Major general (United States) Major general (United States) In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general. A major general typically commands division-sized units of 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers. Major general is equivalent to the two-star rank of rear admiral in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard and is the highest permanent rank during peacetime in the uniformed services. Higher ranks are technically temporary ranks linked to specific positions, although virtually all officers
Lieutenant colonel (United States) case with George A. Custer, who was a lieutenant colonel in the regular army, but held the brevet rank of major general. The 20th century saw lieutenant colonel in its present-day status although, during the 1930s, many officers again found the rank to be terminal as the rank of colonel was reserved for only a select few officers. In the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps (USMC), a lieutenant colonel typically commands a battalion/squadron-sized unit (300 to 1,200 Soldiers/Marines), with a major as executive officer (XO) and a command sergeant major/sergeant major (USMC) as principal NCO or