The last person to hold the five-star rank of General of the Army in the United States was Omar Bradley, who was promoted to the position in September 1950. The five-star rank (officially "General of the Army" or "Fleet Admiral") was created during World War II to ensure American commanders had equal standing with their high-ranking Allied counterparts. Only nine men in U.S. history have held a five-star rank, including famous figures like George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Following Bradley’s death in 1981, the rank has remained dormant, as it is traditionally reserved for times of major world conflict where the scale of the military requires such a high level of command hierarchy. While there is occasional talk in 2026 of reviving the rank for modern geopolitical complexities, it remains an honorary peak of American military history, with the "four-star" General being the current highest active rank.