Most senoir US Military rank?

[MTOW]

Just attended a quiz night where the question was “How many stars denotes the most senior American general?”

I answered five, but the quizmaster says the answer is six. I’ve looked this up on the Wdb, and the sites I’ve seen quote five stars as the top rank, and then “reserved for wartime” at that.


So, my question is: who wears six stars? The President as Commander in Chief? Or can I tell the quizmaster he’s wrong?

[Bob Viking]

Sounds to me like he's talking a load of cobblers.
A full General would be 4 star. I'm not American, but to my knowledge there isn't so much as a 5 star. I know in Britain we have Field Marshall's only in time of war (maybe not any more though) but I've never heard of the American's making a more senior rank than that when called for. There is certainly no such thing as a 6 star!!
I suggest you show him up for the clown he quite clearly is!

BV :8 ;)

[Ghostflyer]

The long winter nights will fly by on this one but....he talks pants!!

5* was normally the rank that the big wigs retired into. An ACM became an MRAF, like say Sir Keith Williamson. Field Marshalls were still around, the last one I can think of was Inge in the 90s.

In the US Army he becomes a General of the Army and the last one was appointed in the 50s. But Congress can make a mate up when they see fit.

See:
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/armyorank/blgoa.htm?iam=ask&terms=five+star+generals

or

wwwtc.nhmccd.edu/people/crf01/history/defencechiefs.html (http://wwwtc.nhmccd.edu/people/crf01/history/defencechiefs.html)

Can't beleive I did the search!

Ghost:{

[detgnome]

Surely to be Senoir rank he would have to be from Spain, or perhaps Central/South America?

[FJJP]

UK CDS is a 5 star. The chairman of the US Joint Chief of Staffs is equivalent of CDS and is a 5 star. There is no such thing as a 6 star - ever.

[tony draper]

If there was, MacArthur would have had one.
Churchill and The King walking in the grounds of Buckingham Palace during the war discussing Montgomery,
Churchill
"I think he's after my job"
The King
"Thank God for that I thought he was after mine"

:rolleyes:

[HAL Pilot]

The chairman of the US Joint Chief of Staffs is equivalent of CDS and is a 5 star. Nope - The Chairman of the JCS is a 4 star. The 5 star rank exists but is not used. There was consideration of giving it to Colin Powell after Desert Storm, but he put a stop to it himself. It's basically a wartime rank that was established in WW2 partly to put our generals/admirals on the same protocol level as British Field Marshalls. Now days, we just let the position/job title suffice.

A U.S. 5 star also never retires and remains on active duty until death. He doesn't necessarily have a job/command, but he receives the pay and benefits of his rank and does not move to the retired list when he decides he has had enough.

[Ali Barber]

He just goes AWOL!

[Surditas]

According to a list that our WOD passed around here in the Sand, Yank Rank (like that?) goes up to 5 Star (Fleet Admiral, General of the Army and General of the Air Force). I've seen the Chairman of the JCS on the telly and he is a 4 Star. Pretty sure GEN Macarthur made himself a 5 Star when he was in the Philippines.
For info, the Service chiefs in the ADF are 3-Star and the CDF (Chief of the Defence Force) is a 4-Star, hence GEN Cosgrove. Not sure if our defence force is big enough to warrant 4 Stars.
On a different note, the Yanks seem to have an awfully hard time identifying rank that is different to theirs.

[chippy63]

Hi, FJJP,
I thought that the UK had stopped awarding five star status to the CDS ?

[Flytest]

Suggest if you pop an envelope in the post addressed to "6 star knobhead, Europe" Your quizmaster will recieve it within 3 working days. :ok:

[MajorMadMax]

Well, the answer is there were two "General of the Armies," George Washington and John J. Pershing. Pershing had the distinction first in 1919, but in 1976 Congress authorized the President to posthumously appoint George Washington General of the Armies of the United States and specified that he would rank first among all officers, of the Army, past or present.

These titles put Washington and Pershing above all five-star generals. (see http://www.historyguy.com/5-star-military.htm for the list of those). However, neither Pershing or Washington ever wore six stars on their uniforms. To the best of my knowledge, Washington never wore any stars, and the most Pershing ever wore was four.

sources:

http://www.mdw.army.mil/fs-p10.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/trivia/triv4-5m.htm
http://hallbiographies.com/professionals_academics/31.shtml


Cheers! M2

[Davaar]

I read years ago that during WW2 there was a move to create a new rank in the US Army because the four star General George C Marshall was visibly outranked by, say, a British Field Marshal (five stars). The new US rank was to be "Marshal". It appears that GCM torpedoed the proposal, on the grounds that there was just no way he was ever going to be "Marshal Marshall".

Incidentally, and subject to checking, I think the highest rank attained during his service by Ulysses S Grant was lieutenant general.

[Deaf]

IIRC Macarthur was an odd case where he created his own rank!

In the '30's he retired from the US army as Chief of Staff which as as high as you can go (then a 4 star?). At about that time 1935? the Phillipines got local independance with full independance slated for 1945 and would obviously require an army and Mac got the job of setting it up, reporting to the Phillipino govt and paid by them not the US govt.

Not being stupid he promoted himself in the new structure in both pay and rank ( Field Marshall?) - fine. Come mid '41 he was recalled to the the US army (with his new army) and kept his rank which was translated an extra star. This is probably simplifying it a bit

[Training Risky]

Chippy63, you are right.

Head sheds of the Navy, Army and RAF are all 4-star, along with General Walker (current CDS):

http://www.mod.uk/aboutus/staff/f_cds.htm

[BEagle]

Surely the top rank is Looootenant? Enough money to buy a Corvette and pull the chicks, no worries except which of several different top notch jets you wish to be assigned to - and plenty of opportunities to pull the wings off same?

[Hilico]

No, no, no - the most senoir US military rank is 'Rumsfeld'.

[chippy63]

Thanks for the link, Training Risky, had an interesting browse.

[Training Risky]

In fact, now I come to think of it, what has happened to the RAF contenders for the top post of CDS!

According to the list, the last guy we had at the top was MRAF Sir Peter Harding - 9 years ago.

Have we not been trusted because of some sort of scandal?

[BEagle]

Nah - all the good guys have probably gone to the airlines:ok: Or to Jaguar Racing;)

[av8boy]

On a different note, the Yanks seem to have an awfully hard time identifying rank that is different to theirs.
Guilty. Then again, I was traumatized once...

[FishHead]

Again, diverging slightly from topic, but does it really p1ss anyone else off to see non-Yank types wearing Yank insignia? Perhaps I need to get out more, but surely it cant be that hard for them to recognise that lots of stripes (Air Force/Navy at least) equals someone important?

It was kind of sad to see one of our GPCAPTs having to wear a Colonel's eagle on his collar so that people knew what he was. Come on guys - if you want to play in Coaltion, then make a little bit of an effort

[Cheeks]

What?!?

RAF & RN officer insignia follows an identical pattern to the USNs, they really ought to know that. Surely they can tell the difference between Sgt & Cpl without our help.