List_of_United_States_Air_Force_four-star_generals

List of United States Air Force four-star generals

List of United States Air Force four-star generals

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This is a complete list of four-star generals in the United States Air Force. The rank of general (or full general, or four-star general) is the highest rank normally achievable in the U.S. Air Force. It ranks above lieutenant general (three-star general) and below General of the Air Force (five-star general).

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four-star general

There have been 234 four-star generals in the history of the U.S. Air Force. Of these, 230 achieved that rank while on active duty, 3 were promoted after retirement, and one was promoted posthumously. Generals entered the Air Force via several paths: 62 were commissioned via the U.S. Military Academy (USMA), 49 via the aviation cadet program, 45 via the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), 44 via Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) at a civilian university, 13 via AFROTC at a senior military college, nine via Air Force Officer Training School (OTS), four via the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), four via Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) at a civilian university, two via direct commission (direct), one via direct commission inter-service transfer from the Army National Guard (ARNG), and one via direct commission inter-service transfer from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

List of generals

Entries in the following list of four-star generals are indexed by the numerical order in which each officer was promoted to that rank while on active duty, or by an asterisk (*) if the officer did not serve in that rank while on active duty. Each entry lists the general's name, date of rank,[1] active-duty positions held while serving at four-star rank,[2] number of years of active-duty service at four-star rank (Yrs),[3] year commissioned and source of commission,[4] number of years in commission when promoted to four-star rank (YC),[5] and other biographical notes (years of birth and death are shown in parentheses in the Notes column).[6]

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History

Four-star positions

Structure of the United States Air ForceStructure of the United States Air ForceStructure of the United States Air Forcefederal government of the United StatesUnited States Intelligence Communitycombined operationsNational Guard (United States)Unified combatant commandUnified combatant commandJoint Chiefs of StaffIraq WarWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021)Gulf WarVietnam WarKorean WarCold WarWorld War II

1943–1991

Retired Air Force Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. is pinned with his fourth star on 10 December 1998.

The modern rank of general was established by the Officer Personnel Act of 1947, which authorized the President to designate certain positions of importance to carry that rank. Officers appointed to such positions bear temporary four-star rank while so serving, and are allowed to retire at that rank if their performance is judged satisfactory.[32] The total number of active-duty four-star generals in the Air Force is limited to a fixed percentage of the number of Air Force general officers serving at all ranks.[33]

Within the Air Force, the chief of staff (CSAF) and vice chief of staff (VCSAF) are four-star generals by statute. Other four-star generals occupy positions of designated importance; historically, these have included the commanders responsible for strategic bombers and nuclear missiles (SAC/STRATCOM); tactical air combat (TAC/ACC); air transport (MAC/TRANSCOM); North American aerospace defense (NORAD); the Air Force formations in Europe and the Pacific; and other training, readiness, and materiel organizations.

The Air Force also competes with the other services for a number of joint four-star positions, such as the chairman (CJCS) and vice chairman (VJCS) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Other joint four-star positions have included unified combatant commanders and certain NATO staff positions.

Robert C. OaksJohn M. LohRonald W. YatesDonald Y. KutynaCharles C. McDonaldHansford T. JohnsonJames P. McCarthyMichael J. DuganMerrill A. McPeakJohn A. ShaudAlfred G. HansenBernard P. RandolphWilliam L. KirkMonroe W. Hatch Jr.Jack I. GregoryThomas C. RichardsRobert H. ReedDuane H. CassidyJohn L. PiotrowskiJohn T. Chain Jr.Robert D. RussEarl T. O'LoughlinCharles L. Donnelly Jr.Robert W. BazleyRobert T. HerresLarry D. WelchLawrence A. SkantzeJames E. DaltonAndrew P. IosueBilly M. MinterJerome F. O'MalleyJames V. HartingerJames P. MullinsThomas M. Ryan Jr.Robert T. MarshCharles A. GabrielRichard L. LawsonRobert C. MathisWilliam Y. SmithBennie L. DavisJohn W. PaulyJames A. HillWilbur L. CreechAlton D. SlayBryce Poe IIJames E. HillJames R. AllenLew Allen Jr.William G. Moore Jr.John W. RobertsRobert E. HuyserDaniel James Jr.F. Michael RogersWilliam J. Evans (general)William V. McBrideLouis T. SeithLouis L. Wilson Jr.Timothy F. O'KeefeRobert J. DixonRichard H. EllisSamuel C. PhillipsGeorge J. EadePaul K. CarltonGeorge B. SimlerRussell E. DoughertyJohn W. VogtDavid C. JonesJohn D. LavelleTheodore R. MiltonLucius D. Clay Jr.Jack J. CattonJohn C. MeyerSeth J. McKeeJoseph R. HolzappleGeorge S. BrownHorace M. WadeJack G. MerrellWilliam W. MomyerThomas Patrick GerrityJoseph J. NazzaroMaurice A. PrestonDavid A. BurchinalJames Ferguson (general)Raymond J. ReevesWilliam S. StoneBruce K. HollowayKenneth B. HobsonWilliam H. BlanchardJohn D. RyanHowell M. Estes Jr.Hunter Harris Jr.Gabriel P. DisoswayJoe W. KellyJacob E. SmartRobert M. LeeJohn P. McConnell (general)Mark E. BradleyDean C. StrotherJohn K. GerhartBernard A. SchrieverWalter C. Sweeney Jr.William F. McKeeTruman H. LandonFrederic H. Smith Jr.Emmett O'Donnell Jr.Samuel E. AndersonCharles P. CabellLeon W. JohnsonFrank F. EverestThomas S. PowerLaurence S. KuterOrval R. CookEarle E. PartridgeEdwin W. RawlingsThomas D. WhiteOtto P. WeylandLauris NorstadCurtis E. LeMayBenjamin W. ChidlawJohn K. CannonNathan F. TwiningMuir S. FairchildHoyt S. VandenbergCarl A. SpaatzGeorge C. KenneyJoseph T. McNarneyHenry H. ArnoldGulf WarVietnam WarKorean WarCold WarWorld War II

