There are currently 156 active-duty three-star officers in the uniformed services of the United States. There are 55 in the Army, 22 in the Marine Corps, 32 in the Navy, 35 in the Air Force, six in the Space Force, three in the Coast Guard, none in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and none in the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps.
List of designated three-star positions
Other joint positions
List of pending appointments
Statutory limits
As with four-star officers, the U.S. Code explicitly limits the number of three-star officers that may be on active duty at any given time. The total number of active-duty general or flag officers is capped at 219 for the Army, 150 for the Navy, 171 for the Air Force, 64 for the Marine Corps, and 21 for the Space Force. Statute also sets the total number of three-star officers allowed in these services, which equates to about 23% of each service's total active-duty general or flag officer pool. The number is set at 46 three-star Army generals, 17 three-star Marine Corps generals, 34 three-star Navy admirals, 44 three-star Air Force generals, seven three-star Space Force generals, and five three-star Coast Guard admirals.
While a number of these positions are set by statute, most do not have the accompanying statutory three-star rank. By convention, however:
- For the Army, lieutenant generals include corps and field army commanders, deputy and assistant chiefs of staff of the Army staff, deputies of Army four-star commands, commanders of high-level geographic or component commands, the chief of Army reserve, as well as high-level specialty positions including the inspector general and surgeon general.
- For the Navy, vice admirals include numbered fleet commanders, deputy chiefs of naval operations, deputies of Navy four-star commands, commanders of high-level geographic and component commands, and specialty positions such as the type commanders of naval air forces, naval submarine forces and naval surface forces, and the naval inspector general.
- For the Air Force, lieutenant generals include commanders of large numbered air forces or major commands, deputy and assistant chiefs of staff of the Air staff, deputies of four-star major commands, the chief of Air Force Reserve, as well as the specialty positions of the inspector general and surgeon general.
- For the Marine Corps, lieutenant generals include commanders of high-level geographic and functional Marine commands including the marine expeditionary forces, deputy commandants attached to Headquarters Marine Corps and commander of the Marine Forces Reserve.
- For the Space Force, lieutenant generals include the deputy chiefs of staff of the Space Staff and commanders of high-level field commands.
- For the Coast Guard, vice admirals include the deputy commandants for operations and mission support, as well as the operational area commanders of the Atlantic and Pacific region. By statute, there may not be more than five three-star positions in the Coast Guard and, if there are five, one must be the chief of staff of the Coast Guard.
- For the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the surgeon general of the United States is a three-star vice admiral by statute, equivalent in rank to the surgeon general of the Army.
- Although the rank of vice admiral exists in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps), its use is rare. Only three officers of the NOAA Corps or its ancestor organizations have reached the rank of vice admiral.
The president may also designate positions of importance and responsibility to other agencies in the executive branch aside from the Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to be held by an officer with the rank of vice admiral, with corresponding pay and allowance.
Exceptions
Exceptions exist that allow for the appointment of three-star officers beyond statutory limits. The secretary of defense can designate up to 232 officers, who do not count against any service's general or flag officer limit, to serve in several joint positions. For three-star officers, these include senior positions on the Joint Staff such as the director of the Joint Staff and deputy commanders of unified combatant commands. Officers serving in certain intelligence positions are not counted against statutory limits, including the deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency, associate director for military affairs of the Central Intelligence Agency, and the advisor for military affairs to the director of National Intelligence. The president can appoint additional three-star officers in any one service, in excess of that service's three-star limit, as long as they are offset by reducing an equivalent number of three-stars from other services. Finally, all statutory limits may be waived at the president's discretion during time of war or national emergency.
Appointment
Like with four-stars, three-star grade of ranks are temporary in nature; officers may only achieve three stars if they are appointed to positions that require or allow the officer to hold the rank. Their rank expires with the expiration of their term of office, which is normally set by statute. The president nominates three-star officers from any eligible officers holding one-star rank and above who also meet the other requirements for the position, based on the advice of their respective executive department secretary, service secretary, and if applicable the Joint Chiefs. The nominee must be confirmed via majority by the Senate before the appointee can take office and thus assume the rank.
While it is rare for nominations to face even token opposition in the Senate, nominations that do face opposition due to controversy surrounding the nominee in question are typically withdrawn.
