List of active duty United States four-star officers

There are currently 38 active-duty four-star officers in the uniformed services of the United States: six in the Army, four in the Marine Corps, 10 in the Navy, 12 in the Air Force, four in the Space Force, two in the Coast Guard, and one in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Of the eight federal uniformed services, the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps is the only service that does not have an established four-star position.

List of designated four-star positions

Department of Defense

Joint Chiefs of Staff Position insignia Position Photo Incumbent Service branch Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) GeneralJ. Daniel Caine U.S. Air Force Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (VJCS) General Christopher J. Mahoney U.S. Marine Corps

Unified combatant commands Position insignia Position Photo Incumbent Service branch Commander, U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) GeneralDagvin R. M. Anderson U.S. Air Force Commander, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) AdmiralC. Bradford Cooper II U.S. Navy Commander, U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM),Director, National Security Agency (NSA) andChief, Central Security Service (CSS) GeneralJoshua M. Rudd U.S. Army Commander, U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) andSupreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) GeneralAlexus G. Grynkewich U.S. Air Force Commander, U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) andCommander, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) GeneralGregory M. Guillot U.S. Air Force Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) AdmiralSamuel J. Paparo Jr. U.S. Navy Commander, U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) GeneralFrancis L. Donovan U.S. Marine Corps Commander, U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) GeneralStephen N. WhitingRetiring U.S. Space Force Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Admiral Frank M. Bradley U.S. Navy Commander, U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) AdmiralRichard A. Correll U.S. Navy Commander, U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) GeneralRandall Reed U.S. Air Force

Other joint positions Position insignia Position Photo Incumbent Service branch National Guard Chief of the National Guard Bureau (CNGB) GeneralSteven S. Nordhaus U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau (VCNGB) GeneralThomas M. Carden Jr. U.S. Army Sub-unified commands South KoreaCommander, United Nations Command (UNC),Commander, ROK/U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) andCommander, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) GeneralXavier T. Brunson U.S. ArmySpecial activities Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Critical Major Weapon Systems Programs (CMWS DRPM) GeneralDale R. White U.S. Air Force Direct Reporting Program Manager for Golden Dome for America (GDA DRPM) GeneralMichael A. Guetlein U.S. SpaceForce

Department of the Army

United States Army Position insignia Position Photo Incumbent Service branch Army staff Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA) Vacant U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff of the Army (VCSA) GeneralChristopher LaNeve U.S. Army Army commands Commanding General, U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command (T2COM) Vacant U.S. Army Army service component commands Commanding General, U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) GeneralRonald P. Clark U.S. Army Commanding General, U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command (USAWHC) GeneralJoseph A. Ryan U.S. Army

Department of the Navy

United States Marine Corps Position insignia Position Photo Incumbent Service branch Headquarters Marine Corps Commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC) GeneralEric M. Smith U.S. Marine Corps Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps (ACMC) GeneralBradford J. Gering U.S. Marine Corps

United States Navy Position insignia Position Photo Incumbent Service branch Office of the Chief of Naval Operations Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) AdmiralDaryl L. Caudle U.S. Navy Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO) AdmiralJames W. KilbyRetiring U.S. Navy Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NAVSEA 08) andDeputy Administrator for Naval Reactors, National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA NA-30) AdmiralWilliam J. Houston U.S. Navy Operating forces Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) AdmiralKarl O. Thomas U.S. Navy Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (CNE-CNA) andCommander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples (JFC Naples) AdmiralGeorge M. Wikoff U.S. Navy Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT) AdmiralStephen T. Koehler U.S. Navy

Department of the Air Force

United States Air Force Position insignia Position Photo Incumbent Service branchAir staff Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF) GeneralKenneth S. Wilsbach U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force (VCSAF) GeneralJohn D. Lamontagne U.S. Air Force Air Force major commands Commander, Air Combat Command (ACC) GeneralAdrian L. Spain U.S. Air Force Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC),Commander, Air Forces Strategic – Air, U.S. Strategic Command andJoint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC) GeneralStephen L. Davis U.S. Air Force Commander, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF),Air Component Commander for U.S. Pacific Command andExecutive Director, Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff (PACOPS) GeneralKevin B. Schneider U.S. Air Force

United States Space Force Position insignia Position Photo Incumbent Service branch Office of the Chief of Space Operations Chief of Space Operations (CSO) GeneralDouglas A. Schiess U.S. SpaceForce Vice Chief of Space Operations (VCSO) GeneralShawn N. Bratton U.S. SpaceForce

