star general Walton H. Walker.
107 John R. Guthrie
John Reiley Guthrie.jpg
1 May 1977 41942 (ROTC)35(1921–2009)
108 Donn A. Starry
GEN Donn A. Starry.jpg
1 Jul 1977 61948 (USMA)29(1925–2011)
109 Robert M. Shoemaker
RobertShoemaker2.JPG
22 Aug 1978 41946 (USMA)32(1924–2017)
110 Edward C. Meyer
GEN Meyer, Edward C USA.JPEG
22 Jun 1979 41951 (USMA)28(1928–2020) [80]
111 John A. Wickham Jr.
GEN John A. Wickham, USA.jpg
10 Jul 1979 81950 (USMA)29(1928–2024) [81]
112 Volney F. Warner
GEN Warner, Volney F.jpg
1 Aug 1979 21950 (USMA)29(1926–2019)
113 Glenn K. Otis
GlennKOtis.JPG
1 Aug 1981 71953 (USMA)28(1929–2013)
114 Donald R. Keith
Donald R Keith.jpg
1 Sep 1981 31949 (USMA)32(1927–2004)
115 Richard E. Cavazos
GEN CAVAZOS.jpg
19 Feb 1982 21951 (ROTC)31(1929–2017) Brother of U.S. Secretary of Education Lauro Cavazos. First Hispanic to achieve the rank of general in the Army. [82]
116 Robert W. Sennewald
R. W. Sennewald 111-PP-92-L-202473.jpg
24 May 1982 41951 (ROTC)31(1929–2023)
117 Roscoe Robinson Jr.
Roscoe Robinson2.jpg
30 Aug 1982 31951 (USMA)31(1928–1993) First African-American to achieve the rank of general in the Army.
118 William R. Richardson
Official Military Portrait of General William R. Richardson 1984.jpg
28 Feb 1983 31951 (USMA)32(1929–2023)
119 Paul F. Gorman
GEN Gorman, Paul Francis cropped.jpg
25 May 1983 21950 (USMA)33(1927–        )
120 Wallace H. Nutting
Wallace H. Nutting, official military photo portrait, 1983.JPEG
25 May 1983 21950 (USMA)33(1928–2023)
121 Maxwell R. Thurman
Maxwell R Thurman.jpg
23 Jun 1983 71953 (ROTC)30(1931–1995) [83]
122 William J. Livsey
William J Livsey.jpg
3 May 1984 31952 (ROTC)32(1931–2016)
123 Richard H. Thompson
Richard H Thompson.jpg
29 Jun 1984 31950 (direct)34(1926–2016)
124 Robert C. Kingston
General Robert Kingston, official military photo, 1984.JPEG
6 Nov 1984 11949 (OCS)35(1928–2007)
125 John R. Galvin
John Galvin, official military photo, 1991.JPEG
25 Feb 1985 71954 (USMA)31(1929–2015) [84] U.S. Special Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1994. [85]
126 Fred K. Mahaffey
General Fred K. Mahaffey.jpg
17 Jun 1985 11955 (ROTC)30(1934–1986) Died in office.
127 Jack N. Merritt
Jack N. Merritt, official military photo portrait, 1985.JPEG
1 Dec 1985 21953 (OCS)32(1930–2018) [86] Commandant, U.S. Army War College, 1980–1982. [15]
128 Carl E. Vuono
Portrait of U.S. Army Gen. Carl E. Vuono, CHIEF of STAFF, U.S. Army (Uncovered) (Official U.S. Army photograph) (Released) (PC-191796).jpg
1 Jul 1986 51957 (USMA)29(1934–        )
129 Joseph T. Palastra Jr.
Joseph Thomas Palastra JR.jpg
1 Jul 1986 31954 (USMA)32(1931–2015)
130 James J. Lindsay
GEN James Lindsay 1986.jpg
10 Oct 1986 41953 (OCS)33(1932–2023) [87]
131 Louis C. Wagner Jr.
Louis Carson Wagner.jpg
13 Apr 1987 21954 (USMA)33(1932–        )
132 Frederick F. Woerner Jr.
Frederick Woerner.jpg
6 Jun 1987 21955 (USMA)32(1933–2023) Relieved, 1989. [88] Chairman, American Battle Monuments Commission, 1994–2001.
133 Arthur E. Brown Jr.
Arthur E Brown.jpg
24 Jun 1987 21953 (USMA)34(1929–        )
134 Louis C. Menetrey
Louis C. Menetrey (US Army general).jpg
24 Jun 1987 31953 (ROTC)34(1929–2009)
135 Crosbie E. Saint
General Crosbie E Saint.jpg
24 Jun 1988 41958 (USMA)30(1936–2018) [89]
136 H. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.
NormanSchwarzkopf.jpg
23 Nov 1988 31956 (USMA)32(1934–2012) [90] Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1991; Congressional Gold Medal, 1991. [91]
137 Robert W. RisCassi
Robert RisCassi 4 Star Photo.jpg
17 Jan 1989 41958 (ROTC)31(1936–        )
138 Colin L. Powell
GEN Colin Powell.JPG
4 Apr 1989 41958 (ROTC)31(1937–2021) [92] Deputy National Security Advisor, 1987; National Security Advisor, 1987–1989; U.S. Secretary of State, 2001–2005. Awarded Congressional Gold Medal, 1991; Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1991 and, with distinction, 1993. [93]
139 John W. Foss
John W Foss.jpg
2 Aug 1989 21956 (USMA)33(1933–2020)
140 Edwin H. Burba Jr.
Edwin Burba.jpg
27 Sep 1989 41959 (USMA)30(1936–        )
141 William G. T. Tuttle Jr.
William G T Tuttle.jpg
1 Oct 1989 31958 (USMA)31(1935–2020)
142 Gordon R. Sullivan
General Gordon Sullivan, official military photo 1992.JPEG
4 Jun 1990 51959 (Norwich)31(1937–2024) [94]
143 Carl W. Stiner
Carl W Stiner.jpg
1 Jul 1990 31958 (ROTC)32(1936–2022)
144 George A. Joulwan
George A. Joulwan, 1997.jpeg
21 Nov 1990 71961 (USMA)29(1939–        )
145 Dennis J. Reimer
Reimer chief of staff.JPEG
21 Jun 1991 81962 (USMA)29(1939–        )
146 Frederick M. Franks Jr.
Frederick m franks.jpg
23 Aug 1991 31959 (USMA)32(1936–        ) Chairman, American Battle Monuments Commission, 2005–2009.
147 Jimmy D. Ross
JimmyRoss.jpeg
1 Feb 1992 21958 (ROTC)34(1936–2012)
148 John M. D. Shalikashvili
General John Shalikashvili military portrait, 1993.JPEG
24 Jun 1992 51959 (OCS)33(1936–2011) [95] Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1997. [96]
149 David M. Maddox
David M Maddox.jpg
9 Jul 1992 21960 (VMI)32(1938–        )
150 J. H. Binford Peay III
BinfordPeay.JPEG
26 Mar 1993 41962 (VMI)31(1940–        ) Superintendent, Virginia Military Institute, 2003–2020. [97]
151 Wayne A. Downing
Wayne Downing.jpg
