Five-star rank
An officer of 5 star rank is a very senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-10. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, 5 star officers would hold the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, Grand Admiral, Field Marshal, General of the Army or, in the case of those air forces with a separate rank structure, Marshal of the Air Force. Five-star ranks are extremely senior and thus very rare; the position only exists in a minority of countries and is usually only held by a very few officers during wartime.
United States 5 star ranks
The following people were promoted to five star rank:
| • | Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy | 15 December 1944 |
| • | General of the Army George C. Marshall | 16 December 1944 |
| • | Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King | 17 December 1944 |
| • | General of the Army Douglas MacArthur | 18 December 1944 |
| • | Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz | 19 December 1944 |
| • | General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower | 20 December 1944 |
| • | General of the Army Henry H. Arnold | 21 December 1944 |
| • | Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr. | 11 December 1945 |
| • | General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold | 7 May 1949[2] |
| • | General of the Army Omar Bradley | 20 September 1950 |
The timing of the first seven appointments was to establish both a clear order of seniority and a near-equivalence between the Army and Navy services.
In 1949, Arnold was honored by being made the first, and to date only, General of the Air Force. He is the only American to serve in a five-star rank in two of its military services.
Indian 5 star ranks
United Kingdom 5 star ranks
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UK Admiral of the Fleet Sleeve lace -
UK Admiral of the Fleet Shoulder board
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UK Field Marshal insignia
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Marshal of the RAF sleeve/shoulder insignia
References
- ^ Symbols and Insignia (General Officer), United States Army, retrieved 2008-02-04
- ^ Air Force Link > Library > Biographies > GENERAL HENRY H. ARNOLD, United States Air Force, retrieved 2008-05-07