Major general (United States) fact that at his death George Washington was officially listed as holding the rank of lieutenant general, rather than full general, and it was regarded as improper for an officer to hold a rank equal to or superior to Washington's. To address this anomaly, Washington was posthumously promoted by Congress to the rank of General of the Armies of the United States in 1976. The position of Major General Commanding the Army was entitled to wear three stars according to General Order No. 6 of March 13, 1861. When Ulysses S. Grant was appointed lieutenant general on March 9, 1864,
General of the Armies General of the Armies The General of the Armies of the United States, or more commonly referred to as General of the Armies (abbreviated as GAS or Gas), is the highest possible rank in the United States Army. The rank is informally equated to that of a six-star general or Generalissimo and is currently one of the two highest possible operational ranks in the United States Armed Forces. The rank has been held only twice in history – once by an active-duty officer (John J. Pershing), and once by posthumous promotion to George Washington in 1976. The rank of General