20 May 1993 31962 (USMA)31(1940–2007) Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism, 2001–2002. [98]
152 Gary E. Luck
General Gary Edward Luck.JPEG
1 Jul 1993 31960 (ROTC)33(1937–2024)
153 Leon E. Salomon
Leon E Salomon.jpg
11 Feb 1994 21959 (OCS)35(1936–        )
154 Barry R. McCaffrey
Barry McCaffrey.jpg
17 Feb 1994 21964 (USMA)30(1942–        ) Director, National Drug Control Policy, 1996–2001. [99]
155 John H. Tilelli Jr.
John H. Tilelli (USFK).jpg
19 Jul 1994 51963 (PMC) [ah] 31(1941–        )
156 William W. Hartzog
William Hartzog.JPEG
1 Dec 1994 41963 (Citadel)31(1941–2020)
157 William W. Crouch
William W Crouch.jpg
1 Jan 1995 31963 (ROTC)32(1941–        )
158 Ronald H. Griffith
Ronald H Grffith.jpg
6 Jun 1995 21960 (ROTC)35(1936–2018) [100]
159 H. Hugh Shelton
General Henry Shelton, official portrait 2.jpg
1 Mar 1996 51964 (ROTC)32(1942–        ) Awarded Congressional Gold Medal, 2002. [101]
160 Johnnie E. Wilson
Johnnie E. Wilson.JPEG
1 May 1996 31967 (OCS)29(1944–        )
161 Wesley K. Clark
General Wesley Clark official photograph, edited.jpg
21 Jun 1996 41966 (USMA)30(1944–        ) Candidate for Democratic Party nomination for U.S. President, 2004. Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2000. [102]
162 David A. Bramlett
DavidBramlett.jpg
1 Sep 1996 21964 (USMA)32(1941–        )
163 Eric K. Shinseki
EricShinseki.jpg
5 Aug 1997 61965 (USMA)32(1942–        ) U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 2009–2014. First Asian-American to achieve four-star rank in any armed service. [103]
164 Peter J. Schoomaker
Peter Schoomaker.jpg
4 Oct 1997 71969 (ROTC)28(1946–        ) [ai]
165 Thomas A. Schwartz
General Thomas A. Schwartz (1998).jpg
31 Aug 1998 41967 (USMA)31(1945–        )
166 John N. Abrams
John Abrams (cropped).JPG
14 Sep 1998 41968 (OCS)30(1946–2018) [104] Son of Army four-star general Creighton W. Abrams Jr.; brother of Army four-star general Robert B. Abrams.
167 Montgomery C. Meigs
Montgomery Meigs.jpg
10 Nov 1998 41967 (USMA)31(1945–2021) [105] Director, Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, 2005–2007. Distant cousin of Navy four-star admiral Montgomery M. Taylor.
168 John M. Keane
Jack Keane.jpg
22 Jan 1999 41966 (ROTC)33(1943–        ) Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2020. [106]
169 John G. Coburn
John G Coburn.jpg
14 May 1999 21963 (ROTC)36(1941–        )
170 John W. Hendrix
GEN HENDRIX.JPG
23 Nov 1999 21965 (ROTC)34(1942–        )
171 William F. Kernan
William F Kernan.jpg
Jul 2000 21968 (OCS)32(1946–        )
172 Tommy R. Franks
Gen. Tommy Franks CENTCOM.jpg
6 Jul 2000 31967 (OCS)33(1945–        ) Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2004. [107]
173 Paul J. Kern
PaulKern.jpg
30 Oct 2001 31967 (USMA)34(1945–        )
174 Larry R. Ellis
Larry R Ellis.jpg
19 Nov 2001 31969 (ROTC)32(1946–        )
175 Leon J. LaPorte
Gen. Leon J. LaPorte (USFK).jpg
1 May 2002 41968 (ROTC)34(1946–        )
176 James T. Hill
James T Hill.jpg
18 Aug 2002 21968 (ROTC)34(1946–        )
177 Kevin P. Byrnes
KevinByrnes.gif
7 Nov 2002 31969 (OCS)33(1950–        ) [aj] Relieved, 2005.
178 Burwell B. Bell III
Bell Final Mil Pic.JPG
3 Dec 2002 61969 (ROTC)33(1947–        )
179 John P. Abizaid
Gen. John P. Abizaid CENTCOM.jpg
27 Jun 2003 41973 (USMA)30(1951–        ) U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, 2019–2021. [109]
180 Bryan D. Brown
GEN Bryan Brown official portrait.jpg
25 Aug 2003 41970 (OCS)33(1948–        )
181 George W. Casey Jr.
George W. Casey 2007.jpg
1 Dec 2003 81970 (ROTC)33(1948–        )
182 Richard A. Cody
Richard A Cody.jpg
24 Jun 2004 41972 (USMA)32(1950–        )
183 Dan K. McNeill
Dan K. McNeill.jpg
1 Jul 2004 41968 (ROTC)36(1946–        )
184 Benjamin S. Griffin
Benjamin Griffin.jpg
5 Nov 2004 41970 (OCS)34(1946–        )
185 Bantz J. Craddock
Bantz J. Craddock EUCOM.jpg
1 Jan 2005 41971 (ROTC)33(1949–        )
186 William S. Wallace
William S. Wallace.jpg
13 Oct 2005 31969 (USMA)36(1946–        )
187 David D. McKiernan
David D. McKiernan.jpg
14 Dec 2005 41972 (ROTC)33(1950–        ) Resigned, 2009. [110]
188 William E. Ward
General Kip Ward November 2009.jpg
3 May 2006 51971 (ROTC)35(1949–        ) [ak] U.S. Security Coordinator, Israel-Palestinian Authority, 2005. [112]
189 Charles C. Campbell
Charles C Campbell.jpg
9 Jan 2007 31970 (ROTC)37(1948–2016) [113]
190 David H. Petraeus
GEN David H Petraeus - Uniform Class A.jpg
10 Feb 2007 41974 (USMA)33(1952–        ) Director, Central Intelligence Agency, 2011–2012. Son-in-law of Army four-star general William A. Knowlton. [114]
191 Walter L. Sharp
Walter L Sharp Official Portrait.jpg
2 Jun 2008 31974 (USMA)34(1952–        )
192 Peter W. Chiarelli
GEN Peter W Chiarelli.jpg
4 Aug 2008 41972 (ROTC)36(1950–        )
193 Carter F. Ham
GEN Carter F.Ham 2011.jpg
28 Aug 2008 51976 (ROTC)32(1952–        )
194 Raymond T. Odierno
Odierno Raymond CSA ASU.jpg
16 Sep 2008 71976 (USMA)32(1954–2021) [115] [al]
195 Ann E. Dunwoody
Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody.jpg
14 Nov 2008 41975 (direct)33(1953–        ) First woman to achieve four-star rank in any service.
196 Martin E. Dempsey
General Martin E. Dempsey, CJCS, official portrait 2012.jpg
