The rank of general (or full general, or four-star general) is the highest rank in the United States Marine Corps. It ranks above lieutenant general (three-star general).
There have been 78 four-star generals in the history of the U.S. Marine Corps. Of these, 59 achieved that rank while on active duty, and 17 were promoted upon retirement in recognition of combat citations (1942–1959). One was promoted posthumously. Generals entered the Marine Corps by several paths: 31 from Officer Candidates School (OCS), 28 from Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) at a civilian university, 9 from the United States Naval Academy (USNA), 7 from ROTC at a senior military college, and 3 from ROTC at civilian universities.
List of generals Entries in the following list of four-star generals are indexed by the numerical order in which each officer was promoted to that rank while on active duty, or by an asterisk (*) if the officer did not serve in that rank while on active duty. Each entry lists the general's name, date of rank,Dates of rank are taken, where available, from the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps register of active and retired commissioned officers, or from the World Almanac and Book of Facts. active-duty positions held while serving at four-star rank,Positions listed are those held by the officer when promoted to general. Dates listed are for the officer's full tenure, which may predate promotion to four-star rank or postdate retirement from active duty. number of years of active-duty service at four-star rank (Yrs),The number of years of active-duty service at four-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Date of rank" column from the last year in the "Position" column. year commissioned and source of commission,Sources of commission are listed in parentheses after the year of commission and include: the Officer Candidates School (OCS); the United States Naval Academy (USNA); Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) at a civilian university; Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) at a civilian university; and ROTC at a senior military college such as the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) or The Citadel (Citadel). number of years in commission when promoted to four-star rank (YC),The number of years in commission before being promoted to four-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Commission" column from the year in the "Date of rank" column. and other biographical notes.Notes include years of birth and death; awards of the Medal of Honor, Congressional Gold Medal, Presidential Medal of Freedom, or honors of similar significance; major government appointments; university presidencies or equivalents; familial relationships with other four-star officers or significant government officials such as U.S. Presidents, cabinet secretaries, U.S. Senators, or state governors; and unusual career events such as premature relief or death in office.
# Name Photo Date of rank Position Yrs Commission YC Notes 1 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1944–1947. 2 1909 (OCS) 36 (1887–1973) Awarded Medal of Honor, 1942. * (posthumous) 0 1909 (OCS) 38 (1885–1947)Posthumously promoted to general by Act of Congress, Jun 1947, with date of rank 23 Jan 1947. 2 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1948–1951. 4 1917 (OCS) 31 (1893–1970)Reverted to lieutenant general, Jan 1952; retired as general, Jun 1954. 3 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1952–1955. Chairman, Inter-American Defense Board, 1956–1959. 7 1917 (VMI) 35 (1896–1990)Retired as general, Jan 1956; recalled as general, Mar 1956. 4 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1956–1959. 4 1921 (VMI) 35 (1898–1961) 5 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1960–1963. 4 1926 (ROTC) 34 (1904–1983) Awarded Medal of Honor, 1943. 6 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1964–1967. 4 1930 (USNA) 34 (1907–2003) 7 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1968–1971. 4 1935 (NROTC) 33 (1913–2000) U.S. Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization, 1973–1977. 8 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 1968–1971. 2 1936 (ROTC) 33 (1913–1989) 9 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 1971–1972. 1 1938 (ROTC) 33 (1915–2003) Awarded Medal of Honor, 1950. 10 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 1971. 0 1937 (ROTC) 34 (1915–1971)Unable to assume post due to ill health; promoted and placed on retired list as general by Act of Congress, 1 Jul 1971; died 13 Jul 1971. 11 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1972–1975. 4 1935 (USNA) 37 (1914–1985) Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, 1969–1971. 12 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 1972–1975. 3 1940 (NROTC) 32 (1919–2015) 13 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1975–1979. 4 1941 (OCS) 34 (1920–2005) Awarded Medal of Honor, 1944. 14 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 1975–1978. 3 1942 (OCS) 34 (1919–2012) 15 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 1978–1979. Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1979–1983. 5 1942 (OCS) 36 (1922–2008) 16 Assistant Commandant/Chief of Staff, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC/COFS), 1979–1981. 3 1945 (OCS) 34 (1925–2005) 17 Assistant Commandant/Chief of Staff, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC/COFS), 1981–1983. Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1983–1987. 6 1950 (NROTC) 31 (1928–2019) Chairman, American Battle Monuments Commission, 1991–1994, 2001–2005. 18 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 1983–1986. 3 1950 (NROTC) 33 (1927–2019) 19 Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command (USCINCCENT), 1985–1988. 3 1952 (NROTC) 33 (1931–2024) 20 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 1986–1988. 