1991–present

Kevin SchneiderGregory GuillotTimothy D. HaughJames C. SlifeThomas A. BussiereJames B. HeckerDuke Z. RichardsonMichael A. MinihanAnthony J. CottonDavid W. AllvinMark D. KellyJacqueline Van OvostGlen D. VanHerckKenneth S. WilsbachArnold W. Bunch Jr.Jeffrey L. HarrigianMaryanne MillerTimothy M. RayCharles Q. Brown Jr.James M. HolmesJohn W. RaymondTod D. WoltersJoseph L. LengyelStephen W. WilsonTerrence J. O’ShaughnessyDavid L. GoldfeinCarlton D. Everhart IIEllen M. PawlikowskiLori RobinsonJohn E. HytenDarren W. McDewRobin RandFrank GorencPaul J. SelvaHerbert J. CarlisleLarry O. SpencerJanet C. WolfenbargerGilmary M. Hostage IIIPhilip M. BreedloveWilliam L. SheltonMark A. Welsh IIIEdward A. Rice Jr.Raymond E. Johns Jr.Gary L. NorthDouglas M. FraserDonald J. HoffmanCraig R. McKinleyWilliam M. Fraser IIIStephen R. LorenzRoger A. BradyCarrol H. ChandlerC. Robert KehlerArthur J. LichteVictor E. Renuart Jr.Kevin P. ChiltonWilliam T. HobbinsDuncan J. McNabbLance L. SmithJohn D.W. CorleyNorton A. SchwartzBruce CarlsonWilliam R. Looney IIIRonald E. KeysMichael V. HaydenPaul V. HesterT. Michael MoseleyCharles F. WaldLance W. LordDonald G. Cook (general)Robert H. FoglesongWilliam J. BegertCharles R. HollandHal M. HornburgJohn W. HandyGregory S. MartinLester L. LylesPatrick K. GambleCharles T. Robertson Jr.John P. JumperJohn A. GordonRichard B. MyersRalph E. EberhartGeorge T. Babbitt Jr.Lloyd W. NewtonHowell M. Estes IIIWalter KrossMichael E. RyanEugene E. HabigerRichard E. HawleyJoseph W. RalstonBilly J. BolesJohn G. LorberJoseph W. AshyJames L. JamersonThomas S. Moorman Jr.Robert L. RutherfordHenry Viccellio Jr.Charles G. BoydRonald R. FoglemanCharles A. HornerJames B. DavisMichael P.C. CarnsJimmie V. AdamsGeorge L. ButlerRobert C. OaksJohn M. LohRonald W. YatesDonald Y. KutynaCharles C. McDonaldHansford T. JohnsonJames P. McCarthyMerrill A. McPeakIraq WarWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Dates of rank are taken, where available, from the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force registers of active and retired commissioned officers, or from the World Almanac and Book of Facts. The date listed is that of the officer's first promotion to general.
  2. [2]
    Positions listed are those held by the officer when promoted to general. Dates listed are for the officer's full tenure, which may predate promotion to four-star rank or postdate retirement from active duty.
  3. [3]
    The number of years of active-duty service at four-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Date of rank" column from the last year in the "Position" column. For those presently in their position, values are as of 2020. Time spent between active-duty four-star assignments is not counted, nor is time spent on special duty as an unassigned general of the Army or general of the Air Force.
  4. [4]
    Sources of commission are listed in parentheses after the year of commission and include: the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA); the United States Military Academy (USMA); the United States Naval Academy (USNA); Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) at a civilian university; Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) at a civilian university; ROTC or AFROTC at a senior military college such as Texas A&M University (Texas A&M), the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), or Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPI); Air Force Officer Training School (OTS); Officer Candidate School (OCS); the aviation cadet program (cadet); the Army National Guard (ARNG); the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF); and direct commission (direct).
  5. [5]
    The number of years in commission before being promoted to four-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Commission" column from the year in the "Date of rank" column.
  6. [6]