- For example, the nomination of Major General Ryan F. Gonsalves to the rank of lieutenant general, and assignment as commanding general of U.S. Army Europe in 2017 was withdrawn, after an investigation was launched into the general's inappropriate comment to a female congressional staffer.
- Rear Admiral Elizabeth L. Train was once the leading candidate to be director of naval intelligence in 2015, but her nomination was withdrawn the following year due to controversy related to the Fat Leonard corruption scandal.
- The president withdrew the nomination of Lieutenant General Susan J. Helms to become vice commander of Air Force Space Command in 2013 after eight months of inaction in the Senate, owing to concerns about her overturning the ruling in a sexual assault case under her command.
- Lieutenant General Mary A. Legere was widely considered a leading candidate to succeed Lieutenant General Michael T. Flynn as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014, but her name was removed from consideration, following congressional backlash over her involvement in several controversial Army intelligence projects.
- Major General Raphael J. Hallada was withdrawn from consideration to become commanding general of Fifth Army in 1991, in connection to his decision not to prosecute two soldiers responsible for an artillery accident at his command of Fort Sill.
- Major General Joseph J. Taluto withdrew himself from consideration to become director of the Army National Guard in 2010, due to public controversy and subsequent Senate inaction over his handling of the deaths of Phillip Esposito and Louis Allen.
- And Rear Admiral Elizabeth A. Hight's nomination to be director of the Defense Information Systems Agency in 2008 was withdrawn, due to concerns about a possible conflict of interest with her husband, a retired Air Force general who was employed by a prominent defense contractor.
Nominations that are not withdrawn are allowed to expire without action at the end of the legislative session, with said nominations being returned to the president.
- For example, the Senate declined to schedule a vote for Major General Charles M. Gurganus to the rank of lieutenant general in 2013, and assigned as director of the Marine Corps staff, due to concerns of negligence leading to the September 2012 Camp Bastion raid.
- The nomination of Rear Admiral Thomas P. Ostebo to be the Coast Guard's deputy commandant for mission support in 2014 was returned to the president, as it was procedurally delayed by a senator who opposed the closure of two Coast Guard facilities in response to sequestration cuts.
Additionally, events that occur after Senate confirmation may delay or even prevent the nominee from assuming office, necessitating that another nominee be selected and considered by the Senate.
- For example, Major General John G. Rossi, who had been confirmed to the rank of lieutenant general, and assignment as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command in April 2016 committed suicide two days before he was to assume command. Lieutenant General David L. Mann, the incumbent commander who was scheduled to retire, remained in command beyond customary term limits until another nominee, Major General James H. Dickinson was confirmed by the Senate.
- Vice Admiral Scott A. Stearney assumed command of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Fifth Fleet, and Combined Maritime Forces in May 2018. His death in December 2018 resulted in the speedy confirmation of Rear Admiral James J. Malloy in the same month for elevation to the rank of vice admiral as his replacement.
Command elevation and reduction
Any billet in the armed forces may be designated as a position of importance requiring the holder of the position to be of three-star or four-star rank. One-star and two-star billets may be elevated to three-star or four-star level as appropriate, either by act of Congress, or within statutory limits by the services at their discretion. Congress may propose such elevations or reductions to the president and Department of Defense.
An officer leading a command or office elevated to three-star rank can be promoted while in their present position, reassigned to another office of equal rank, or retire if another nominee is selected as their replacement.
- For example, Major General Scott C. Black became judge advocate general of the Army in October 2005. With the elevation of the office to three-star in 2008, Black was nominated for promotion to lieutenant general, and assumed the rank in December 2008.
- Vice Admiral Henry H. Mauz Jr., commander of U.S. Seventh Fleet, was dual-hatted as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command in August 1990. The incumbent commander, Captain Robert Sutton, was not appointed to the rank of vice admiral and was thus reassigned as commander of the U.S. Naval Logistics Support Force under Mauz's command.
A lower-level billet may be elevated to three-stars, in accordance with being designated as a position of importance, to highlight importance to the defense apparatus or achieve parity with equivalent commands in the same area of responsibility or service branch.
A four-star billet may also be reduced to three-stars, usually to compensate for another billet being elevated to four-star level and thus remain within statutory limits.
Tour length
The standard tour length for a three-star officer is three years, specifically a two-year term with a one-year extension. Unlike with four-star ranks, many three-star positions have stipulated term lengths in the U.S. Code:
- Deputy commanders of unified combatant commands, as a joint duty assignment, serve for one to two years.
