Brigadier general (United States)
| Brigadier general |
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|---|---|
Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force one-star insignia of the rank of brigadier general. Style and method of wear may vary between the services.
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| Country |
 United States
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| Service branch | |
| Rank | One-star |
| NATO rank | OF-6 |
| Non-NATO rank | O-7 |
| Next higher rank | Major general |
| Next lower rank | Colonel |
| Equivalent ranks | |
In the United States Armed Forces, brigadier general (BG, Brig Gen, or BGen) is a one-star general officer with the pay grade of O-7 in the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. The rank of brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral (lower half) in the other uniformed services.
The rank of brigadier general has existed in the U.S. military since the inception of the Continental Army in June 1775. To prevent mistakes in recognizing officers, a general order was issued on July 14, 1775, establishing that brigadier generals would wear a ribband, worn across the breast, between coat and waistcoat, pink in color. Later, on June 18, 1780, it was prescribed that brigadier generals would instead wear a single silver star on each epaulette. At first, brigadier generals were infantry officers who commanded a brigade; however, over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, the responsibilities of the rank expanded significantly.
During the period from March 16, 1802, to January 11, 1812, the rank of major general was abolished and brigadier general became the highest rank in the U.S. Army. Foreseeing the need for an expanded general staff in case of war, which seemed imminent, Congress restored the rank of major general in January 1812.
The first brigadier general in the U.S. Marine Corps was Commandant Archibald Henderson, brevetted to the rank of brigadier general in the 1830s for his service in the Second Seminole War. The first non-brevet brigadier general in the Marines was Commandant Jacob Zeilin who was promoted to the rank in 1874, but when he retired in 1876, colonel once again became the highest rank in the Marines until March 1899 when Commandant Charles Heywood was promoted. Ever since then the office of commandant has been held by a general officer, with the permanent rank of the commandant raised to major general in 1908, then to lieutenant general, then to general during World War II, which rank it has held ever since.
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