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From: bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: US 5-star generals
Message-ID: <1991Feb27.021351.22291@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 27 Feb 91 02:13:51 GMT
References: <1991Feb26.012607.6828@cbnews.att.com>
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From: bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt)

> From: carroll@cs.uiuc.edu (Alan M. Carroll)
> Can anyone tell me about 5 star generals in the US?  In particular,
> can you only become a ***** during wartime? 

  The answer is no.  Congress, in fact, authroizes the numbers of officers
  in grades - and would 'authorize' the rank of 5-star.  Today - there are
  none - and not exptected to be any created.

> Does a ***** get demoted
> after the war, or does he keep his rank? 

  No he wouldn't.  Officers don't get "demoted".  There used to be (WWII -
  Korea) and grade structure of "temporary" and "permanent" grades.  After
  WWII and Korea, officers were "returned" to their permanent grades - normally
  one or two grades below their "temporary" grade.  They wouldn't get 
  'demoted' and they would keep their rank.

> How many stars do Powell and
> Schwarzkopf have? (The seem to only have 4 on their collars, but I'm
> not sure).

  Powell and Schwarzkopf are both 4-star Generals - the highest rank 
  currently authorized.   Powell, as Chairman, JCS is Schwarzkopf's 
  "boss" because Central Command is probably a "joint" specified command
  (staffed by all services) thereby reporting to JCS and not the Army Chief
  of Staff.

  Operational chains of command can be very dynamic.

  During Vietnam, Westmoreland's immediate supervisor was Admiral Ulysses
  S. Grant Sharp, Commander-in-Chief Pacific Command, Hawaii - not JCS.   


  mike schmitt


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