- Inspectors general of the Army, Navy, and Air Force serve for a nominal four-year term.
- Three-star chiefs of service reserve components serve for a nominal four-year term, renewable once for a total of eight years. Typically, a reserve component chief serves for two to three years.
- Three-star chiefs of Army branches, serve for a nominal four-year term.
- Superintendents of the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, and U.S. Air Force Academy serve for a nominal three-year term, though it is common for them to serve for four to five years.
- The surgeon general of the United States serves for a nominal four-year term.
All appointees serve at the pleasure of the president. Extensions of the standard tour length can be approved, within statutory limits, by their respective service secretaries, the secretary of defense, the president, and/or Congress but these are rare, as they block other officers from being promoted. Some statutory limits of tour length under the U.S. Code can be waived in times of national emergency or war. Three-star grades may also be given by act of Congress but this is extremely rare.
Retirement
Besides voluntary retirement, statute sets a number of mandates for retirement. Regular three-star officers may serve for a maximum of 38 years of commissioned service unless reappointed to rank to serve longer or appointed to a higher rank. Three-star officers on reserve active duty must retire after five years in rank or 38 years of commissioned service, whichever is later, unless reappointed to rank to serve longer. Three-star reserve officers of the Army and Air Force can have their retirements deferred by their service secretary until the officer's 66th birthday, which the secretary of defense may do for all active-duty officers, and the president can defer it until the officer's 68th birthday. Otherwise all general and flag officers must retire the month after their 64th birthday.
Any three-star officer assigned as superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, or U.S. Air Force Academy must retire upon completion of their assignment, unless a waiver is granted by the secretary of defense. The secretary of defense must also notify the House and Senate Armed Services committees and include a written notification of intent from the president to nominate the officer for reassignment. If a waiver is granted, the subsequent nomination and appointment of such officer is subject to Senate advice and consent, like other general and flag officer nominations.
- Such a waiver was granted for Lieutenant General Darryl A. Williams to be nominated for promotion to general to serve as the commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. Williams, who had been superintendent of the United States Military Academy since 2018, was subsequently confirmed for appointment to the four-star position, and assumed command on 28 June 2022.
Senior officers typically retire well in advance of the statutory age and service limits, so as not to impede the upward career mobility of their juniors. The higher number of available three-star slots overall (over 100) means that reassignment within rank is more likely for three-star officers before they either retire or are appointed to four-star rank. An officer who vacates a position bearing that rank has no more than 60 days to be appointed or reappointed to a position of equal or greater importance, including positions of four-star rank, before involuntary retirement.
- For example, Lieutenant General H. Steven Blum was appointed as deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command in 2009. The incumbent deputy commander, Lieutenant General William G. Webster Jr., was appointed as commanding general of U.S. Army Central, whose incumbent commanding general, Lieutenant General James J. Lovelace Jr., received no further appointment and retired at the age of 60, with 39 years of service and six years in rank.
- Rear Admiral Ronald A. Route was promoted to vice admiral and appointed as naval inspector general in 2004. The incumbent inspector general, Vice Admiral Albert T. Church, was appointed as director of the Navy staff, whose incumbent director, Vice Admiral Patricia A. Tracey, received no further appointment and retired at the age of 52, with 34 years of service and six years in rank.
- Major General William H. Etter was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed as commander of First Air Force in 2013. The incumbent commander, Lieutenant General Stanley E. Clarke III, was appointed as director of the Air National Guard, whose incumbent director, Lieutenant General Harry M. Wyatt III, received no further appointment and retired at the age of 63, with 42 years of service and four years in rank.
- Rear Admiral Steven D. Poulin was promoted to vice admiral and appointed as commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area in 2020. The incumbent commander, Vice Admiral Scott A. Buschman, was appointed as deputy commandant for operations; the incumbent deputy commandant, Vice Admiral Daniel B. Abel, received no further appointment and retired at the age of 59, with 37 years of service and two years in rank.
A three-star officer may also be reduced to their permanent rank, and equivalent pay grade, in circumstances where reappointment to three-star rank is delayed. Historically, officers leaving three-star or four-star positions were allowed to revert to their permanent two-star ranks to mark time in lesser jobs until statutory retirement, but now such officers are expected to retire immediately to avoid obstructing the promotion flow.
