List of United States four-star admirals and generals

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Department of Defense
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Secretary:Pete Hegseth
Annual budget:$589 billion (FY2017)
Total employed:2.8 million (2016)
Year created:1949
Official website:Defense.gov


In the United States Armed Forces, the ranks of four-star admiral and four-star general represent the highest levels of military leadership during peacetime. These positions—designated as grade O-10 on the uniformed services pay scale—are established and governed by federal law, including Title 10 and Title 14 of the United States Code.[1][2] Officers at this level are nominated by the president, confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and typically serve in military leadership positions such as service chiefs, combatant commanders, or senior Department of Defense officials.[3]

Four-star generals serve in the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force, while four-star admirals serve in the Navy and Coast Guard. The statutory limits on the number of active-duty four-star officers and the roles they may occupy are outlined in 10 U.S. Code §§ 601–604 and 14 U.S. Code § 305.[4][5] The responsibilities of these officers include overseeing large-scale operations, shaping national defense policy, and managing the strategic direction of their respective branches.[1]

Please see the table below for a list of current 4-star admirals and generals in the United States. Also note a military official may hold more than one four-star admiral or general title simultaneously. This list is maintained by Ballotpedia and was last updated on January 30, 2026. If you would like to send us an update, please email us.


Four-star admirals and generals
Title Official
Commander, Air Combat Command Adrian Spain[6]
Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich[7]
Commander, U.S. European Command Alexus Grynkewich[8]
Commander, U.S. Central Command Brad Cooper[9]
Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Bradford Gering[10]
Assistant Secretary for Health Brian Christine[11]
Chief of Space Operations Chance Saltzman[12]
Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command Chris Mohan[13]
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Christopher J. Mahoney[14]
Commanding General, U.S. Army Europe and Africa Christopher T. Donahue[15]
Commander, Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) Christopher T. Donahue[16]
Commander, U.S. Africa Command Dagvin Anderson[17]
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Daniel Caine[18]
Chief of Naval Operations Daryl Caudle[19]
Commanding General, U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command David Hodne[20]
Commandant of the Marine Corps Eric M. Smith[21]
Commander, U.S. Southern Command Evan Pettus[22]
Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command Frank Bradley[23]
Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (CNE-CNA), Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples (JFC Naples) George Wikoff[24]
Commander, U.S. Northern Command Gregory Guillot[25]
Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command Gregory Guillot[26]
Vice Chief of Naval Operations James Kilby[27]
United States Army Vice Chief of Staff James Mingus[28]
Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFARICA), Commander, Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), Director, Joint Air Power Competence Center (JAPCC) Jason T. Hinds[29]
Commander, Air Mobility Command John Lamontagne[30]
Commander, U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command Joseph A. Ryan[31]
Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF), Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Northern Command (NAVNORTH), Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Strategic Command (NAVSTRAT), Joint Force Maritime Component Commander (JFMCC) Karl Thomas[32]
Chief of Staff of the Air Force Kenneth Wilsbach[33]
Commandant of the Coast Guard Kevin Lunday[34]
Commander, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), Air Component Commander for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Executive Director, Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff (PACOPS) Kevin Schneider[35]
Commander, Air Force Materiel Command Linda S. Hurry[36]
Commander, U.S. Transportation Command Randall Reed[37]
Commander, U.S. Transportation Command Randall Reed[38]
United States Army Chief of Staff Randy A. George[39]
Commander, U.S. Strategic Command Richard Correll[40]
Commanding General, U.S. Army Pacific Ronald P. Clark[41]
Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Samuel Paparo[42]
Vice Chief of Space Operations (VCSO) Shawn Bratton[43]
Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet Stephen Koehler[44]
Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command Stephen L. Davis[45]
Commander, Air Forces Strategic - Air, U.S. Strategic Command, Joint Force Air Component Commander Stephen L. Davis[45]
Commander, U.S. Space Command Stephen Whiting[46]
Chief of the National Guard Bureau Steven Nordhaus[47]
Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau Thomas Carden[48]
Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force John Lamontagne[49]
Director National Security Agency William J. Hartman[50]
Chief Central Security Service William J. Hartman[50]
Commander, U.S. Cyber Command William J. Hartman[50]
Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program William J. Houston[51]
Commander, United Nations Command Xavier Brunson[52]
