General of the Army (United States) facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids General of the Army
Rank flag of a General of the Army
Army service uniform shoulder strap with the rank of General of the Army
Country	United States
Service branch	United States Army
Abbreviation	GA
Rank	Five-star
NATO rank	OF-10
Non-NATO rank	Five-star rank
Formation	25 July 1866
Next higher rank	General of the Armies
Next lower rank	General
Equivalent ranks	Fleet admiral (U.S. Navy) General of the Air Force (USAF)

The General of the Army (often shortened to GA) is a very important and rare rank in the United States Army. It is known as a five-star rank, meaning it's the highest possible rank an officer can achieve in the Army. This rank is usually similar to a Field Marshal in other countries.

In the United States, a General of the Army is ranked higher than regular generals. It is equal to a Fleet Admiral in the Navy and a General of the Air Force in the Air Force. The special badge for a General of the Army has five stars arranged in a circle. These stars are worn with the United States Coat of Arms on their uniform shoulders.

The rank of "General of the Army" has been used at two different times in history. The first time was in 1866, right after the American Civil War. Back then, it was a four-star rank. Only three people held this rank between 1866 and 1888: Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, and Philip Sheridan.

The rank was brought back during World War II as the modern five-star rank. More than one officer could hold it at the same time. Since 1944, five different men have held this rank: George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Henry H. Arnold, and Omar Bradley.

There is an even higher rank called General of the Armies. This rank is above the General of the Army. It has only been given out three times. John J. Pershing received it in 1919 for his service in World War I. George Washington was given it after his death in 1976. In 2022, Ulysses S. Grant was also given this rank after his death.

History of the General of the Army Rank
Ranks Senior to General of the Army
See also

History of the General of the Army Rank

Early History: After the Civil War

General of the Army shoulder strap insignia, from 1866 to 1872.

General of the Army shoulder strap insignia, from 1872 to 1888.

On July 25, 1866, the U.S. Congress created the rank of "General of the Army of the United States." This rank was first given to General Ulysses S. Grant. When he became General of the Army, Grant wore a uniform with four stars.

Unlike the five-star rank used in World War II, the 1866 General of the Army rank had four stars. Even though it was called "General of the Army," it had the same power as the older idea of "General of the Armies." Only one officer could hold this rank at a time between 1866 and 1888.

After Grant became the U.S. president, William T. Sherman took over as General of the Army on March 4, 1869. In 1872, Sherman changed the rank badge to two stars with the U.S. coat of arms in the middle.

On June 1, 1888, Philip Sheridan was given the rank by Congress. He was very ill at the time. The rank of General of the Army stopped existing when Sheridan died on August 5, 1888.

Generals of the Army (Post-Civil War)

Portrait	Name	Date of Rank
	Ulysses S. Grant	25 July 1866
	William T. Sherman	4 March 1869
	Philip Sheridan	1 June 1888

World War II and Korean War Era

During World War II, as the war grew bigger, the U.S. government created a new version of the General of the Army rank. This new five-star rank was made official on December 14, 1944. It was created so that top American commanders would have the same rank level as their British allies, who had ranks like field marshal.

This second General of the Army rank is different from the one used after the Civil War. It has five stars and a different purpose. The badge for this 1944 rank shows five stars in a pentagon shape, with their points touching.

Five officers have held this 1944 version of the General of the Army rank:

Generals of the Army (WWII)

Portrait	Name	Date of Rank
	George C. Marshall	16 December 1944
	Douglas MacArthur	18 December 1944
	Dwight D. Eisenhower	20 December 1944
	Henry H. Arnold	21 December 1944
	Omar Bradley	22 September 1950

The first four of these appointments were made around the same time as the first three U.S. Navy five-star Fleet Admirals were appointed:

William D. Leahy (December 15, 1944)
Ernest King (December 17, 1944)
Chester W. Nimitz (December 19, 1944)
William Halsey Jr. (December 11, 1945)

This was done to show the order of importance among the generals and to make the ranks equal across different military branches. The U.S. Army decided not to use the rank of "Field Marshal." This was because the term "Marshal" was already used for civilian law enforcement officers in the U.S. Also, if George C. Marshall had been made a "Field Marshal," his name would have been "Field Marshal Marshall," which was thought to sound strange.

Dwight D. Eisenhower left his army position in 1952 to run for president. After serving two terms, President John F. Kennedy signed a law in 1961. This law allowed Eisenhower to be reappointed as a General of the Army. Today, this rank is remembered on signs for Interstate Highways, which show five silver stars.

Henry H. Arnold was a general in the Army and led the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. When the United States Air Force became its own separate branch in 1947, Arnold's rank was carried over. He became the first and only General of the Air Force. He is also the only person to have held a five-star rank in two different parts of the U.S. military.

These officers who held the rank of General of the Army remained officers for life. They received a yearly salary and had an office, an aide, a secretary, and an orderly provided by the Army.

Modern Usage of the Rank

Rank insignia for a General of the Army if worn on the Army Blue service uniform, from 2010 to present.

Rank insignia for a General of the Army if it is worn on the Army Green Class "A" service uniform, from September 1959 to October 2015.

No officers have been promoted to General of the Army since Omar Bradley. He was also the last living officer with this rank when he passed away in 1981. However, the rank still exists in the Army's structure. The president could award it again with the approval of the United States Senate.

Even though Omar Bradley was the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) to get a fifth star, this promotion does not automatically come with that job. Bradley's promotion made sure he was not outranked by Douglas MacArthur, who was his subordinate.

In the 1990s, some people in the United States Department of Defense thought about giving a five-star rank to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After the Persian Gulf War, there was talk of promoting General Colin Powell to a five-star rank. He had been the CJCS during the war. However, this did not happen. There was also an effort to promote General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. to General of the Army, but it was not carried out.

More recently, some people have suggested that military leaders in the Global War on Terrorism should receive a five-star rank. For example, in 2011, some groups called for David Petraeus to be given a fifth star for his important work.

Ranks Senior to General of the Army

The rank of General of the Armies is higher than General of the Army. Only three officers in U.S. history have received this very special rank.

In 1919, John J. Pershing was promoted to General of the Armies for his service in World War I.
In 1976, during the 200th anniversary of the United States, George Washington was given this rank after his death. This was to honor his leadership as the first commanding general of the United States Army.
In 2022, Ulysses S. Grant was also promoted to General of the Armies after his death. This honored 200 years since his birth.

In 1903, George Dewey was promoted to Admiral of the Navy. This rank was considered equal to a five-star admiral. Dewey was the only person to hold this naval rank, and it ended after his death.

A law passed in 1976 states that the rank of General of the Armies of the United States is the highest rank in the Army, past or present. This means that George Washington will always be considered the most senior general in the United States. During his lifetime, Washington was a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was also a three-star lieutenant general in the Regular Army during the Quasi-War with France.