2 1952 (NROTC) 34 (1930–2024) 21 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1987–1991. 4 1952 (OCS) 35 (1928–2024) 22 Assistant Commandant/Chief of Staff, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC/COFS), 1988–1990. 2 1952 (NROTC) 36 (1930– ) 23 Assistant Commandant/Chief of Staff, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC/COFS), 1990–1992. 3 1956 (NROTC) 34 (1934– ) Associate Deputy Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1992–1999; Director, National Air and Space Museum, 2000–2018. 24 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1991–1995. 4 1957 (NROTC) 34 (1935–2014) President, United Service Organizations, 1996–2000. 25 Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command (USCINCCENT), 1991–1994. 3 1957 (NROTC) 34 (1934–2022) 26 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 1992–1994. 2 1960 (NROTC) 32 (1938– ) 27 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 1994–1996. 2 1962 (OCS) 32 (1939– ) 28 Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic/Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Command (SACLANT/CINCLANT), 1994–1997. 3 1962 (NROTC) 32 (1940– ) 29 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1995–1999. 4 1964 (USNA) 31 (1942– ) President, Birmingham–Southern College, 2011–2015. Son of Marine Corps lieutenant general Victor H. Krulak. 30 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 1996–1998. 2 1965 (NROTC) 31 (1942–2022) 31 Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command (USCINCCENT), 1997–2000. 3 1965 (NROTC) 32 (1943– ) U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, 2002–2003; U.S. Special Envoy to Qatar, 2017–2019. 32 Commander in Chief, U.S. Southern Command (USCINCSO), 1997–2000. 3 1964 (NROTC) 33 (1941– ) 33 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 1998–2000. 2 1966 (OCS) 32 (1944– ) 34 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 1999–2003. Supreme Allied Commander, Europe/Commander, U.S. European Command (SACEUR/CDRUSEUCOM), 2003–2006. 7 1967 (NROTC) 32 (1943– ) National Security Advisor, 2009–2010. 35 Commander in Chief, U.S. Southern Command (USCINCSO), 2000–2001. Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (VJCS), 2001–2005. Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), 2005–2007. 7 1967 (USNA) 33 (1945– ) Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2008. 36 Deputy Commander in Chief, U.S. European Command (DCINCEUR), 2000–2002. Deputy Commander, U.S. European Command (DCDRUSEUCOM), 2002. 2 1966 (USNA) 34 (1944– ) 37 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 2000–2002. 2 1967 (USNA) 33 (1943–2025) 38 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 2002–2005. 3 1968 (NROTC) 34 (1946– ) 39 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 2003–2006. 3 1968 (USNA) 35 (1944– ) 40 Commander, U.S. Strategic Command (CDRUSSTRATCOM), 2004–2007. Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (VJCS), 2007–2011. 7 1971 (NROTC) 33 (1949– ) 41 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 2005–2008. 3 1969 (NROTC) 36 (1947– ) 42 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 2006–2010. 4 1970 (OCS) 36 (1947– ) 43 Supreme Allied Commander Transformation/Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command (SACT/CDRUSJFCOM), 2007–2009. Commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command (CDRUSJFCOM), 2009–2010. Commander, U.S. Central Command (CDRUSCENTCOM), 2010–2013. 6 1972 (NROTC) 35 (1950– ) U.S. Secretary of Defense, 2017–2019. 44 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 2008–2010. Commandant. U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 2010–2014. 6 1970 (NROTC) 38 (1946– ) First naval aviator to become commandant. 45 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 2010–2013. Commander, International Security Assistance Force/Commander, U.S. Forces - Afghanistan (CDRISAF/CDRUSFOR-A), 2013–2014. Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 2014–2015. Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), 2015–2019. 9 1977 (OCS) 33 (1955– ) 46 Commander, International Security Assistance Force/Commander, U.S. Forces - Afghanistan (CDRISAF/CDRUSFOR-A), 2011–2013. 2 1976 (USNA) 35 (1953– ) Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, 2014–2015; President, Brookings Institution, 2017–2022. 47 Commander, U.S. Southern Command (CDRUSSOUTHCOM), 2012–2016. 3 1976 (OCS) 36 (1950– ) U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, 2017; White House Chief of Staff, 2017–2019. 48 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 2012–2016. 4 1974 (OCS) 38 (1951– ) 49 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 2015–2019. 4 1975 (OCS) 40 (1953– ) 50 Commander, U.S. Africa Command (CDRUSAFRICOM), 2016–2019. 3 1976 (OCS) 40 (1953– ) 51 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 2016–2018. 2 1979 (Citadel) 37 (1957– ) President, The Citadel, 2018–present. 52 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 2018–2021. 3 1984 (NROTC) 34 (1962– ) 53 Commander, U.S. Central Command (CDRUSCENTCOM), 2019–2022. 3 1979 (Citadel) 40 (1957– ) 54 Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 2019–2023. 4 1981 (NROTC) 38 (1959– ) 55 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 2021–2023. Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (CMC), 2023–present. 5 1987 (Texas A&M) 34 (– ) 56 Commander, U.S. Africa Command (CDRUSAFRICOM), 2022–2025. 3 1985 (OCS) 37 (– ) First African-American to achieve the rank of general in the Marine Corps. 57 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 2023–2025. Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (VJCS), 2025-present. 3 1987 (NROTC) 38 58 Assistant Commandant, U.S. Marine Corps (ACMC), 2025–present. 1 1989 (NROTC) 36 59 Commander, U.S. Southern Command (CDRUSSOUTHCOM), 2026–present. 0 1988 (NROTC) 38
Tombstone generals