Top Brass in Uniform
Today, the highest ranking uniformed Military officers
form a select group called the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Current JCS composition in the Pentagon is as follows:
JCS Chairman:
Gen. Richard B. Myers
Army Chief of Staff:
Gen. Eric K. Shinsecki
Air Force Chief of Staff:
Gen. Michael
E. Ryan
Chief of Naval Operations:
Adm. Vern Clark
Commandant of the Marine Corps
Gen. James L. Jones
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U.S. Special
Operations Command
USSOC Commander: Gen. Charles R. Holland
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From the Past there was Higher Brass, due to WW2!
Highest ranked Military leaders in History:
Navy:
They Were; Established on Dec 14, 1944:
William Daniel Leahy Link 2 (Picture from his 1950 Book)
William Frederick Halsey, Jr. Link 2 (Picture from his 1947 book)
Army, Air Force:
The temporary grade of "General of the Army" (Five-Star)
was provided for by Public Law 482, 78th Congress,
approved December 14, 1944, and became permanent on
March 23, 1946, under Public Law 333, 79th Congress.
They Were; With Dates of Rank:
George Catlett Marshall Dec 16, 1944 Link 1 Link 2 /Bio
Douglas MacArthur Dec 18, 1944 Link1 Link2
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower Dec 20, 1944 Link 1 Link 2
Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold Dec 21, 1944 (*) Link 1 Link 2 Link 3
(*)Hap was Re-designated General-of-The-Air Force May 7, 1949
Omar Nelson Bradley Sept 22, 1950 Link 1 Link 2: Very detailed bio!
It Should be Known That The 5-Star Ranks Are Only
Established by Acts of Congress, No One Living Today Has
This Rank Now. Note: Bradley was the very last
5-Star Ranked Officer. He Died April 8, 1981.
It should also be known that there were Higher Ranks
designated by Presidential and Congressional Actions:
General of The Armies of the United States:
(WW I) Established by Public Law
45, H.R. 7594, Sept 3, 1919.
John J. Pershing Link 1
Link 2 Link 3/bio
Arlington Cemetary Biography
Autograph from his Book
General of The Armies of The United States
George Washington
(By Decree, Post-humously), by Pres.
Gerald Ford, 1976; who specified that he, George
Washington, First President and Commander-In-Chief of
The United States, would rank First among all Officers
of the United States Armed Forces, past and present.
Reference: Public Law 94-479 [H.J. Res 519],
Approved
October 11, 1976; enacted from House Report 94-1388.
Check out also the George
Washington Papers Site 2
The Five Star Insignia
From Army Regulations 600-35:
"Personnel: The Prescribed Uniform"
Some 5 Star Pictures
Infoplease article on the Top
Ranking Officers in the Military
More on the Historical 5 and "6 star" Ranked Army Military Brass
Military List (Naval Chain of Command miscellaneous web listing)