General of the Air Force (United States)

General of the Air Force, or informal five- star general, is the highest rank in the U.S. Air Force and was assigned in this form only to a person. It corresponds to the rank of Field Marshal of the Armed Forces and has the NATO rank code OF- 10th Comparable ranks also exist in the armies of Russia ( and the Soviet Union), France and some other countries - see: Marshall. The equivalent of the U.S. Navy is the Fleet Admiral in the U.S. Army, the General of the Army.

United States

Sole owner of the service level - was also created for the Selbiger - was Henry H. Arnold. Arnold was under the Chief of Staff of the Army George C. Marshall since 1940, the commander of the U.S. Army Air Forces, the former air forces of the U.S. armed forces, an independent strike force were until 1947. On 14 December 1944, the U.S. Congress created by Public Law 482 the rank of General of the Army, which was finally enshrined final law on 23 March 1946. This five-star rank was necessary to face in transatlantic cooperation the British Field Marshal and Marshal of the Royal Air Force rank equivalents may moderate. Arnold was appointed on December 21, 1944 to the General of the Army and retired in 1946 from the service from. After the U.S. Air Force since 1947 formed an independent strike force in the form of the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Congress granted the rank of General of the Air Force, which was awarded on May 7, 1949 the retired Henry Arnold. Arnold has since been the only owner of this service level. He died on 15 January 1950.

The insignia of the five- star general, five arranged in a pentagonal pattern stars whose corners touch. Above that is the Great Seal of the United States.

NATO countries

In France, a Général d' Armée wears five stars, but is the general equivalent in other armies. The Maréchal de France even carry seven stars. They are therefore most comparable with the General of the Air Force or Field Marshal, and Marshal of France if not rank, but a title of honor, is now to be awarded posthumously frequently.

In the UK there is the Marshal of the Royal Air Force, in Generale d' Armata Aerea Italy to meet the General of the Air Force. These names are assigned only in case of war.

In Spain there is the Capitán General and Turkey to the Mareal also the NATO rank code OF- 10 belong to.