Department of Homeland Security

United States Coast Guard Position insignia Position Photo Incumbent Service branch Office of the Commandant Commandant of the Coast Guard AdmiralKevin E. Lunday U.S. Coast Guard Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard AdmiralThomas G. Allan Jr. U.S. Coast Guard

Department of Health and Human Services

United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Position insignia Position Photo Incumbent Service branch Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH) and Head of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHSCC) AdmiralBrian Christine U.S. Public Health Service

List of pending appointments

Designated position insignia Designated position Current position Photo Name Service branch Status and date Unified combatant commands Commander, U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Strategy, Plans, Programs, and Requirements (S5/8) Lieutenant GeneralDavid N. Miller U.S. Space Force Nomination sent to the Senate29 September 2026 United States Navy Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO) Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources (N8) Vice AdmiralJohn B. Skillman U.S. Navy Nomination sent to the Senate29 September 2026

Statutory limits

The U.S. Code explicitly limits the total number of four-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. For the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force, no more than 28% of each service's active-duty general or flag officers may have more than two stars, and statute sets the total number of four-star officers allowed in each service. This is set at eight four-star Army generals, six four-star Navy admirals, nine four-star Air Force generals, two four-star Marine generals, two four-star Space Force generals, and two four-star Coast Guard admirals. – Grades and ratings

Several of these slots are reserved by statute. For the Army and the Air Force, the chief of staff – Chief of Staff – Chief of Staff and the vice chief of staff – Vice Chief of Staff – Vice Chief of Staff for both services are all four-star generals. For the Navy, the chief – Chief of Naval Operations and vice chief of naval operations – Vice Chief of Naval Operations are both four-star admirals. For the Marine Corps, the commandant – Commandant of the Marine Corps and the assistant commandant – Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps are both four-star generals. For the Space Force, the chief and vice chief of space operations are both four-star generals. For the Coast Guard, the commandant – Commandant; appointment. and the vice commandant – Vice commandant; appointment. are both four-star admirals. For the National Guard, the chief – Chief of the National Guard Bureau: appointment; adviser on National Guard matters; grade; succession. and vice chief of the National Guard Bureau - Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau are four-star generals under reserve active duty in the Army or Air Force. And for the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the assistant secretary for health – Grades, ranks, and titles of commissioned corps. is a four-star admiral if they hold an active-duty appointment to the regular corps.

Exceptions There are several exceptions to the limits allowing more than allotted four-star officers within the statute. Four-star officers serving as chairman – Length of joint duty assignments or vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff do not count against their service's general- or flag-officer cap, likewise for joint positions such as the unified combatant commanders, – Senior joint officer positions: recommendations to the Secretary of Defense. the commander of U.S. Forces Korea, and the chief – Chief of the National Guard Bureau: appointment; adviser on National Guard matters; grade; succession and vice chief of the National Guard Bureau. Officers serving in certain intelligence positions are also not counted against statutory limits, including the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. – Officers serving in certain intelligence positions: military status; exclusion from distribution and strength limitations; pay and allowances. The president can also appoint up to five additional four-star officers in any one service in excess of that service's four-star limit, as long as they are offset by reducing an equivalent number of four-stars from other services. Finally, all statutory limits may be waived at the president's discretion during time of war or national emergency. – Authority to suspend sections 523, 525, and 526.

Appointment

Four-star rank and grade are temporary in nature; officers may only achieve four stars if they are appointed to positions that require or allow the officer to hold the rank. – Positions of importance and responsibility: generals and lieutenant generals; admirals and vice admirals. Their rank expires with the expiration of their term of office, which is usually set by statute. Four-star officers are nominated for appointment by the president from any eligible officers holding a one-star rank or above, who also meets the other requirements for the position, under the advice or suggestion 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 they can take office and thus assume the rank. The Senate, normally in committee, may hold hearings to consider any nominee for appointment or reappointment to four-star rank, but usually only convene for nominations of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, vice chairman, service chiefs, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, unified combatant commanders, and the commander of U.S. Forces Korea.

It is extremely unusual for a four-star nominee to draw even token opposition in a Senate vote, either in committee or on the floor, because the administration usually withdraws or declines to submit nominations that draw controversy before or during the confirmation process.

For example, upon encountering opposition in the Senate, the administration declined to submit the nomination for General Joseph W. Ralston to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1997.