The U.S. Army has four general officer ranks: brigadier general (one star, O-7), major general (two stars, O-8), lieutenant general (three stars, O-9), and general (four stars, O-10). Federal law caps the Army at 219 general officers on active duty at any time, so this is a small group at the top of a very large force. The ranks look like a simple ladder, but they don’t all work the same way, and the differences shape everything from how officers are promoted to what they earn to how they retire.
One-Star Through Four-Star at a Glance
- Brigadier General (O-7): one star. The entry point into general officer ranks, promoted from colonel.
- Major General (O-8): two stars.
- Lieutenant General (O-9): three stars.
- General (O-10): four stars. The highest grade awarded in peacetime.
Silver stars on the shoulder mark each grade. The number of stars is the quickest way to read the rank.
Permanent Grades vs. Position-Based Grades
The biggest structural fact about Army general ranks is that the bottom two work differently from the top two.
Brigadier general and major general are typically permanent grades. Once an officer is promoted, the rank is theirs.
Lieutenant general and general are tied to specific positions the President designates as carrying those grades. An officer appointed at three or four stars holds that rank only while serving in the designated job. When the assignment ends, the appointment ends, and the officer reverts to their permanent grade, which is usually major general.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 601 – Positions of Importance and Responsibility
That distinction matters for retirement, pay, and how much civilian leverage the Secretary of Defense and the President hold over senior officers.
What Each Rank Commands
Brigadier General (One Star)
Brigadier generals typically serve as deputy commanding generals of divisions or lead large specialized organizations. A common role is deputy commanding general of an infantry or armored division, managing thousands of soldiers across multiple brigades. Others serve as program executive officers overseeing major acquisition efforts or as chiefs of staff at higher headquarters. Performance at one star determines whether an officer advances to two.
Major General (Two Stars)
The two-star commands a division, the Army’s principal warfighting formation. A division typically fields 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers organized into several brigade combat teams plus supporting units. The work is operational-level planning and coordinating multiple brigades in combat or large-scale exercises. Division command is a prerequisite for further advancement.
Lieutenant General (Three Stars)
A lieutenant general commands a corps, meaning multiple divisions operating together, or runs a major Army functional command. Corps commands control tens of thousands of soldiers. On the institutional side, three-stars lead organizations that shape how the entire force is built, equipped, and trained.
General (Four Stars)
Four-star generals hold the Army’s most senior positions. The Chief of Staff of the Army, the service’s highest-ranking uniformed officer, is appointed at this grade by the President with Senate confirmation and presides over the Army Staff. Combatant commanders, who direct all U.S. military operations within a geographic region or functional mission area, also wear four stars. Federal law requires combatant commanders to have completed a full tour of joint duty as a general or flag officer before taking the post.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 164 – Commanders of Combatant Commands: Assignment; Powers and Duties
How Officers Reach These Ranks
The jump from colonel to brigadier general is the hardest promotion in a military career. A selection board of sitting general officers reviews every eligible colonel’s record, evaluating decades of performance reports, command results, education, and joint assignments. Each board member must hold a grade senior to the officers under consideration.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 612 – Composition of Selection Boards The selection rate is low. Most colonels will never pin on a star.
For promotions to two, three, and four stars, the process shifts. The Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of Defense identify officers for specific positions, and the President nominates them for the grade that position carries.
Every general officer appointment requires presidential nomination and Senate confirmation. The Senate Armed Services Committee reviews each nominee before the full Senate votes.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 601 – Positions of Importance and Responsibility
Congress also caps the total headcount. For the Army, that ceiling is 219 general officers on active duty at any one time, so a vacancy must exist before anyone can be promoted, regardless of how many qualified colonels are available.4govinfo. 10 USC 526 – Authorized Strength: General Officers and Flag Officers on Active Duty
Pay at Each Grade
General officers earn well, but base pay hits a statutory ceiling that surprises people. Federal law caps military basic pay at Executive Schedule Level II, which in 2026 is $228,000 per year, or $19,000 per month.5U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Salary Table No. 2026-EX Three- and four-star generals reach that cap regardless of years of service, meaning a lieutenant general with 22 years in uniform and a four-star with 30 years take home the same base pay.
The 2026 monthly base pay figures by grade:
- Brigadier General (O-7): about $11,540 for a newly promoted officer, rising to $16,904 at over 26 years of service.
- Major General (O-8): about $13,888 to $18,999, hitting the cap around 24 years of service.
- Lieutenant General (O-9): capped at $18,999 per month at all longevity points above 20 years.
- General (O-10): also capped at $18,999 per month.6NavyCS. 2026 Military Pay Chart
Base pay is only part of the compensation. General officers also receive a Basic Allowance for Housing that varies by duty station, a Basic Allowance for Subsistence, and tax advantages on those allowances because they are not subject to federal income tax. Senior generals in specific leadership positions may receive a personal money allowance for representational expenses such as hosting foreign dignitaries.
Mandatory Retirement
General officers face a harder retirement clock than lower-ranking officers. Federal law requires every general or flag officer to retire on the first day of the month after turning 64. There is no option to keep serving simply because a position is open.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 1253 – Age 64: Regular Commissioned Officers in General and Flag Officer Grades; Exceptions
Two exceptions exist for officers in three- or four-star positions. The Secretary of Defense can defer retirement until age 66, and the President can defer it until age 68. Those deferrals apply only while the officer holds an O-9 or O-10 position.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 1253 – Age 64: Regular Commissioned Officers in General and Flag Officer Grades; Exceptions
Retiring at the Highest Grade Held
Because three- and four-star ranks are temporary, retiring at the grade you actually served in isn’t automatic. Two requirements apply. First, the officer needs at least three years of active service in the grade, though the Secretary of Defense can reduce that to two years in some cases. Second, for anyone who held a three- or four-star position, the Secretary of Defense must certify in writing to the President and the Armed Services Committees of both chambers of Congress that the officer served satisfactorily.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 1370 – Commissioned Officers: General Rule; Exceptions
Without that certification, the officer retires at their highest permanent grade, usually major general. A four-star general whose performance is deemed unsatisfactory can effectively lose two stars in retirement, along with the corresponding pay.
A Note on Five-Star Rank
Above four stars sits a rank that hasn’t been awarded in more than 70 years. The five-star “General of the Army” was created by Congress during World War II through Public Law 482, approved December 14, 1944, and made permanent in 1946. Only five officers have ever held it: George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Henry H. Arnold (later redesignated General of the Air Force), and Omar N. Bradley, the last to receive it on September 20, 1950.9U.S. Army Center of Military History. U.S. Army Five-Star Generals No officer currently holds the grade, so for anyone looking at today’s Army, four stars is the ceiling.