Commander, ROK/U.S Xavier Brunson[52]
Combined Forces Command Xavier Brunson[52]
Commander, U.S. Forces Korea Xavier Brunson[52]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Legal Information Institute, "10 U.S. Code § 601 – Positions of importance and responsibility," accessed June 4, 2025
  2. ↑ Legal Information Institute, "10 U.S. Code § 602 – Recall to active duty: retention of grade,": accessed June 4, 2025
  3. ↑ Legal Information Institute, "10 U.S. Code § 603 – Appointments in time of war or national emergency," accessed June 5, 2025
  4. ↑ Legal Information Institute, "10 U.S. Code § 604 – Senior officers: suspension of retirement or separation," accessed June 5, 2025
  5. ↑ Legal Information Institute, "14 U.S. Code § 305 – Vice admirals and admirals," accessed June 5, 2025
  6. ↑ ‘Air Force,’’ “GENERAL ADRIAN L. SPAIN,” accessed January 25, 2026
  7. ↑ ‘United States European Command, "Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, Air Force," accessed January 25, 2026
  8. ↑ ‘United States European Command, "Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, Air Force," accessed January 25, 2026
  9. ↑ U.S. Central Command, "Commander, Admiral Brad Cooper," accessed January 25, 2026
  10. ↑ Marines, "Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps," accessed January 25, 2026
  11. ↑ U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "Admiral Brian Christine, MD," accessed January 25, 2026
  12. ↑ United States Space Force, "General B. Chance Saltzman," accessed January 25, 2026
  13. ↑ U.S. Army Material Command, "LIEUTENANT GENERAL CHRIS MOHAN," accessed January 25, 2026
  14. ↑ Joint Chiefs of Staff, "Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney," accessed January 25, 2026
  15. ↑ [https://www.gomo.army.mil/public/Biography/usa-10078/christophert-donahue General Officer Management Office, "General Christopher T. Donahue (USA)," accessed January 25, 2026
  16. ↑ General Officer Management Office, "General Christopher T. Donahue (USA)," accessed January 25, 2026
  17. ↑ ‘United States Africa Command, "Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson , U.S. Air Force," accessed January 25, 2026
  18. ↑ 'Air Force, "General JOHN D. CAINE,” accessed January 25, 2026
  19. ↑ ‘America’s Navy,’’ “Admiral Daryl Caudle Chief of Naval Operations,” accessed January 25, 2026
  20. ↑ General Officer Management Office, "General David M. Hodne (USA)," accessed January 25, 2026
  21. ↑ Marines, "Commandant of the Marine Corps," accessed January 25, 2026
  22. ↑ U.S. Southern Command, "Lt. Gen. Evan L. Pettus," accessed January 25, 2026
  23. ↑ ‘USSOCOM,’’ “Commander, USSOCOM, Admiral Frank M. Bradley,” accessed January 25, 2026
  24. ↑ ‘U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet,’’ “Adm. George M. Wikoff Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples,” accessed January 25, 2026
  25. ↑ Air Force, "General GREGORY M. GUILLOT," accessed January 25, 2026
  26. ↑ Air Force, "General GREGORY M. GUILLOT," accessed January 25, 2026
  27. ↑ ‘America’s Navy,’’ “Admiral James W. Kilby Vice Chief of Naval Operations,” accessed January 25, 2026
  28. ↑ U.S. Army, "Vice Chief of Staff of the Army," accessed January 25, 2026
  29. ↑ Air Force, "Lieutenant General JASON T. HINDS," accessed January 25, 2026
  30. ↑ 'Air Force, “General JOHN D. LAMONTAGNE,” accessed January 25, 2026
  31. ↑ U.S. Army, "US Army activates Western Hemisphere Command in historic transition ceremony," December 5, 2025
  32. ↑ ‘U.S. Fleet Forces Command,’’ “KARL THOMAS COMMANDER, U.S. FLEET FORCES COMMAND,” accessed January 25, 2026
  33. ↑ ‘U.S. Southern Command,’’ “Lt. Gen. Evan L. Pettus,” accessed January 25, 2026
  34. ↑ United States Coast Guard, "Coast Guard Senior Leadership," accessed January 25, 2026
  35. ↑ 'Air Force, “General KEVIN B. SCHNEIDER,” accessed January 25, 2026
  36. ↑ Air Force, "Lieutenant General LINDA S. HURRY," accessed January 25, 2026
  37. ↑ 'Air Force, "General RANDALL REED," accessed January 25, 2026
  38. ↑ 'Air Force, "General RANDALL REED," accessed January 25, 2026
  39. ↑ U.S. Army, "Chief of Staff of the Army," accessed January 25, 2026
  40. ↑ ‘U.S. Strategic Command,’’ “Commander, Admiral Richard Correll,” accessed January 25, 2026
  41. ↑ U.S. Army Pacific, "Gen. Ronald P. Clark," accessed January 25, 2026
  42. ↑ America's Navy, "MORE NAVY LEADERS," accessed January 25, 2026
  43. ↑ United States Space Force, "General Shawn N. Bratton," accessed January 25, 2026
  44. ↑ America's Navy, "Admiral Stephen T. "Web" Koehler," accessed January 25, 2026
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 ‘Air Force Global Strike Command AFSTRAT-AIR,’’ “GENERAL STEPHEN L. DAVIS,” accessed January 25, 2026
  46. ↑ ‘U.S. Space Command,’’ “GENERAL STEPHEN M. WHITING,” accessed January 25, 2026
  47. ↑ ‘National Guard, “General Steven S. Nordhaus,” accessed January 25, 2026
  48. ↑ U.S. Army, "Senate confirms Carden as first four-star vice chief of the National Guard Bureau," January 15, 2026
  49. ↑ Air & Space Forces Magazine, "After 11-Month Vacancy, Air Force Has a New Vice Chief," February 2, 2026
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 50.2 National Security Agency/Central Security Service, "LTG William J. Hartman, USA," accessed January 25, 2026
  51. ↑ U.S. Department of Energy, "Admiral William J. Houston," accessed January 25, 2026
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 52.3 General Officer Management Office, "General Xavier T. Brunson (USA)" accessed January 25, 2026
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