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Army General of the ArmyO-10 General Officer, U.S. Army |
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Army Ranks » General of the Army Rank • GA Pay • GA Rank History
History of the Army General of the Army Rank
A General of the Army is a General Officer in the United States Army at DoD paygrade O-10.
General George Washington held the title of General of the Army during the time of the Continental Army and the Revolutionary War.
Following his retirement form service and death several years after, President John Adams ordered the rank itself retired.
It stayed so exalted and unused until the US Congress enacted legislation reintroducing the grade of General of the Army on 25 July 25 1866.
Four years later, in 1870, further legislation was passed precluding general officers from holding the rank and title of General of the Army.
Congress revived the rank again in 1919 in honor of the exemplary service of GEN Pershing, allowing him to retire with the rank of General of the Army.
In 1944, congressional legislation allowed for the rank of General of the Army to have its own grade, O-10. From then on, soldiers holding the rank would wear five stars to show the superiority of the rank and position.
Following its wear by General Omar Bradley, no soldier has worn the rank or occupied the position of General of the Army. Yet, it remains a position, rank, and grade in the United States Army in modernity.
Want to learn more? Read about the Army's General of the Army rank on Military-Ranks.org.
History of the Army
The Army is the oldest and most senior among the branches. The Army's heritage is traced back to the Revolutionary War, when each State of the Union had its own Army, lended to the command of General George Washington. Almost 250 years have passed, but the organizational structure and naming is largely the same. The Army is still divided into Divisions, Brigades, Regiments, Battalions, Companies, and Platoons.