8 Dec 2008 71974 (USMA)34(1952–        )
197 Stanley A. McChrystal
Gen. Stanley McChrystal USFOR-Y.jpg
15 Jun 2009 11976 (USMA)33(1954–        ) Resigned, 2010. [117]
198 Keith B. Alexander
General Keith B. Alexander in service uniform.jpg
21 May 2010 41974 (USMA)36(1952–        ) Director, National Security Agency, 2005–2014.
199 James D. Thurman
Cmd genthurmand official.jpg
3 Jun 2010 31975 (ROTC)35(1953–        )
200 Lloyd J. Austin III
Austin 2013 2.jpg
1 Sep 2010 61975 (USMA)35(1953–        ) U.S. Secretary of Defense, 2021–present. [118]
201 Robert W. Cone
General Robert W. Cone.jpg
29 Apr 2011 31979 (USMA)32(1957–2016) [119]
202 Charles H. Jacoby Jr.
General Charles H. Jacoby Jr.jpg
3 Aug 2011 31978 (USMA)33(1954–        )
203 David M. Rodriguez
General David M Rodriguez USAFRICOM.jpg
12 Sep 2011 51976 (USMA)35(1954–        )
204 Dennis L. Via
General Dennis L. Via, USA.jpg
7 Aug 2012 41980 (ROTC)32(1958–        )
205 Frank J. Grass
General Frank J. Grass JCS.jpg
7 Sep 2012 41981 (OCS)31(1951–        ) Served 12 years in the enlisted ranks before receiving his commission in 1981. First Army National Guard officer to achieve the rank of general.
206 John F. Campbell
Campbell 2013 2.jpg
8 Mar 2013 31979 (USMA)34(1957–        )
207 Daniel B. Allyn
Gen. Allyn 2014 2.jpg
10 May 2013 41981 (USMA)32(1959–        )
208 Vincent K. Brooks
Brooks 2016.jpeg
2 Jul 2013 51980 (USMA)33(1958–        )
209 Curtis M. Scaparrotti
Scaparrotti EUCOM.jpg
2 Oct 2013 61978 (USMA)35(1956–        )
210 David G. Perkins
General David G. Perkins in ASUs (TRADOC).jpg
14 Mar 2014 41980 (USMA)34(1957–        )
211 Mark A. Milley
GEN Mark A. Milley portrait.jpg
15 Aug 2014 91980 (ROTC)34(1958–        )
212 Joseph L. Votel
General Joseph L. Votel (USCENTCOM).jpg
28 Aug 2014 51980 (USMA)34(1958–        )
213 Robert B. Abrams
Gen. Robert B. Abrams.jpg
10 Aug 2015 61982 (USMA)33(1960–        ) Son of Army four-star general Creighton W. Abrams Jr.; brother of Army four-star general John N. Abrams. [104]
214 John W. Nicholson Jr.
General John W. Nicholson, Jr. (cropped).jpg
2 Mar 2016 21982 (USMA)34(1957–        ) Nephew of U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert J. Nicholson.
215 Raymond A. Thomas III
General Raymond A. Thomas III (USSOCOM).jpg
30 Mar 2016 31980 (USMA)36(1958–        )
216 Robert B. Brown
Robert Brooks Brown Sep 2019.jpg
30 Apr 2016 31981 (USMA)35(1959–        )
217 Gustave F. Perna
Perna CG AMC 2016.jpg
30 Sep 2016 51981 (VFMAC)35(1960–        )
218 James C. McConville
GEN James C. McConville (4).jpg
16 Jun 2017 61981 (USMA)36(1959–        )
219 Stephen J. Townsend
Townsend Africom.jpg
2 Mar 2018 41982 (NGCSU)36(1959–        )
220 Paul M. Nakasone
General Paul M. Nakasone (NSA).jpg
4 May 2018 61986 (ROTC)32(1963–        )
221 Stephen R. Lyons
Gen. Stephen R. Lyons.jpg
24 Aug 2018 31983 (ROTC)35(c. 1962–        )
222 John M. Murray
Gen. John M. Murray.jpg
24 Aug 2018 31982 (ROTC)36(c. 1960–        )
223 Austin S. Miller
General Austin S. Miller.jpg
2 Sep 2018 31983 (USMA)35(1961–        )
224 Michael X. Garrett
Gen. Michael X. Garrett (2).jpg
21 Mar 2019 31984 (ROTC)35(1961–        ) Chairman, American Battle Monuments Commission, 2023–present. [120]
225 Richard D. Clarke Jr.
Gen. Richard D. Clarke, Jr. (2).jpg
29 Mar 2019 31984 (USMA)35(1962–        )
226 Paul E. Funk II
Funk II TRADOC.jpg
21 Jun 2019 31984 (ROTC)35(1962–        )
227 Joseph M. Martin
Gen Joseph M Martin 37th VCSA (1).jpg
26 Jul 2019 31986 (USMA)33(1962–        )
228 Paul J. LaCamera
GEN Paul J. LaCamera USFK.jpg
18 Nov 2019 51985 (USMA)34(1963–        )
229 Edward M. Daly
GEN Daly2.jpg
2 Jul 2020 31987 (USMA)33(1965–        )
230 Daniel R. Hokanson
GEN Daniel R. Hokanson.jpg
3 Aug 2020 41986 (USMA)34(1963–        )
231 James H. Dickinson
Gen James H. Dickinson (2).jpg
20 Aug 2020 41985 (ROTC)35(c. 1962–        )
232 Christopher G. Cavoli
Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli (3).jpg
1 Oct 2020 41987 (ROTC)33(c. 1965–        )
233 Charles A. Flynn
Gen. Charles A. Flynn (2).jpg
4 Jun 2021 31985 (ROTC)36(c. 1963–        ) Brother of National Security Advisor Michael T. Flynn.
234 Laura J. Richardson
GEN Laura J. Richardson.jpg
29 Oct 2021 31986 (ROTC)35(1963–        )
235 Michael E. Kurilla
Michael E. Kurilla (4).jpg
1 Apr 2022 21988 (USMA)34(1966–        )
236 Darryl A. Williams
Gen. Darryl A. Williams (2).jpg
27 Jun 2022 21983 (USMA)39(1961–        ) Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy, 2018–2022.
237 Andrew P. Poppas
GEN Andrew P. Poppas (2).jpg
8 Jul 2022 21988 (USMA)34(c. 1966–        )
238 Randy A. George
GEN Randy A. George (2).jpg
5 Aug 2022 21988 (USMA)34(1964–        )
239 Bryan P. Fenton
GEN Bryan P. Fenton (2).jpg
30 Aug 2022 21987 (ROTC)35(1965–        )
240 Gary M. Brito
GEN Gary M. Brito (2).jpg
8 Sep 2022 21987 (ROTC)35(1964–        )
241 James E. Rainey
GEN James E. Rainey.jpg
4 Oct 2022 21987 (ROTC)35(c. 1964–        )
242 Charles R. Hamilton
GEN Charles R. Hamilton (cropped).jpg
16 Mar 2023 11988 (OCS)35(c. 1967–        )
243 James J. Mingus
GEN James J. Mingus.jpg
3 Jan 2024 01985 (ROTC)39(1964–        )
244 Ronald P. Clark
GEN Ronald P. Clark.jpg
8 Nov 2024 01988 (USMA)36(1966–        )

