or whatever the highest rank military person is if it's not 5 star.
also, i saw online that 5 star is during war time only, so there should be 5 star now right? what happens when war time is over? do they go back down to 4 star general?
2006-11-09 13:09:59 · 13 answers · asked by tom l 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
There hasn't been a 5-Star General since WWII. Once you do make 5-Star, you'll probably too close to retirement. If it's a field promotion (meaning someone died in battle and your next one up), the military have their right take your field promotion away. But, being a 4-Star promoted to 5-Star, that probably won't happened (because of politics).
(My uncle was in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. He was TSgt in EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal). He received a field promotion to Colonel (because back then the Air Force didn't have EOD Officers just enlisted because they were under the base commander. So they needed someone with a power and respect. When the war was over and he returned to Florida. He got demoted back to TSgt, but he was able to keep his paygrade of a Colonel.)
There isn't any public record of the exact number of 4 star generals and Admirals because some of that information needs to be classified, but the roundabout number is: 800 (for all services, including the Coast Guards, National Guards, and Reserves).
2006-11-09 13:26:33 · answer #1 · answered by bhadams2 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
There are no 5 star generals right now. You are correct that this rank is only provided during a time of war, but that is defined as requiring an Act of War, which is issued by Congress. Currently, there are numerous 4-star Generals, they are commanders of major theaters or support commands (SOUTHCOM, CENTCOM, PACOM, EUROCOM, TRANSCOM, FORSCOM, TRADOC etc.). In addition, there is a 4-star representative from each component serving on the the Chiefs of Staff. Yearly, one of these is elevated to the position of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and is considered the senior military person in the Armed Forces. Currently it is a U.S. Marine named General Peter Pace.
2006-11-09 13:17:11 · answer #2 · answered by sofgrant 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Dwight D. Eisenhower was the last General of the Army, a 5 star general. Since then, the rank has been retired. The highest rank an officer in the army can attain is a full general (4 stars).
2006-11-09 13:13:30 · answer #3 · answered by WC 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
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The five star general rank was created in the midst of World War II to address the fact that several American commanders found themselves in the delicate position of supervising Allied officers of higher rank. Initially, the new rank was to be called Field Marshal, after the British military, but this was nixed due to stern (and quite understandable) objections from General George C. Marshall.
When General of the Army Omar N. Bradley died in April of 1981, the five star ranking was consigned to history. In all, four Army generals, four Navy admirals, and one Air Force general have held this rank. The Army's five star generals were General George C. Marshall, General Douglas MacArthur, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and General Omar N. Bradley. The Navy's five-star fleet admirals were Admiral William D. Leahy, Admiral Ernest J. King, Admiral Chester Nimitz, and Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey. And General Henry Arnold was the Air Force's five star general.
Who beats a five star general? A General of the Armies of the United States -- the highest military rank of all time, hands down. To date, only George Washington and John J. Pershing have held this position.
2006-11-09 13:16:00 · answer #4 · answered by Mr. G. 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
There are no five star generals at the moment. There have only been 5, all during WW II, except for the last one in 1950.
2006-11-09 13:15:25 · answer #5 · answered by justind_000 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Zero. And there probably never will be again. After all, the last 5 star (Omar Bradley) was promoted 56 years ago. We haven't had one since. Basically it is an obsolete rank, kept on the books for tradition's sake.
2006-11-09 13:14:28 · answer #6 · answered by Chance20_m 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The war is officially over. There are no 5 Star Flag Officers, currently, that I am aware of.
2006-11-09 13:12:25 · answer #7 · answered by sjsosullivan 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Vivien S. Crea, Vice Admiral, United States Coast Guard, is the 25th Vice-Commandant of the Coast Guard under Admiral Thad W. Allen, the Commandant of the Coast Guard. Vice Admiral Crea holds the second highest position in the Coast Guard, and she is the first woman to do so. She is the former Commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area, and was confirmed by the Senate to her historic post in June of 2006. As second in command of one of the United State's Armed Forces, she is the highest ranking woman in the history of the US Military. The position that she holds is often elevated to the Commandant, a position held for only four years. Vice Admiral Crea relieved Vice Adm. Terry M. Cross, who retired after 36 years of Coast Guard service at a change of watch ceremony held in Alexandria, Virginia on June 2, 2006.
2016-03-28 00:55:09 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There arent any 5 star general alive, the last 5 star was Dwight D. eisenhower and he went on to become president
2006-11-09 13:26:48 · answer #9 · answered by dbj2086 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
233
2006-11-09 13:12:18 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