American Generals

		*America's Top Generals*

General Washington below his family crest on the Purple Heart medal pendant.

General of the Armies of the United States

George Washington was unanimously voted by Congress on
June 15, 1775, to the rank of General and Commander-in-Chief
(of the Continental Army).

On March 15, 1978; George Washington was promoted, posthumously,
to the newly created grade of 'General of the Armies of the United States'.

Congress authorized this title to make it clear that
Washington was the Army's senior general,
thus becoming a de facto "seven-star" general.

General-in-Chief of the United States Army

Lieutenant General Winfield Scott was the longest serving General in United States history. He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1814, Major General and General-in-Chief in 1841, Lieutenant General in 1856, and served until his resignation in 1861. Known as "Old Fuss and Feathers", for his demands of strict military discipline and appearance, and the "Grand Old Man of the Army", most historians rate him the ablest American commander of his time.

General of the Army
Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant was conferred the new grade of
'General of the Army' (four stars) by Congress on July 25, 1866.

William T. Sherman, Grant's successor as Commanding General of the Army, was appointed as 'General of the Army' on March 4, 1869.

Congress enacted legislation on June 1, 1888 conferring on
Philip H. Sheridan the grade of 'General of the Army'.

The grade was discontinued when he died,
while still on active duty, August 5, 1888.

Generals of the Confederate States Army
(The author's pick of representative CSA Generals.)

General P.G.T. Beauregard

General Braxton Bragg

General Nathan Bedford Forrest

General John Bell Hood

General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson

General Joseph E. Johnston

General Robert E. Lee

General James Longstreet

General George Pickett

General J.E.B. Stuart

General of the Armies

General John J. (Black Jack) Pershing was made permanent
'General of the Armies' in 1919. (*)

General of the Armies Pershing was designated to be senior to all
U.S. Army generals, thus becoming a de facto "six-star" general in 1944.
He was given the option of creating his own insignia,
but he declined to wear more than four stars.

General of the Army, General of the Air Force
(Five Stars)

George C. Marshall, promoted 'General of the Army' December 1944.

Douglas MacArthur, promoted 'General of the Army' December 1944.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, promoted 'General of the Army' December 1944.

Henry H. (Hap) Arnold had the unique distinction of being a five-star
general twice; in 1944 as 'General of the Army' and in June 1949
as 'General of the Air Force'. He is the only Air Force general to have
held the five-star rank.

Omar N. Bradley, promoted 'General of the Army' in September 1950.

U. S. NAVY

Vice Admiral and Admiral

David G. Farragut was the first officer in the U.S. Navy to receive the grades of Vice Admiral (in 1864) and Admiral (in 1866).

David D. Porter was promoted as the second Vice Admiral (in 1864)
and the second Admiral, on Farragut's death (in 1870).

Admiral of the Navy

The grade has only been held by one person in history: George Dewey.
He was conferred the new grade by act of Congress in 1899.

Admiral of the Navy Dewey was designated to be senior to all
U.S. Navy admirals, thus becoming a de facto "six-star" admiral in 1944.

Fleet Admiral (Five Stars)

William D. Leahy, promoted December 1944.

Ernest J. King, promoted December 1944.

Chester W. Nimitz, promoted December 1944.

William F. (Bull) Halsey, promoted December 1945.

Current
Joint Chiefs of Staff

Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN
Chairman, JCS (*)

General James E. Cartwright, USMC
Vice Chairman, JCS (*)

General George W. Casey, Jr., USA
Chief of Staff of the Army (*)

General James T. Conway, USMC
Commandant of the Marine Corps (*)

Admiral Gary Roughead, USN
Chief of Naval Operations (*)

Admiral Thad W. Allen, USCG
Commandant of the Coast Guard (*)

General T. Michael Moseley, USAF
Chief of Staff of the Air Force (*)

(*) Lists of individual awards of the JCS

Current
Top Enlisted Chiefs

CSM William J. Gainey, USA
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman, JCS (*)

SMA Kenneth O. Preston, USA
Sergeant Major of the Army (*)

SMMC Carlton W. Kent, USMC
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (*)

MCPON Joe R. Campa, Jr., USN
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (*)

MCPOCG Charles W. Bowen, USCG
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (*)

CMSAF Rodney J. McKinley, USAF
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (*)

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