History

Four-star positions

Unified combatant commandUnified combatant commandUnified combatant commandJoint Chiefs of StaffIraq WarWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021)Gulf WarVietnam WarKorean WarCold WarWorld War IIWorld War ISpanish–American WarAmerican Civil WarList of United States Army four-star generals
United States Army Air ForcesStructure of the United States ArmyStructure of the United States ArmyStructure of the United States Armyfederal government of the United StatesUnited States Intelligence Communitycombined operationsNational Guard (United States)List of United States Army four-star generals

1775–1799

George Washington takes command of the Continental Army, c. 1775. Washington taking command of the American Army at Cambridge, 1775 - NARA - 532874.jpg
George Washington takes command of the Continental Army, c. 1775.

In June 1775, the Continental Congress appointed George Washington as general and commander in chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. [1] [am] At the war's end in 1783, Washington resigned his commission. As this occurred before the establishment of the United States Army in 1784, he is therefore considered never to have held the U.S. Army rank of general. [122] [123]

In May 1798, Washington was commissioned as a lieutenant general in the United States Army by his successor as president, John Adams, to command the provisional army being raised for the undeclared Quasi-War with France. In March 1799, the United States Congress elevated the lieutenant generalcy to the rank of "General of the Armies of the United States", but Adams thought the new rank infringed on his constitutional role as commander in chief and never made the appointment. [124] Washington died later that year, and the rank lapsed when not mentioned in the Military Peace Establishment Act of 1802. [125] He was promoted posthumously to the rank in 1978, after it was reestablished for him as part of the 1976 United States Bicentennial celebrations. [126]

George WashingtonMexican–American WarWar of 1812American RevolutionList of United States Army four-star generals

1866–1941

Civil War and aftermath

The Civil War-era generals of the Army (Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan) with President Abraham Lincoln, March 1865. Currier & Ives - President Lincoln at Genl. Grant's headquarters.jpg
The Civil War-era generals of the Army (Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan) with President Abraham Lincoln, March 1865.

The rank of General of the Armies was revived in 1866, with the name "General of the Army of the United States" to reward the Civil War achievements of Ulysses S. Grant, the commanding general of the United States Army (CGUSA). [127] As with the prior rank and that of lieutenant general revived for Grant in 1864, the holder was authorized to command the armies of the United States, subject to presidential authority. [128] Grant vacated his commission to become president in March 1869, and the lieutenant general of the Army, William Tecumseh Sherman, was promoted to succeed him as general. The grade was abolished after Sherman's retirement in February 1884, in accordance with legislation passed in 1870. [129] [130]

After Sherman's retirement, the ban on new appointments to the grade of general was relaxed twice. In March 1885, Grant was out of office, bankrupt, and dying, so Congress authorized the president to reappoint him to the rank and full pay of general on the retired list. [7] [131] Congress made a similar exception in June 1888 to promote the ailing lieutenant general of the Army, Philip Sheridan, by discontinuing the grade of lieutenant general and merging it with the grade of general until Sheridan's death two months later. [132] [133]

Since there was only one active duty four-star general in the Army during this period, the grade was interchangeably referred to as "general", "the General", and "the General of the Army", a title not to be confused with the five-star grade of general of the Army created in 1944. [134]

World War I

The rank flag of General of the Armies John J. Pershing, presented to him in 1922. Flag of General of the Armies (Culver flag, 1922).svg
The rank flag of General of the Armies John J. Pershing, presented to him in 1922.

In 1917, the rank of general was recreated in the National Army, a temporary force of conscripts and volunteers authorized for the duration of the World War I emergency. To give American commanders parity of rank with their Allied counterparts, Congress allowed the president to appoint two emergency generals in the National Army, specified to be the chief of staff of the Army (CSA), Tasker H. Bliss and later Peyton C. March; and the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (CG AEF) in France, John J. Pershing. [135] When Bliss reached the retirement age of 64 and stepped down as chief of staff, he was reappointed emergency general by brevet to serve alongside full generals from allied nations as the U.S. military representative to the Supreme War Council. [136]

All emergency grades expired at the end of the war, so in July 1919, eight months after the armistice, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to reward March and Pershing by making them both permanent generals, with Pershing senior to March. [137] [138] Pershing's promotion was authorized on 3 September 1919, just in time for the secretary of war to hand him his new commission when he returned from Europe. [16] Congress and Pershing both opposed March's promotion, having clashed with him during the war, so he reverted to major general alongside Bliss when their emergency grades expired on 30 June 1920. [139] [140] Both were restored to their wartime ranks of general on the retired list in 1930. [141]

Interwar

Pershing succeeded March as Army chief of staff in the permanent grade of general, and served from 1921 to 1924. [29] [an] The grade lapsed with his retirement, leaving the rank of major general as the highest available grade in the peacetime Army, and his two-star successors, John L. Hines and Charles P. Summerall, outranked by their four-star Navy counterpart, the chief of naval operations. [142] The temporary rank of general was reauthorized for the chief of staff in 1929, elevating Summerall. [19] [ao] In 1940, special legislation advanced Hines to general on the retired list as the only living former chief of staff never to wear four stars. [28]

George MarshallMalin CraigDouglas MacArthurCharles Pelot SummerallPeyton C. MarchJohn J. PershingTasker H. BlissPhilip SheridanWilliam Tecumseh ShermanUlysses S. GrantWorld War IIWorld War ISpanish–American WarAmerican Civil WarList of United States Army four-star generals

1941–1991

World War II and aftermath

Omar Bradley was made a permanent general in 1948 as a one-time personal honor, with full active-duty pay for life. BRADLEY, OMAR. GENERAL LCCN2016862780 (cropped).jpg
Omar Bradley was made a permanent general in 1948 as a one-time personal honor, with full active-duty pay for life.

The United States entered World War II on 7 December 1941 with one Army general, chief of staff George Marshall, authorized. [29] Legislation enacted in 1933 and amended in 1940 allowed the president to appoint officers of the Regular Army, the Army's professional military component, to higher temporary grades in time of war or national emergency. [144] [ap] As with the National Army emergency generals, these appointments expired after the end of the war, although postwar legislation allowed officers to retire in their highest active-duty rank. [146] On 19 December 1941, the Senate confirmed Douglas MacArthur to be the first temporary general in the Army of the United States, the reconstituted draft force, as he fought the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. [147] [148]

Three new Army generals were appointed over the next two years. Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed temporary general in February 1943, to command Allied forces in North Africa and later Europe; [149] Henry H. Arnold in March 1943, as commanding general of Army Air Forces and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; [150] and Joseph W. Stilwell in August 1944, [151] as commander of the China Burma India Theater and chief of staff to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. Marshall, MacArthur, Eisenhower, and Arnold were further promoted to the temporary five-star grade of general of the Army in December 1944, made permanent in March 1946. [26] [152] Malin Craig, Marshall's predecessor as Army chief of staff, was recalled to active duty in his four-star grade to run the War Department's Personnel Board. [153]

More temporary generals were appointed to command postwar occupation forces in Germany and Japan, as well as the stateside Army commands. Omar Bradley, who had commanded the Twelfth Army Group—the bulk of American forces on the Western Front—also received a permanent promotion to general as a one-time personal honor, with full active-duty pay for life. [154] [aq] This was superseded by Bradley's promotion to general of the Army while serving as the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in 1950. [152] [156] By the official termination of the World War II national emergency in April 1952, the Army had eight four-star generals. [157] [ar]

Cold War

Senior leadership at the Army Commander's Conference, 20 October 1983. Generals Richard E. Cavazos (third from left) and Roscoe Robinson Jr. (third from right) are the first Hispanic and first African-American four-star generals in the Army. Group photograph of the 1983 Commanders' Conference DA-SC-88-02788 (6424534).jpg
Senior leadership at the Army Commander's Conference, 20 October 1983. Generals Richard E. Cavazos (third from left) and Roscoe Robinson Jr. (third from right) are the first Hispanic and first African-American four-star generals in the Army.

