What is the Best General Rank?
The highest military rank is O-10, or “five-star general,” which is the best general rank and is symbolized by five stars for each of the military services, with only nine Americans having ever held this rank. The five-star general rank is the highest official star rank in the U.S. Army, and it is considered the most prestigious and respected rank in the military, with General of the Army being the highest rank in the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
Understanding General Ranks
General Rank Hierarchy
The general rank hierarchy consists of several ranks, including Brigadier General (one star), Major General (two star), Lieutenant General (three star), and General (four star), with each rank having its own set of responsibilities and requirements.
FAQs
- What is the highest rank in the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps? The highest rank in the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps is General (four star), followed by Lieutenant General (three star), Major General (two star), and Brigadier General (one star).
- Who is the only 6-star general? George Washington is often referred to as the only six-star general, as he was posthumously promoted to the rank of General of the Armies of the United States in 1976.
- What is the highest military rank? The highest military rank is O-10, or “five-star general,” which is symbolized by five stars for each of the military services.
- Who is the only 7-star general? There is no seven-star general, as this rank does not exist in the military, although some commentators argue that George Washington posthumously became a seven-star general in 1976.
- Who is the only 5-star general? Omar Bradley was the last five-star general, having been promoted in 1950, and the five-star rank still exists, although no U.S. officers have held it since his death in 1981.
- Was George Patton a 5-star general? George Patton achieved four-star rank for his battlefield exploits, but he was not a five-star general.
- How much do 5-star generals make? Five-star generals who held the rank of General of the Army remained officers of the United States Army for life, with an annual $20,000 in pay and allowances, equivalent to $332,000 in 2022.
- Can no one outrank George Washington? Technically, the law decreeing that no military official could outrank Washington didn’t specifically grant a six-star general designation, but some argue that Washington’s ascension to such a rank means exactly that.
- Who is the only female 4-star general? Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody became the first female four-star general in U.S. military history.
- Who is the highest US military rank? The highest military rank is O-10, or “five-star general,” which is symbolized by five stars for each of the military services.
- What do generals do all day? Generals are senior army officers who usually command units larger than a regiment or its equivalent, or units consisting of more than one arm of the service, and they plan operations in the field.
- Do all officers outrank enlisted? All officers, commissioned and warrant, outrank all enlisted personnel.
- Is An Admiral Higher Than A general? The word “admiral” has come to be almost exclusively associated with the highest naval rank in most of the world’s navies, equivalent to the army rank of general.
- Is Field Marshal higher than general? Field marshal is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks, and is considered as a five-star rank (OF-10) in modern-day armed forces in many countries.
- Who was the last 5-star general? General of the Army Omar Bradley was the last five-star general, having been promoted in 1950, and he died in 1981.