A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.

In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel.

General officer ranks

The adjective general had been affixed to officer designations since the late medieval period to indicate relative superiority or an extended jurisdiction.

The various grades of general officer are at the top of the military rank structure. Lower-ranking officers in are typically known as field officers or field-grade officers, and below them are company-grade officers.

Common systems

There are two common systems of general ranks used worldwide. In addition, there is a third system, the Arab system of ranks, which is used throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

In the old European system, general officer ranks are named by prefixing "general", as an adjective, with field officer ranks, although in some countries the highest general officers are titled field marshal or marshal.

The other is derived from the French Revolution, where generals' ranks are named according to the unit they (theoretically) command.

Old European system

Field marshal or marshal
Colonel general
General
Lieutenant general
Major general
Brigadier or brigadier general

The system use either a brigadier general or a colonel general rank (i.e. exclude one of the italicised ranks.

French Revolutionary system

Marshal or Captain general
Army general
Corps general
Divisional general
Brigade general

Arab system

RankTransliterationTranslationNotes
مشيرMushīrCounsellorcompare Counsellor of State, State Counsellor etc. compare etymology "mushir" with "shura"
فريق أولFariq 'awalFirst generalequivalent to Commonwealth "full" general
فريقFariqGeneralequivalent to lieutenant general
لواءliwāʾEnsign(more loosely "flag officer" or "banner")
عميدʿamīdColonel (not to be confused with aqīd, the equivalent rank to a Commonwealth colonel)compare etymology with "ʿamood" ("column"); etymologically, translates as "colonel" but equivalent to brigadier/brigade general

Other variations

Other nomenclatures for general officers include the titles and ranks:

In addition to militarily educated generals, there are also generals in medicine and engineering. The rank of the most senior chaplain, (chaplain general), is also usually considered to be a general officer rank.

Specific rank of general

In the old European system, a general, without prefix or suffix (and sometimes referred to informally as a "full general"), is usually the most senior type of general, above lieutenant general and directly below field marshal as a four-star rank (NATO OF-9).

Usually it is the most senior peacetime rank, with more senior ranks (for example, field marshal, marshal of the air force, fleet admiral) being used only in wartime or as honorary titles.

In some armies, however, the rank of captain general, army general or colonel general occupied or occupies this position. Depending on circumstances and the army in question, these ranks may be considered to be equivalent to a "full" general or to a field marshal five-star rank (NATO OF-10).

The rank of general came about as a "captain-general", the captain of an army in general (i.e., the whole army). The rank of captain-general began appearing around the time of the organisation of professional armies in the 17th century. In most countries "captain-general" contracted to just "general".

General ranks by country

The following articles deal with the rank of general, or its equivalent, as it is or was employed in the militaries of those countries:

Army generals' insignia

Air force generals' insignia

Naval infantry generals' insignia

Air force and naval equivalents

Some countries (such as the United States) use the general officer ranks for both the army and the air force, as well as their marine corps; other states only use the general officer ranks for the army, while in the air force they use air officers as the equivalent of general officers. They use the air force rank of air chief marshal as the equivalent of the specific army rank of general. This latter group includes the British Royal Air Force and many current and former Commonwealth air forces—e.g. Royal Australian Air Force, Indian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nigerian Air Force, Pakistan Air Force, etc.

In most navies, flag officers are the equivalent of general officers, and the naval rank of admiral is equivalent to the specific army rank of general. A noteworthy historical exception was the Cromwellian naval rank "general at sea". In recent years in the American service there is a tendency to use flag officer and flag rank to refer to generals and admirals of the services collectively.

See also

Notes

External links

  • News feeds for US Generals in the news
  • 2008-03-18 at the Wayback Machine Biographies of US Marine Corps General Officers
  • Information on 10 Generals who influenced Western History