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There are numerous Army Officer and General ranks that range from permanent to wartime only positions.
The rank in order from highest to lowest is as follows: General of the Army, General, Lieutenant, Major General, Brigadier General, Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, Major, Captain, First Lieutenant, and Second Lieutenant.
U.S. Army General Ranks
| Pay Grade | Insignia | Uniform Insignia | Title | Abbreviation |
| O-10 |  |
General of the Armies | ||
| O-10 |  |
General of the Army | GA | |
| O-10 |  |
 |
General | GEN |
| O-9 |  |
 |
Lieutenant | LTG |
| O-8 |  |
 |
Major General | MG |
| O-7 |  |
 |
Brigadier General | BG |
| O-6 |  |
 |
Colonel | COL |
U.S. Army Officer Ranks
| Pay Grade | Insignia | Uniform Insignia | Title | Abbreviation |
| O-5 |  |
 |
Lieutenant Colonel | LTC |
| O-4 |  |
 |
Major | MAJ |
| O-3 |  |
 |
Captain | CPT |
| O-2 |  |
 |
First Lieutenant | 1LT |
| O-1 |  |
 |
Second Lieutenant | 2LT |
General of the Army
A General of the Army is a five-star General. The title is temporary and only used during wartime. A General of the Army is appointed when the commanding officer must be of higher rank than armies of other nations.
General
Besides the General of the Army, a General is the highest rank in the U.S. Army. A General is a four-star General Officer. There can only be seven four-star Generals at one time.
To become a General you must be nominated for office by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Four-star general ranks are exclusively tied to the positions held by the General. For example, the Army Chief of Staff is a four-star General position.
Field Army: 80,000+ Soldiers
- Commanding General: General
- Deputy Commander: Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
A Lieutenant General is a three-star General Officer. This position can only be held during times of war and it expires at the end of a General’s active tour of duty. During wartime a Lieutenant General acts as the commander of a Corps-sized unit of 20,000 to 40,000 soldiers.
Field Army: 80,000+ Soldiers
- Commanding General: General
- Deputy Commander: Lieutenant General
Corps: 20,000–40,000 Soldiers
- Commanding General: Lieutenant General
- Deputy Commander: Major General
Major General
Major Generals hold the highest peacetime rank as a two-star General Officer. An MG is the commander of a division with 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers. They act as the deputy commander under a Lieutenant General of a Corps sized unit including 20,000-40,000 soldiers. To become a Major General you must be appointed and are required to go through a lengthy nomination and review process. All MGs are required to retire after 5 years of commission or 35 years of total service.
Corps: 20,000–40,000 Soldiers
- Commanding General: Lieutenant General
- Deputy Commander: Major General
Division: 10,000 to 15,000 Soldiers
- Commanding General: Major General
- Deputy Commander: Brigadier General
Brigadier General
A Brigadier General is a one-star General Officer. Typically a BG servers as a Deputy Commander under a Major General. They assist with the operations and planning of a division sized unit.
The BG will serve as the commander for an infantry brigade of 4,000 to 6,000 soldiers when it is not attached to a division.
Division: 10,000 to 15,000 Soldiers
- Commanding General: Major General
- Deputy Commander: Brigadier General
Infantry Brigade: 4,000 to 6,000 Soldiers
- Commanding General: Brigadier General
- Deputy Commander: Colonel