Major general (United States)

Major General
Two-star insignia of the rank of major general. Style and method of wear may vary between different uniforms and different service branches.
Shoulder boards
Country United States
Service branch
Abbreviation
  • MG (Army)
  • MajGen (Marine Corps)
  • Maj Gen (Air Force, Space Force)
RankTwo-star
NATO rank codeOF-7
Non-NATO rankO-8
Next higher rankLieutenant general
Next lower rankBrigadier general
Equivalent ranks

In the United States Armed Forces, a major general is a two-star general officer in the United States Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force.

A major general ranks above a brigadier general and below a lieutenant general.[Note 1] The pay grade of major general is O-8. It is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other United States uniformed services which use naval ranks. It is abbreviated as MG in the Army, MajGen in the Marine Corps, and Maj Gen in the Air Force and Space Force.

Major general is the highest permanent peacetime rank that can be conferred upon a commissioned officer in the uniformed services (except when General of the Army & General of the Air Force have been authorized and granted by Congress) as higher ranks are technically temporary and linked to specific positions, although virtually all officers promoted to those ranks are approved to retire at their highest earned rank. A major general typically commands division-sized units of 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers.

The Civil Air Patrol also uses the rank of major general, which is its highest rank and is held only by its national commander.
Cite error: There are <ref group=Note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=Note}} template (see the help page).