- For example, Lieutenant General Timothy J. Kadavy reverted to his permanent grade of major general while awaiting confirmation as vice chief of the National Guard Bureau in 2019, as he had not been assigned to another three-star position within 60 days of his relief as director of the Army National Guard. After his nomination was returned to the president without action, he was certified to retire as a lieutenant general in 2020.
- Vice Admiral John Poindexter reverted to his permanent grade of rear admiral in 1986, as he was not appointed by the Senate to another three-star post within 90 days after resigning as national security advisor to the president due to controversy surrounding the Iran-Contra affair, and was reassigned to the Navy staff until retirement in 1987. His request to retire as a vice admiral was deferred by the secretary of the Navy due to expected congressional opposition.
To retire at three-star rank, or pay grade of rank, an officer must accumulate at least three years of satisfactory active-duty service in that rank, as determined by the secretary of defense. The president and Congress must also receive certification by either the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, the deputy under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, or the secretary of defense that the retiree served satisfactorily in rank. The secretary of defense may reduce this requirement to two years, but only if the officer is not being investigated for misconduct. The president may also reduce these requirements even further, or waive the requirements altogether, if he so chooses. Three-star officers who do not meet the service-in-rank requirement will retire at the last permanent rank satisfactorily held for six months. The retiree may also be subject to congressional approval by the Senate before the retiree can retire in grade. It is extraordinarily rare for a three-star or four-star officer not to be certified to retire in grade or for the Senate to seek final approval.
- For example, Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft was certified by the Senate in 1975 to retire as a lieutenant general despite holding said grade for only a year as national security advisor to the president.
- Lieutenant General Craig A. Franklin retired on 1 April 2014, with two years and two days in grade, in response to charges of partiality in overseeing cases of sexual assault in Third Air Force. Despite not being penalized for misconduct, his retirement before accumulating statutory time in grade resulted in his reduction to major general on the retired list.
- Lieutenant General Ronald F. Lewis was relieved as senior military assistant to the secretary of defense on 12 November 2015, with approximately four months in grade. He subsequently reverted to his permanent grade of major general pending an investigation by the Department of Defense inspector general for misconduct. His certification of satisfactory service as a major general was revoked, thus reducing his retirement grade to brigadier general.
Officers who are under investigation for misconduct typically are not allowed to retire until the investigation completes, so that the secretary of defense can decide whether to certify that their performance was satisfactory enough to retire in their highest grade.
- For example, Lieutenant General Lee K. Levy II relinquished his three-star command in 2018, but remained on active duty for over a year after his retirement ceremony in his permanent grade of major general pending an investigation by the Air Force inspector general, before being allowed to retire as a major general.
- Vice Admiral Michael H. Miller relinquished his three-star command as scheduled in 2014, but remained on active duty for almost a year in his permanent grade of rear admiral while under investigation for the Fat Leonard corruption scandal. He was permitted to retire at three-star grade after being censured by the secretary of the Navy.
Furthermore, all retired officers may still be subjected to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and disciplinary action, including reduction in retirement grade, by the secretary of defense or the president if they are deemed to have served unsatisfactorily in grade, after their retirement.
- Lieutenant General Philip R. Kensinger Jr. retired in his three-star grade on 1 February 2006, but a subsequent investigation by the Department of Defense inspector general of the 2004 Pat Tillman friendly fire incident under his command resulted in a general officer memorandum of reprimand stating that Kensinger lied to previous investigators. The secretary of the Army waived a court-martial, but issued a letter of censure and overrode a grade review board to recommend that the secretary of defense withdraw the certification of satisfactory service issued by his predecessor, lowering Kensinger's retired grade to major general on 16 May 2008.
Officers holding a temporary three-star or four-star rank typically step down from their posts up to 60 days in advance of their official retirement dates. Officers retire on the first day of the month, so once a retirement month has been selected, the relief and retirement ceremonies are scheduled by counting backwards from that date by the number of days of accumulated leave remaining to the retiring officer. During this period, termed transition leave or terminal leave, the officer is considered to be awaiting retirement but still on active duty.
- For example, Lieutenant General Donald C. Wurster was relieved as commander of Air Force Special Operations Command on 24 June 2011, and held his retirement ceremony the same day, but remained on active duty until his official retirement date on 1 August 2011.
See also
Notes
References