General officer

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

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

French Revolutionary system

Arab system

Other variations

Other nomenclatures for general officers include the titles and ranks:

• Adjutant general
• Commandant-general
• Inspector general
• General-in-chief
• General of the Air Force (USAF only)
• General of the Armies of the United States (of America), a title created for General John J. Pershing, and subsequently granted posthumously to George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant
• Generaladmiral ("general admiral") (German Navy)
• Air general and aviation general
• Wing general and group general
• General-potpukovnik (, a Serb/Slovenian/Macedonian rank immediately inferior to colonel general, and roughly equivalent to Commonwealth/US major general)
• Director general (a common administrative term sometimes used as an appointment in military services)
• Director general of national defence (most senior rank in the Mexican Armed Forces)
• Controller general (general officer rank in the French National Police)
• Prefect general (the most senior rank of the Argentine Naval Prefecture)
• Master-General of the Ordnance (very senior British military position)
• Police General (most senior rank in some national police)
• Commissioner (highest rank of the Bureau of Immigration)

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:

• General (Australia)
• General (Bangladesh)
• General (Canada)
• Shangjiang (China) – People's Republic of China (PRC) and Republic of China (ROC/Taiwan)
• General (Denmark), General
• General (Estonia), Kindral
• General (Finland), Kenraali
• General (Germany), General
• Strategos (Greece)
• General (India)
• Daejang (North and South Korea)
• General (Mexico)
• General (Nigeria)
• General (Pakistan)
• General (Poland), Generał
• General (Sri Lanka)
• General (Sweden), General
• General (Switzerland)
• General (United Kingdom)
• General (United States)
• General (Yugoslav People's Army)

Army generals' insignia

File:13.PNA-BG.svg|Général () (Algerian People's National Army) File:Angola-Army-OF-9.svg|General (Angolan Army) File:Australian Army OF-9.svg|General (Australian Army) File:Bundesheer - Rank insignia - General.png|General (Austrian Army) File:Bangladesh-army-OF-9.svg|জেনারেল Jēnārēl (Bangladesh Army) File:Belgium-Army-OF-9.svg|Generaal (Belgian Land Component) File:19.RBrLF-GEN.svg|Jeneral (Royal Brunei Land Force) File:Rank insignia of Генерал of the Bulgarian Army.png|Генерал General (Bulgarian Army) File:Canadian Army OF-9.svg|General (Canadian Army) File:Denmark-Army-OF-9-M69-service.svg|General (Royal Danish Army) File:Timor-Leste-Army-OF-9.svg|General (Timor-Leste Army) File:Estonia-Army-OF-9.svg|Kindral (Estonian Land Forces) File:Ethiopia-Army-OF-9 (2022).svg|ጄነራል Jēnerali (Ethiopian Ground Forces) File:Kenraali kauluslaatta.svg|Kenraali (Finnish Army) File:16.Gambian Army-GEN.svg|General (Gambian National Army) File:HD H 64 General.svg|General (German Army) File:16-Ghana Army-GEN.svg|General (Ghana Army) File:15. Guinea-Bissau GEN.svg|General (Army of Guinea-Bissau) File:General of the Indian Army.svg|जनरल General (Indian Army) File:22-TNI Army-GEN.svg|Jenderal (Indonesian Army) File:Rank insignia of generale of the Army of Italy (1973).svg|Generale (Italian Army) File:16. Kenyan Army GEN.svg|General (Kenya Army) File:Lithuania-Army-OF-9.svg|Generolas (Lithuanian Land Force) File:Luxembourg-Army-OF-6.svg|Général (Luxembourg Army) File:North-Macedonia-Army-OF-9.svg|Генерал General (Army of North Macedonia) File:16. Malawi Army - GEN.svg|General (Malawian Army) File:Malaysia-army-OF-9.svg|Jeneral (Malaysian Army) File:Mongolian Army-GEN-service.svg|Генерал Gyenyeral (Mongolian Ground Force) File:Namibia-army-OF-9.svg|General (Namibian Army) File:Netherlands-Army-OF-9.svg|Generaal (Royal Netherlands Army) File:Nigeria-Army-OF-9.svg|General (Nigerian Army) File:Norway-Army-OF-9 service.svg|General (Norwegian Army) File:OF-9 Pakistan Army.svg|جنرل General (Pakistan Army) File:PA General.png|Heneral (Philippine Army) File:Army-POL-OF-09.svg|Generał (Polish Army) File:Portugal-Army-OF-9.svg|General (Portuguese Army) File:Romania-Army-OF-9.svg|General (Romanian Land Forces) File:16-Rwanda Army-GEN.svg|General (Rwandan Defence Forces) File:18-Serbian Army-GEN.svg|Генерал General (Serbian Army) File:Army-SVK-OF-09.svg|Generál (Ground Forces of the Slovak Republic) File:21-Slovenian Army-GEN.svg|General (Slovenian Ground Force) File:SAA-OF-9.svg|General (South African Army) File:Sri Lanka-army-OF-9.svg|General (Sri Lanka Army) File:Sweden-Army-OF-9 (M1987).svg|General (Swedish Army) File:CHE OF9 General.svg|General (Swiss Land Forces) File:17-Tanzania Army-GEN.svg|Jenerali (Tanzanian Army) File:Uganda-Army-OF-9 (2019).svg|General (Ugandan Land Forces) File:Погон генерала ЗСУ (2020).svg|Генерал Heneral (Ukrainian Ground Forces) File:British Army OF-9.svg|General (British Army) File:US Army O10 (Army greens).svg|General (U.S. Army) File:blank.svg|General (Zambian Army) File:Zimbabwe-Army-OF-9.svg|General (Zimbabwe National Army)