    Notes include years of birth and death; awards of the Medal of Honor, Congressional Gold Medal, Presidential Medal of Freedom, or honors of similar significance; major government appointments; university presidencies or equivalents; familial relationships with other four-star officers or significant government officials such as U.S. Presidents, cabinet secretaries, U.S. Senators, or state governors; and unusual career events such as premature relief or death in office.
  7. [7]
    Served in this position while in the United States Army.
  8. [8]
    "General Orders No. 22". Headquarters, U.S. Air Force (digitized by NARA). 26 July 1945. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  9. [9]
    "Letter on Assignment of General Carl Spaatz as Deputy to the Commanding General, Army Air Forces for Special Organizational Planning". Headquarters, U.S. Air Force (digitized by NARA). 4 December 1945. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  10. [10]
    Nomination as chairman, Civil Aeronautics Board withdrawn, 1948.
  11. [11]
    Retired as general, 31 July 1961; recalled as general, Sep 1961; retired as general, 30 April 1965.
  12. [12]
    "Congressional Record" (PDF). 11 July 1958. p. 13456. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  13. [13]
    Relieved, Apr 1972, and retired as major general.
  14. [14]
    Major Wheatley (9 November 1977). "Staff Summary Sheet, 9 November 1977". Headquarters, U.S. Air Force (digitized by NARA). Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  15. [15]
    Appointed Commander, Military Airlift Command (COMAC), effective 12 September 1972; died in air crash, 9 Sep 1972; posthumously promoted to general with date of rank 16 August 1972.
  16. [16]
    Transferred from Royal Canadian Air Force, 1943.
  17. [17]
    Transferred from Army National Guard, 1952.
  18. [18]
    Transferred from Signal Corps Reserve, 1920; resigned, 1930; recalled 1940; reverted to inactive reserve, 1946; retired as lieutenant general, Feb 1959; advanced to general on the retired list, 4 April 1985.
  19. [19]
    Retired as major general, Aug 1947; advanced to lieutenant general on the retired list, 29 June 1948; advanced to general on the retired list, 26 April 1985.
  20. [20]
    "Senate panel opposes increase in fired Air Force chief's pension". The Baltimore Sun. 31 October 1990. Retrieved 27 January 2011.
  21. [21]
    Nomination as Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) withdrawn, 1995.
  22. [22]
    "2010- 2015 Patrick K Gamble | UA Journey". University of Alaska. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  23. [23]
    Retired as lieutenant general, Feb 1970; advanced to general on the retired list, 9 December 1998.
  24. [24]
    Nomination as Commander, U.S. Pacific Command (CDRUSPACOM) withdrawn, 2004.
  25. [25]
    Hayden continued serving as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency as a civilian for a year after retiring from the Air Force in 2008.
  26. [26]
    Retired as general, 1 July 2008; remained Director, Central Intelligence Agency (DCIA) as civilian.
  27. [27]
    Retired as general, 1 January 2010; retroactively demoted to major general on the retired list, 1 February 2017.
  28. [28]
    First nomination as Commander, U.S. Transportation Command (CDRUSTRANSCOM) withdrawn, 2008.
  29. [29]
    Transferred to U.S. Space Force, 20 December 2019.
  30. [30]
    First nomination as commander, Air Force Materiel Command (COMAFMC) returned to the President, 2019.
  31. [31]
    Allvin's effective date-of-rank is 12 November 2020, which is four days before he assumed the office of vice chief of staff.
  32. [32]
    10 USC 601, Positions of importance and responsibility: generals and lieutenant generals; admirals and vice admirals{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  33. [33]
    10 USC 525, Distribution of commissioned officers on active duty in general officer and flag officer grades{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Bibliography

  • United States Air Force (1979) [1951–1970], Air Force Register, Washington D.C.: Department of the Air Force
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