The modern grade of general was established by the Officer Personnel Act (OPA) of 1947, which authorized the president to designate positions of importance and responsibility to carry the grade ex officio, to be filled by officers with the permanent or temporary grade of major general or higher. [146] The total number of positions allowed to carry the grade was capped at 3.75 percent of the total number of general officers on active duty, which worked out initially to five generals for the Army. [146] [as] The four-star grade caps evolved into Section 525 of Title 10 of the United States Code, which was codified in 1956. [159] The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the office of which was created in 1949, was exempted from the caps. [160]

Escalating global commitments during the Cold War created more generals, both at home and abroad; a majority were appointed under renewed national emergency authority in excess of grade caps. [146] Besides the JCS chairman and Army chief of staff, the most prestigious Army-dominated positions of the era were the NATO supreme allied commander in Europe (SACEUR); [161] the commander of multinational and U.S. forces in Korea (UNC/FECOM, later USFK); and until 1973, the commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam (USMACV). [162] At the height of the Vietnam War in 1971, the Army had 17 four-star generals. [163]

The Defense Officer Personnel Management Act (DOPMA) of 1980 standardized four-star appointments across all services, replacing the previous service-specific mechanisms. [164] Personal four-star grades held regardless of assignment, once the norm in the post-Civil War era, were abolished under DOPMA. [at] In 1982, Richard E. Cavazos and Roscoe Robinson Jr. became the first Hispanic and first African-American four-star generals in the Army respectively. [166] [167]

George JoulwanCarl W. StinerGordon R. SullivanWilliam G. T. Tuttle Jr.Edwin H. Burba Jr.John W. FossColin PowellRobert W. RisCassiNorman Schwarzkopf Jr.Crosbie E. SaintArthur E. Brown Jr.Louis C. MenetreyFrederick F. Woerner Jr.Louis C. Wagner Jr.James J. LindsayJoseph T. Palastra Jr.Carl E. VuonoJack N. MerrittFred K. MahaffeyJohn Galvin (general)Robert KingstonRichard Horner ThompsonWilliam J. LivseyMaxwell R. ThurmanWallace H. NuttingPaul F. GormanWilliam R. Richardson (general)Roscoe Robinson Jr.Robert W. SennewaldRichard E. CavazosGlenn K. OtisDonald R. KeithVolney F. WarnerJohn A. Wickham Jr.Edward C. MeyerRobert M. ShoemakerDonn A. StarryJohn R. GuthrieSam S. WalkerJohn William Vessey Jr.Frederick KroesenWilliam A. KnowltonGeorge S. BlanchardJohn R. Deane Jr.John J. HennesseyBernard W. RogersMelvin ZaisRichard G. StilwellWilliam E. DePuyWalter T. Kerwin Jr.Alexander HaigDonald V. BennettGeorge V. Underwood Jr.Michael S. DavisonFrank T. MildrenHenry A. Miley Jr.Frederick C. WeyandLewis Blaine HersheyJohn H. MichaelisJohn L. ThrockmortonWilliam B. RossonFerdinand J. ChesarekGeorge R. MatherBruce Palmer Jr.Berton E. Spivy Jr.Ben HarrellAndrew GoodpasterJames K. WoolnoughRalph E. Haines Jr.James H. PolkTheodore J. ConwayCharles H. Bonesteel IIIDwight E. BeachRobert W. Porter Jr.Creighton AbramsWilliam WestmorelandHarold Keith JohnsonFrank S. Besson Jr.Hugh P. HarrisHamilton HowzeTheodore W. ParkerAndrew P. O'MearaJohn K. WatersRobert J. WoodPaul L. Freeman Jr.Barksdale HamlettEarle WheelerPaul D. HarkinsPaul D. AdamsGuy S. Meloy Jr.James F. CollinsHerbert B. PowellJames Edward MooreClark L. RuffnerCharles D. PalmerCarter B. MagruderClyde D. EddlemanBruce C. ClarkeHenry I. HodesGeorge DeckerCortlandt V. R. SchuylerWillard G. WymanIsaac D. WhiteWilliston B. PalmerLyman L. LemnitzerAnthony McAuliffeJohn E. DahlquistWilliam M. HogeCharles L. BolteMaxwell D. TaylorJohn R. HodgeAlfred GruentherJames Van FleetJohn E. HullWalter Bedell SmithMatthew RidgwayWade H. HaislipJ. Lawton CollinsLucius D. ClayJonathan M. Wainwright (general)Courtney HodgesGeorge S. PattonThomas T. HandyOmar BradleyCarl SpaatzMark W. ClarkGeorge KenneyJacob L. DeversJoseph T. McNarneyBrehon B. SomervellWalter KruegerJoseph W. StilwellHenry H. ArnoldDwight D. EisenhowerGeorge MarshallMalin CraigDouglas MacArthurGulf WarVietnam WarKorean WarCold WarWorld War IIList of United States Army four-star generals

1991–present

Ann E. Dunwoody (right), the first woman to become a four-star general in the Army, is sworn into her new rank by Army chief of staff George W. Casey Jr. (back facing camera) on 14 November 2008. Defense.gov photo essay 081114-N-2855B-225.jpg
Ann E. Dunwoody (right), the first woman to become a four-star general in the Army, is sworn into her new rank by Army chief of staff George W. Casey Jr. (back facing camera) on 14 November 2008.

The distribution of four-star Army generals remains broadly similar to that of 1947, with a statutory chief and vice chief of staff (CSA, VCSA); [168] [169] stateside commands for readiness, materiel, and training; overseas component commands; and joint duty positions that are exempted from grade caps. [170] [171] Among the latter are the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS); the NATO supreme allied commander in Europe (SACEUR); [172] the unified combatant commanders, including the statutory Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) and Special Operations Command (USSOCOM); [173] [174] and during the War on Terror, the wartime theater commanders in Iraq (MNF-I, later USF-I) and Afghanistan (ISAF, later RSM).

The chief of the National Guard Bureau (CNGB) joined the joint pool after being raised to four-star grade in January 2008. [175] In November of the same year, Ann E. Dunwoody became the first woman to achieve the rank of general in the Army, as well as in any armed service. [176] Similarly, in 1997, Eric Shinseki became the first Asian-American four-star general in the Army. [103] In September 2012, Frank J. Grass became the first Army National Guard officer to attain the rank of general, to relieve his Air Force predecessor as CNGB. [177]

In 2009, Congress directly specified the maximum number of four-star officers in each service, replacing the OPA- and DOPMA-era percentage cap formulas. [178] In 2021, the Army was authorized eight four-star generals for positions within the service by the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act: the CSA and VCSA; the commanding generals of Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Army Materiel Command (AMC), and Army Futures Command (AFC); and the Army component commanders in Europe/Africa (USAREUR-AF) and the Pacific (USARPAC). [179] [180]

By the end of 2020, the Army had 18 four-star generals on active duty, exceeding the 17 four-star generals it had at the height of the Vietnam War, its previous peak. [180] [181]