Air force generals' insignia

File:16.ANAF-GEN.svg|General (National Air Force of Angola) File:BE-Air Force-OF9.svg|Generaal (Belgian Air Component) File:19.RBrAF-GEN.svg|Jeneral (Udara) (Royal Brunei Air Force) File:Rank insignia of Генерал of the Bulgarian Air forces.png|Генерал General (Bulgarian Air Force) File:Canada-Air force-OF-9-collected.svg|General (Royal Canadian Air Force) File:General del Aire FACH.png|General de aire (Chilean Air Force) File:Colombia-AirForce-OF-9.svg|General de aire (Colombian Air Force) File:RDAF-OF-9 Sleeve.svg|General (Royal Danish Air Force) File:17.Ecuadorian Air Force-GEN.svg|General del aire (Ecuadorian Air Force) File:Estonia-AirForce-OF-9.svg|Kindral (Estonian Air Force) File:Finland-AirForce-OF-9.svg|Kenraali (Finnish Air Force) File:Georgia Air Force OF-10.png|გენერალი Generali (Georgian Air Force) File:LD B 64 General.svg|General (German Air Force) File:16. Kenyan Air Force GEN.svg|General (Kenya Air Force) File:Malaysia-Air Force-OF-9.svg|Jeneral (Royal Malaysian Air Force) File:Mongolian Army-GEN-service.svg|Генерал General (Mongolian Air Force) File:Netherlands-AirForce-OF-9.svg|Generaal (Royal Netherlands Air Force) File:Norway-air force-OF-9.svg|General (Royal Norwegian Air Force) File:Peru-AirForce-OF-9.svg|General del aire (Peruvian Air Force) File:PAF GEN Svc.svg|Heneral (Philippine Air Force) File:Rank insignia of generał of the Air Force of Poland.svg|Generał (Polish Air Force) File:Portugal-AirForce-OF-9.svg|General (Portuguese Air Force) File:Romania-AirForce-OF-9.svg|General (Romanian Air Force) File:16-Rwanda Air Force-GEN.svg|General (Rwandan Air Force) File:18-Serbian Air Force-GEN.svg|Генерал General (Serbian Air Force and Air Defence) File:SVK-Air Force-OF-09.svg|Generál (Slovak Air Force) File:SAAF-OF-9.svg|General (South African Air Force) File:SP-09 General del Aire.svg|General del aire (Spanish Air and Space Force) File:Sweden-AirForce-OF-9.svg|General (Swedish Air Force) File:17-Tanzania Air Force-GEN.svg|General (Tanzania Air Force Command) File:Turkey-air-force-OF-9a.svg|Orgeneral (Turkish Air Force) File:Uganda-AirForce-OF-9.svg|General (Ugandan Air Force) File:Ukraine-AirForce-OF-9 (2020).svg|Генерал Heneral (Ukrainian Air Force) File:US Air Force O10 shoulderboard.svg|General (US Air Force) File:Uruguay-AirForce-OF-9.svg|General del aire (Uruguayan Air Force)

Naval infantry generals' insignia

File:Generic-Navy-O12.svg|General (Colombian Naval Infantry) File:22-TNI Navy-ADM.svg|Jenderal (Marinir) (Indonesian Marine Corps) File:Maldives Army OF-9.svg|ޖެނެރަލް General (Maldivian Marine Corps) File:Netherlands-Navy-OF-9.svg|Generaal (Netherlands Marine Corps) File:Sweden-Navy-OF-9.svg|General (Swedish Amphibious Corps) File:British Royal Marines OF-9.svg|General (Royal Marines) File:US Marine 10 shoulderboard vertical.svg|General (US Marine Corps)

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.

Notes

References

References

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