List of United States Army lieutenant generals since 2020
Flag of an Army lieutenant general
The rank of lieutenant general (or three-star general) is the second-highest rank normally achievable in the United States Army, and the first to have a specific number of authorized positions for it set by statute. It ranks above major general (two-star general) and below general (four-star general).
Entries in the following list of lieutenant 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 in the U.S. Army or was promoted to four-star rank while on active duty in the U.S. Army. Each entry lists the general's name, date of rank,[a] active-duty positions held while serving at three-star rank,[b] number of years of active-duty service at three-star rank (Yrs),[c] year commissioned and source of commission,[d] number of years in commission when promoted to three-star rank (YC),[e] and other biographical notes.[f]
Deputy Commanding General, Acquisition and Systems Management, U.S. Army Futures Command/Director, Combat Systems Directorate (DCG-ASM/DIRCSD), 2020–2022.
Deputy Commanding General, Acquisition and Systems/Chief Information Officer, U.S. Army Futures Command/Director (DCG-A&S/CIO), 2022–2023.
Served 13 years the enlisted ranks before receiving his commission in 1996.
Timeline
2020–present
Background
Modern use of the rank
Lt. Gen. A.C. Roper and Lt. Gen. (ret.) Charles D. Luckey unveil Roper's three-star flag on 14 May 2021.Lt. Gen. Thomas L. James is pinned with his lieutenant general's stars by his family on 15 December 2023.
About 30 to 50 joint service three-star billets exist at any given time that can be occupied by an Army lieutenant general, among the most prestigious being the director of the Joint Staff (DJS), principal staff advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and historically considered a stepping stone to four-star rank.[29] All deputy commanders of the unified combatant commands are of three-star rank,[r] as are directors of Defense Agencies not headed by a civilian such as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIRDIA).[30] Internationally-based three-star positions include the United States military representative to the NATO Military Committee (USMILREP) and the security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian National Authority. All nominees for three-star rank must be confirmed via majority by the Senate before the appointee can take office and thus assume the rank.[31]
Statutory limits, elevations and reductions
The U.S. Code states that no more than 46 officers in the U.S. Army may hold the rank of lieutenant general on the active duty list, aside from those on joint duty assignments.[32] Three-star positions can be elevated to four-star grade or reduced to two-star grade when necessary, either to highlight their increasing importance[s] to the defense apparatus (or lack thereof) or to achieve parity with equivalent commands in other services or regions. Few three-star positions are set by statute, leading to their increased volatility as they do not require congressional approval to be downgraded.
Senate confirmations
Lt. Gen. Milford H. Beagle Jr. (right) is sworn into his new rank by TRADOC commanding general Gen. Gary M. Brito (left) on 4 October 2022.
Military nominations are considered by the Senate Armed Services Committee. While it is rare for three-star or four-star nominations to face even token opposition in the Senate, nominations that do face opposition due to controversy surrounding the nominee in question are typically withdrawn. Nominations that are not withdrawn are allowed to expire without action at the end of the legislative session.
For example, the nomination of Ryan F. Gonsalves for promotion to lieutenant general and assignment as commanding general of U.S. Army Europe was withdrawn in November 2017[33] after an investigation was launched into the general's inappropriate comment to a female Congressional staffer.[34] As a result, Gonsalves was administratively reprimanded and retired in May 2018.[34][35][36]
Additionally, events that take place after Senate confirmation may still delay or even prevent the nominee from assuming office.
For example, John G. Rossi, who had been confirmed for promotion to lieutenant general[37] and assignment as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command in April 2016[38] committed suicide two days before his scheduled promotion and assumption of command.[39] As a result, the then incumbent commander of USASMDC, David L. Mann, remained in command beyond customary term limits until another nominee, James H. Dickinson was confirmed by the Senate.[40]
^ abDates of rank are taken, where available, from the U.S. Army register of active and retired commissioned officers, the General Officer Management Office, or the National Guard Senior Leader Management Office. The date listed is that of the officer's first promotion to lieutenant general. If such a date cannot be found, the next date substituted should be that of the officer's assumption of his/her first three-star appointment. Failing which, the officer's first Senate confirmation date to lieutenant general should be substituted. For officers promoted to lieutenant general on the same date, they should be organized first by date of promotion to four-star rank, and then by the tier of their first listed assignment upon promotion to lieutenant general.
^ abPositions listed are those held by the officer when promoted to lieutenant general. Dates listed are for the officer's full tenure, which may predate promotion to three-star rank or postdate retirement from active duty. Positions held in an acting capacity are italicized.
^ abThe number of years of active-duty service at three-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Date of rank" column from the last year in the "Position" column. Time spent between active-duty three-star assignments is not counted.
^ abThe number of years in commission before being promoted to three-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Commission" column from the year in the "Date of rank" column.
^ abNotes 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 significant military officers or 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. Officers who served as enlisted soldiers for 7 years or more prior to commissioning are also noted.
^Jensen's effective date of rank is 5 Aug 2024; which is approximately one month before he officially assumed command of First Army.[20]
^For officers in specialty career paths such as the JAG Corps, Medical Corps, or Army Reserve, these positions are the highest they can attain. There have been exceptions, such as when Maryanne Miller was promoted to general in 2018, becoming the first Air Force Reserve officer to reach four-star rank.
^The deputy commander of U.S. European Command was a four-star position until 2007, when it was reduced in rank to make way for the establishment of U.S. Africa Command, commanded by a four-star officer. The last four-star deputy commander of USEUCOM, General William E. Ward, also became the first commander of USAFRICOM.
^10 U.S.C.§ 601 refers to positions held by four-star and three-star officers as "positions of importance and responsibility".
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