Ronald P. ClarkJames J. MingusCharles R. HamiltonJames RaineyGary BritoBryan P. FentonRandy GeorgeAndrew P. PoppasDarryl A. WilliamsMichael KurillaLaura J. RichardsonCharles A. FlynnChristopher G. CavoliJames H. DickinsonDaniel R. HokansonEdward M. DalyPaul LaCameraJoseph M. MartinPaul E. Funk IIRichard D. ClarkeMichael X. GarrettAustin S. MillerJohn M. MurrayStephen R. LyonsPaul M. NakasoneStephen J. TownsendJames C. McConvilleGustave F. PernaRobert Brooks BrownRaymond A. ThomasJohn W. Nicholson Jr.Robert B. AbramsJoseph VotelMark MilleyDavid G. PerkinsCurtis ScaparrottiVincent K. BrooksDaniel B. AllynJohn F. Campbell (general)Frank J. GrassDennis L. ViaDavid M. RodriguezCharles H. Jacoby Jr.Robert W. ConeLloyd AustinJames D. ThurmanKeith B. AlexanderStanley A. McChrystalMartin DempseyAnn E. DunwoodyRaymond T. OdiernoCarter HamPeter W. ChiarelliWalter L. SharpDavid PetraeusCharles C. Campbell (general)William E. WardDavid D. McKiernanWilliam S. WallaceBantz J. CraddockBenjamin S. GriffinDan K. McNeillRichard A. CodyGeorge W. Casey Jr.Bryan D. BrownJohn AbizaidBurwell B. Bell IIIKevin P. ByrnesJames T. HillLeon J. LaPorteLarry R. EllisPaul J. KernTommy FranksWilliam F. KernanJohn W. HendrixJohn G. CoburnJack KeaneMontgomery Meigs (born 1945)John N. AbramsThomas A. SchwartzPeter SchoomakerEric K. ShinsekiDavid A. BramlettWesley ClarkJohnnie E. WilsonHugh SheltonRonald H. GriffithWilliam W. CrouchWilliam W. HartzogJohn H. Tilelli Jr.Barry McCaffreyLeon E. SalomonGary E. LuckWayne A. DowningJ. H. Binford Peay IIIDavid M. MaddoxJohn ShalikashviliJimmy D. RossFrederick M. Franks Jr.Dennis ReimerGeorge JoulwanCarl StinerGordon R. SullivanWilliam G. T. Tuttle Jr.Edwin H. Burba Jr.Colin PowellRobert W. RisCassiCrosbie E. SaintJohn Galvin (general)Iraq WarWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021)List of United States Army four-star generals

Legislation

The following list of Congressional legislation includes major acts of Congress pertaining to appointments to the grade of general in the United States Army.

LegislationCitationSummary
Act of March 3, 1799   1  Stat.   752
Act of July 25, 1866 14  Stat.   223
Act of March 1, 1869 15  Stat.   281
  • Authorized brevet ranks for distinguished conduct and public service in presence of the enemy (Tasker H. Bliss) [repealed in 1956 (70A  Stat.   642)].
Act of March 3, 1885 23  Stat.   434
  • Authorized rank and full pay of general on the retired list for Ulysses S. Grant.
Act of June 1, 1888 25  Stat.   165
Act of October 6, 1917 40  Stat.   410
Act of September 3, 1919 41  Stat.   283
Act of February 23, 1929 45  Stat.   1255
  • Increased rank of chief of staff of the Army to general.
Act of June 21, 1930 46  Stat.   793
  • Authorized promotion on the retired list or posthumously to highest grade held during World War I, with no increase in retired pay (Tasker H. Bliss, Peyton C. March).
Act of December 14, 1944 58  Stat.   802
Act of August 7, 1947

[Officer Personnel Act of 1947]

 61  Stat.   886
  • Authorized president to designate, subject to Senate confirmation, Army officers to have the rank of general while assigned to positions of importance and responsibility.
  • Capped Army positions with ranks above major general at 15 percent of the total number of general officers serving on active federal military duty, of which not more than 25 percent to carry the rank of general.
Act of June 26, 1948 62  Stat.   1052
  • Authorized permanent grade of general and full active-duty pay and allowances in retirement for Omar N. Bradley.
Act of September 18, 1950 64  Stat.   A224
Act of October 11, 1976 90  Stat.   2078
Act of December 12, 1980

[Defense Officer Personnel Management Act]

 94  Stat.   2844
 94  Stat.   2849
 94  Stat.   2876
  • Authorized president to designate positions of importance and responsibility to carry the grade of general, to be assigned from officers on active duty in any grade above colonel, subject to Senate confirmation, who revert to their permanent grade at the end of their assignment unless it was terminated by
    1. assignment to another position designated to carry the same grade,
    2. up to 180 days of hospitalization, or
    3. up to 90 days prior to retirement [reduced to 60 days in 1991 (105  Stat.   1354)].
  • Capped, except during war or national emergency, Army officers in grades above major general at 15 percent of all general officers on active duty, of whom not more than 25 percent to serve in the grade of general.
  • Authorized three- and four-star officers to retire in the highest grade held on active duty, at the discretion of the president and subject to confirmation by the Senate, with no time-in-grade requirement [changed in 1996 to certification by secretary of defense and three-year time-in-grade requirement (110  Stat.   292)].
Act of January 28, 2008 122  Stat.   496
  • Increased grade of chief of the National Guard Bureau to general.
Act of October 28, 2009 123  Stat.   2273
 123  Stat.   2274
 123  Stat.   2276
  • Capped Army officers in the grade of general at 7, exempting from caps the chief of the National Guard Bureau and up to 20 generals assigned to joint duty [joint-duty cap repealed in 2016, effective December 31, 2022 (130  Stat.   2100); caps changed in 2021 to 8 Army generals and 19 joint-duty generals (134  Stat.   3563)].
Act of December 23, 2022 136  Stat.   2611
Act of December 22, 2023 137  Stat.   244
  • Increased grade of vice chief of the National Guard Bureau to general.

