| General | |
|---|---|
 Four-star insignia of the rank of general. Style and method of wear may vary between different uniforms and different service branches. | |
.svg)    Shoulder boards | |
| Country |  United States |
| Service branch | |
| Abbreviation |
|
| Rank group | General officer |
| Rank | Four-star |
| NATOrank code | OF-9 |
| Pay grade | O-10 |
| Next higher rank | |
| Next lower rank | Lieutenant general |
| Equivalent ranks |
|
In the United States military, ageneral is the most seniorgeneral-grade officer; it is the highest achievablecommissioned officer rank (or echelon) that may be attained in theUnited States Armed Forces, with exception of theNavy andCoast Guard, which have the equivalent rank ofadmiral instead. The official and formal insignia of "general" is defined by itsfour stars (commonly silver and in a row).
The rank of general ranks above a three-starlieutenant general and below the special wartime five-star ranks ofGeneral of the Army orGeneral of the Air Force. The Marine Corps and Space Force do not have an established grade above general. Thepay grade of general is O-10. It is equivalent to the rank ofadmiral in the other United Statesuniformed services which usenaval ranks. It is abbreviated asGEN in the Army andGen in the Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force.
Since the higher ranks of General of the Army and General of the Air Force have been reserved for significant wartime use only (in modern times were recreated forWorld War II), the rank of general is usually the highest general officer rank in the modern forces.
Formally, the term "General" is always used when referring to a four-star general. However, a number of different terms may refer to them informally,[clarification needed] since lower-ranking generals may also be referred to as simply "General".
The United States Code explicitly limits the total number of general officers (termedflag officers in the Navy and Coast Guard) that may be on active duty at any given time. The total number of active duty general officers is capped at 219 for the Army, 64 for the Marine Corps, 171 for the Air Force, 150 for the Navy, and 21 for the Space Force.[1] No more than about 25% of a service's active duty general or flag officers may have more than two stars (for the Space Force, the ratio is instead one-third),[2] and statute sets the total number of four-star officers allowed in each service.[2] This is set at eight Army generals, two Marine generals, nine Air Force generals, two Space Force generals, six Navy admirals, and two Coast Guard admirals.[2]
Several of these slots are reserved by statute. For example, the two highest-ranking members of each service (the service chief and deputy service chief) are designated as generals. For the Army thechief of staff and thevice chief of staff are generals; for the Marine Corps, thecommandant and theassistant commandant are both generals; for the Air Force, thechief of staff andvice chief of staff are generals; and for the Space Force, thechief of space operations, and thevice chief of space operations are generals. In addition, for the National Guard, thechief of the National Guard Bureau[3] is a general under active duty in the Army or Air Force.
There are several exceptions to these limits allowing more than allotted within the statute:[4]
Finally, all statutory limits may be waived at the president's discretion during time of war or national emergency.[7]
Four-star grades go hand-in-hand with the positions of office to which they are linked, so the rank is temporary; the active rank of general can only be held for so long- though upon retirement, if satisfactory service requirements are met, the general or admiral is normally allowed to hold that rank in retirement, rather than reverting to a lower position, as was formerly the usual case.[8] Their active rank expires with the expiration of their term of office, which is usually set by statute.[8] Generals are nominated for the appointment by thepresident from any eligible officers holding the rank of brigadier general or above who meet the requirements for the position, with the advice of thesecretary of defense, service secretary (secretary of the Army,secretary of the Navy, orsecretary of the Air Force), and if applicable theJoint Chiefs of Staff.[8] For some positions, statute allows the president to waive those requirements for a nominee deemed to serve national interests.[9] The nominee must be confirmed by theUnited States Senate before the appointee can take office and assume the rank.[8] General ranks may also be given by act of Congress but this is extremely rare. The standard tour for most general/flag officers is a two-year term with the possibility of being renominated for an additional term(s).
The chairman and the vice chairman of the JCS, the service chiefs, and thechief of the National Guard Bureau, normally serve a single four-year term.
Appointment of general/flag officers (3-star or above) is a temporary promotion lasting only for the duration of the job assignment. Upon retirement general/flag officers revert to their permanent two-star rank of major general or rear admiral unless they are nominated by the president to retire at a higher rank (which has become the normal practice in recent years.) Extensions of the standard tour length can be approved, within statutory limits but these are rare, as they block other officers from being promoted. Some statutory limits can be waived in times of national emergency or war.
Other than voluntary retirement, statute sets a number of mandates for retirement. A general must retire after 40 years of service unless they are reappointed to serve longer.[10] Otherwise all general officers must retire the month after their 64th birthday.[11] However, thesecretary of defense can defer a general's retirement until the officer's 66th birthday[11] and the president can defer it until the officer's 68th birthday.[11] To retire at four-star grade, an officer must accumulate at least three years of satisfactory active duty service in that grade, as certified by the secretary of defense.[12]
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