Lieutenant general and Israel Defense Forces, the Chief of Staff holds this rank. <br> Lieutenant general Lieutenant general, lieutenant-general and similar (abbrev Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a captain general. In modern armies, lieutenant general normally ranks immediately below general and above major general; it is equivalent to the navy rank of vice admiral, and in air forces with a
General of the Air Force the U.S. Army's rank of General of the Army and the U.S. Navy's rank of Fleet Admiral. In foreign militaries, the United States' rank of General of the Air Force has been equated to the rank Marshal of the air force. The only United States Armed Forces rank senior to General of the Air Force is General of the Armies; Admiral of the Navy is also technically senior, but an official comparison between General of the Air Force and Admiral of the Navy has never been made by the United States military. The General of the Armies rank has been