See also

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  99. ↑ Clinton, William Jefferson (16 October 2000). "Statement on the Resignation of Barry R. McCaffrey as Director of National Drug Control Policy". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
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  102. ↑ Leubsdorf 2024, p. 13.
  103. 1 2 Tritten, Travis (13 May 2014). "VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigns". Stars and Stripes . Retrieved 1 November 2024. "Retired Gen. Shinseki Selected for 2023 Marshall Medal". Association of the United States Army . 23 March 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
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  108. ↑ Cloud, David S. (13 August 2005). "General Disobeyed Orders to End Affair, Officials Say". The New York Times. p. A7. Retrieved 1 November 2024.Vaughn, Skip (4 May 2016). "Retired lieutenant general saw Soldiers give their all". The Redstone Rocket. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
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  116. ↑ "PN1280 — Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno — Army, 110th Congress (2007-2008)". United States Congress. 5 February 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
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  120. ↑ Byrnes, Ashleigh (1 August 2023). "The American Battle Monuments Commission welcomes U.S. Army Gen. (Ret.) Michael X. Garrett as new chairman". Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Arlington County, Virginia: American Battle Monuments Commission. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
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  122. ↑ Bell 2013, pp. 1, 6–8.
  123. ↑ "Washington Never a General of U.S. Army; Rank Created for Him, but Not Conferred". The New York Times. 2 February 1936. p. N8.
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  129. ↑ Act of July 15, 1870 (16  Stat.   318).
  130. ↑ Warner 1964, p. 443.
  131. ↑ Chernow, Ron (10 October 2017). Grant. New York City: Penguin Press. pp. 938–939. ISBN   978-1594204876.
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  133. ↑ Bell 2013, p. 24.
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  135. ↑ Acts of May 18, 1917 (40  Stat.   76), and October 6, 1917 (40  Stat.   410).
  136. ↑ Act of March 1, 1869 (15  Stat.   281). "Rank Of General For Bliss And March; Former Gets Brevet Title for Services Abroad — Latter Becomes Chief of Staff". The New York Times. 21 May 1918. p. 6.
  137. ↑ "Wants The Highest Rank For Pershing". The New York Times. New York City. 19 July 1919. p. 5.
  138. ↑ Supplement to the Messages and Papers of the Presidents, Covering the Second Term of Woodrow Wilson, March 4, 1917, to March 4, 1921. Bureau of National Literature. 1921. p. 8761 – via Google Books.
  139. ↑ Smythe, Donald (1981). "The Pershing-March Conflict in World War I". Parameters. XI (4): 60.
  140. ↑ "March to Lose Two Stars on June 30; Going Back to Rank of Major General". The New York Times. 23 June 1920. p. 13.
  141. ↑ Act of June 21, 1930 (46  Stat.   793).
  142. ↑ Military Laws of the United States, 1949. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1949. pp. 41, 65, 219.
  143. ↑ "Report No. 1547: Equalize Rank of Officers in Positions of Great Responsibility in the Army and Navy". House Reports (Public), 70th Congress, 1st Session. Vol. 4. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1928 – via Google Books.
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  145. ↑ Acts of June 15, 1933 (48  Stat.   161), and September 9, 1940 (54  Stat.   875).
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  151. ↑ Special Orders No. 190 (August 9, 1944, OMPF p. 70); in "Official Military Personnel File for Joseph W. Stilwell".
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  153. ↑ "Nine More Generals Proposed". The Salinas Californian . Vol. 74, no. 60. Washington, D.C. 12 March 1945. Retrieved 25 October 2024– via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  154. ↑ Act of June 26, 1948 (62  Stat.   1052).
  155. ↑ Acts of March 23, 1946 (60  Stat.   59) and June 26, 1948 (62  Stat.   1052).
  156. ↑ Act of September 18, 1950 [Private Law 81-957] (64  Stat.   A224).
  157. ↑ Truman, Harry S. (28 April 1952). "Termination of the National Emergencies Proclaimed on September 8, 1939, and May 27, 1941". Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum . Retrieved 15 October 2024.
  158. ↑ Full Committee Hearings on S. 1843, to Convert the National Military Establishment Into an Executive Department of the Government, to be Known as the Department of Defense, to Provide the Secretary of Defense With Appropriate Responsibility and Authority, and With Civilian and Military Assistants Adequate to Fulfill His Enlarged Responsibility. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 9 July 1949. pp. 2931–2932 – via Google Books.
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  160. ↑ Act of August 10, 1949 [National Security Act Amendments of 1949] (63  Stat.   582).
  161. ↑ "Senior officials in the NATO military structure, from 1949 to 2001" (PDF). North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2009.
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  163. ↑ House Armed Services Committee Report No. 92-5: Subcommittee No. 2 Hearings on H.R. 6483; and Subcommittee No. 2 Hearings and Full Committee Consideration of H.R. 7500. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1971. pp. 2229–2238 – via Google Books.
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  165. ↑ Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Officer Grade Limitations of the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, Eighty-Fourth Congress, First Session. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 9 March 1955. pp. 46, 48, 50, 61 – via Google Books.
  166. ↑ Hernandez, Joe (15 September 2021). "Fort Hood Should Be Renamed After The 1st Hispanic 4-Star General, Lawmakers Say". NPR . Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  167. ↑ "Gen. Roscoe Robinson Jr.; 1st Black at 4-Star Rank". Los Angeles Times . Washington, D.C. 24 July 1993. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  168. ↑ 10 U.S.C.   § 7033 – Chief of Staff.
  169. ↑ 10 U.S.C.   § 7034 – Vice Chief of Staff. Act of October 1, 1986 [Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986] (100  Stat.   1041).
  170. ↑ Act of October 5, 1994 [National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995] (108  Stat.   2745)
  171. ↑ "10 U.S.C. § 526 – Authorized strength: general officers and flag officers on active duty". United States Code. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  172. ↑ "Did you know... how many SACEURs continued their military careers in other posts after leaving SHAPE?". Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe . Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  173. ↑ 10 U.S.C.   § 167b – Unified combatant command for cyber operations.
  174. ↑ 10 U.S.C.   § 167 – Unified combatant command for special operations forces.
  175. ↑ Act of January 28, 2008 [National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008] (122  Stat.   496). Smith, Mike (18 November 2008). "Guard's first four-star ready to take Minutemen forward". National Guard Bureau . Arlington, Virginia . Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  176. ↑ Burns, Robert (14 November 2008). "In salute to history, Army pins 4 stars on female general". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved 26 October 2024.Snyder, John (2 May 2012). "Stars align at the Watervliet Arsenal". United States Army. Watervliet, New York . Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  177. ↑ Greenhill, Jim (8 September 2012). "Army Gen. Frank Grass becomes 27th chief of the National Guard Bureau". National Guard Bureau. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  178. ↑ Act of October 28, 2009 [National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010] (123  Stat.   2273).
  179. ↑ Act of January 1, 2021 [William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021] (134  Stat.   3563).
  180. 1 2 Cox, Matthew (20 August 2020). "The Army Now Has the Most 4-Star Generals on Duty Since World War II". Military.com.Judson, Jen (8 October 2020). "US Army Europe and US Army Africa to merge as commander pins on fourth star". Defense News.
  181. ↑ "Annex B (General/Flag Officer Strengths, 1945 to 1967)". Report on General/Flag Officer Requirements (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Officer Personnel Study Group, Officer Career Development Division, Directorate of Compensation and Career Development, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Manpower and Reserve Affairs). 1 March 1968. House Armed Services Committee Report No. 92-5: Subcommittee No. 2 Hearings on H.R. 6483; and Subcommittee No. 2 Hearings and Full Committee Consideration of H.R. 7500. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1971. p. 2237 – via Google Books.

Notes

  1. 1 2 Dates of rank are taken, where available, from the U.S. Army register of active and retired commissioned officers, or from the World Almanac and Book of Facts . The date listed is that of the officer's first promotion to general.
  2. 1 2 Positions listed are those held by the officer when promoted to general. Dates listed are for the officer's full tenure, which may predate promotion to four-star rank or postdate retirement from active duty.
  3. 1 2 The number of years of active-duty service at four-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Date of rank" column from the last year in the "Position" column. Time spent between active-duty four-star assignments is not counted.
  4. 1 2 Sources of commission are listed in parentheses after the year of commission and include: the United States Military Academy (USMA); Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) at a civilian university; ROTC at a senior military college such as the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Norwich University (Norwich), Pennsylvania Military College (PMC), Widener University (Widener), or The Citadel (Citadel); Officer Candidate School (OCS); the aviation cadet program (cadet); the Army National Guard (ARNG); direct commission (direct); and battlefield commission (battlefield).
  5. 1 2 The number of years in commission before being promoted to four-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Commission" column from the year in the "Date of rank" column.
  6. 1 2 Notes include years of birth and death; awards of the Medal of Honor, Congressional Gold Medal, Presidential Medal of Freedom, or honors of similar significance; major government appointments; university presidencies or equivalents; familial relationships with other four-star officers or significant government officials such as U.S. Presidents, cabinet secretaries, U.S. Senators, or state governors; and unusual career events such as premature relief or death in office.
  7. ↑ Commissioned general in the Continental Army, 15 June 1775; resigned, 23 December 1783; commissioned lieutenant general in the U.S. Army, 3 July 1798; posthumously promoted to General of the Armies, 11 October 1976, with date of rank 4 July 1976. [1] [2] [3] [4]
  8. ↑ Resigned, 4 March 1869, to serve as President; reappointed general and placed on the retired list, 3 March 1885; posthumously promoted to General of the Armies, 19 April 2024. [7] [8]
  9. ↑ Appointed emergency general as chief of staff of the Army, 6 October 1917; retired as chief of staff, 18 May 1918; brevetted general as member of the Supreme War Council, 20 May 1918. [11] [12] [13]
  10. 1 2 Reverted to major general upon expiration of wartime legislation, 1 July 1920; advanced to general on the retired list, 21 June 1930, as highest grade held during World War I. [14]
  11. ↑ Appointed emergency general as commander of U.S. forces in France, 6 October 1917; promoted to General of the Armies, 3 September 1919. [11] [16]
  12. ↑ Appointed ex officio general as chief of staff of the Army, 23 February 1929; reverted to major general, 20 November 1930; retired as general, 31 March 1931. [19] [20]
  13. ↑ Reverted to major general, 1 October 1935; retired as general, 31 December 1937; recalled as major general, 26 July 1941; promoted to lieutenant general, 27 July 1941; promoted to general, 18 December 1941, with rank from 16 September 1936; promoted to general of the Army, 18 December 1944; rank made permanent, 11 April 1946; restored to active list, 9 July 1948; relieved of all commands, 11 April 1951. [22]
  14. ↑ Retired as general, 31 August 1939; recalled as general, 26 September 1941. [24]
  15. 1 2 3 Received a direct commission following graduation from a military college prior to the creation of ROTC.
  16. ↑ Promoted to general of the Army, 16 December 1944; rank made permanent, 11 April 1946; retired as general of the Army, 28 February 1947; restored to active list, 1 March 1949. [25] [26]
  17. ↑ Advanced to general on the retired list, 15 June 1940, as former chief of staff of the Army. [28]
  18. ↑ Promoted to general of the Army, 20 December 1944; rank made permanent, 11 April 1946; retired as general of the Army, 7 February 1948; recalled as general of the Army, 16 December 1950; resigned, 18 July 1952, to run for President; reappointed general of the Army, 30 March 1961. [30]
  19. 1 2 3 4 Transferred to U.S. Air Force, 18 September 1947.
  20. ↑ Promoted to general of the Army, 21 December 1944; rank made permanent, 11 April 1946; retired as general of the Army, 30 June 1946; appointed general of the Air Force, 7 May 1949. [31]
  21. ↑ Retired as major general, 31 January 1945; recalled 1 February 1945; promoted to general, 5 March 1945; advanced to general on the retired list, 12 July 1946; retired, 20 July 1946. [32]
  22. ↑ Terminated appointment as general in Army of the United States, 29 April 1946; retired as major general, 30 April 1946; advanced to general on the retired list, 4 June 1948. [33]
  23. ↑ Nomination as U.S. Ambassador to Vatican City withdrawn, 1952. [34]
  24. ↑ Promoted to general, 12 March 1945; rank made permanent, 26 June 1948; promoted to general of the Army, 22 September 1950. [36]
  25. ↑ Died in car crash, 23 December 1950; posthumously promoted to general, 2 January 1951, with rank from 20 December 1950. [41]
  26. ↑ Retired as general, 1 July 1959; recalled as general, 1 July 1961. [47]
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Advanced to general on the retired list, 19 July 1954, as a lieutenant general who, during World War II, commanded Army Ground Forces, commanded an army in any of the Theaters of Operations, was commanding general of U.S. forces in China and chief of staff to Chiang Kai-shek, or commanded Western Defense Command. [49]
  28. ↑ Retired as general, 31 August 1963; recalled as general, 1 September 1963. [57] [58]
  29. ↑ Retired as general, 1 December 1959; recalled as general, January 1960. [61]
  30. ↑ Retired as general, July 1970; recalled as general, August 1970.
  31. ↑ Retired as general, December 1974; recalled as lieutenant general, June 1977; retired as general, July 1981.
  32. ↑ Transferred from Army National Guard, 18 October 1920; retired as major general, 31 December 1946; recalled as major general on the retired list, 1 January 1947; promoted to lieutenant general, 23 June 1956; promoted to general, 16 February 1970, with date of rank 23 December 1969; relieved, 9 April 1973; retired as general, 10 April 1973. [72]
  33. ↑ Retired as general, 1 August 1973; remained White House chief of staff as civilian until 1974; recalled as general, September 1974.
  34. ↑ Graduated from Pennsylvania Military College, which was reorganized as a civilian institution in 1972 and is now Widener University.
  35. ↑ Retired as general, November 2000; recalled as general, August 2003.
  36. ↑ Relieved, August 2005, and retired as lieutenant general. [108]
  37. ↑ Reverted to major general, March 2011; retired as lieutenant general, 13 November 2012. [111]
  38. ↑ Nomination as Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Army (VCSA) withdrawn, 2008. [116]
  39. ↑ On at least one occasion, Washington styled himself "Captain-General and Commander in Chief of the Forces of the Thirteen United Colonies", in his proclamation on the occupation of Boston on 21 March 1776. [121]
  40. ↑ The Comptroller General of the United States ruled in 1924 that the offices of "general" (as referred to in the Act of June 4, 1920 [National Defense Act Amendments] (41  Stat.   760) that provided for the peacetime army), "General of the Army of the United States", and "General of the Armies of the United States" were all the same grade held by Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, and now Pershing, who was therefore entitled to the annual pay of $13,500 and other privileges set for Sherman in 1870, including the right to retire at full pay and allowances. [127]
  41. ↑ Since the Navy, in fact, had four admirals—the chief of naval operations and the commanders in chief of the United States Fleet, Battle Fleet, and Asiatic Fleet—the Army asked in 1928 to have four generals: the chief of staff and the commanding generals of the Panama Canal Department, Hawaiian Department and Philippine Department. Only the increase in rank for the chief of staff was approved. [143]
  42. ↑ The relevant provisions were amendments to Section 127(a) of the National Defense Act of 1916. In 1940, the authorization, initially applying only to wartime, was extended to national emergencies. [145]
  43. ↑ Procedurally, Bradley's promotion was among a slate of permanent four-star promotions for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, to balance the same promotions granted to the Marine Corps and Coast Guard commandants during World War II, Alexander Vandegrift and Russell R. Waesche. [155]
  44. ↑ The eight four-star Army generals on active duty on 28 April 1952, by seniority within rank, were:
  45. ↑ These vacancies initially went to the chief of staff, vice chief of staff, and the commanding generals of Army Ground Forces and occupation forces in Germany and Japan. [158]
  46. ↑ The final use of such an authority (61  Stat.   907) was from 1953 to 1955 for convenience during the Korean War emergency, but was dropped at the request of the Senate Armed Services Committee. [165]

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