Brigadier general Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces . It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries , usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general . When appointed to a field command , a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4 , 000 troops ( four battalions ) . In some countries a brigadier general is informally designated as a one - star general . In some countries , this rank is given the name of brigadier , which is often considered to not be a general - officer rank , but is usually equivalent to brigadier general in the armies of nations that use the rank . The rank can be traced back to the militaries of Europe where a brigadier general , or simply a brigadier , would command a brigade in the field . An alternative rank of " brigade general " was first used in the French revolutionary armies . In the first quarter of the 20th century , British and Commonwealth armies used the rank of brigadier general as a temporary appointment , or as an honorary appointment on retirement ; in the 1920s this practice changed to the use of brigadier , which was not classed as a general officer . Brazil and a few other countries use major general as the equivalent of brigadier general . Some of these countries then use the rank of colonel general to make four general - officer ranks . The naval equivalent is usually commodore . Insignia . Air Force insignia . This gallery displays Air Force brigadier general insignia if they are different from the Army brigadier general insignia . ( They usually are . ) < br > Note that in many Commonwealth countries , the equivalent air force rank is Air Commodore ( and in the Netherlands , it is simply Commodore ) . Brigadier general ranks by country . Argentina . The rank of brigadier general ( with some local variations ) is used in the Argentine Air Force . Unlike other armed forces of the World , the rank of " brigadier general " is actually the " highest " rank in the Air Force . This is due to the use of the rank of " brigadier " and its derivatives to designate all general officers in the Air Force : brigadier ( lowest general officer ) ; brigadier - major ( middle ) ; and brigadier - general ( highest ) . The rank of brigadier general is reserved for the Chief General Staff of the Air Force , as well as the Chief of the Joint General Staff if he should be an Air Force officer . The Argentine Army does not use the rank of brigadier - general , instead using brigade general ( ) which in turn is the lowest general officer before Divisional General ( ) and Lieutenant General ( ) . See also " Argentine Army officer rank insignia " . Australia . In the Australian Imperial Force during World War I , the rank of brigadier general was always temporary and held only while the officer was posted to a particular task , typically the command of a brigade . When posted elsewhere , the rank would be relinquished and the former rank resumed . This policy prevented an accumulation of high - ranking general officers brought about by the relatively high turnover of brigade commanders . Brigadier general was also used as an honorary rank on retirement . The rank insignia was like that of the current major general , but without the star / pip - . As in the United Kingdom , the rank was later replaced by brigadier . Hence , prior to 1922 , a " brigadier general " was a " general officer " ; subsequently , brigadiers were not " generals " ; this is shown by the rank insignia being like that of a colonel , but with an extra ( third ) star / pip - . Bangladesh . Prior to 2001 , the Bangladesh Army rank was known as brigadier , in conformity with the rank structure of the Commonwealth Nations . In 2001 the Bangladesh Army introduced the rank of brigadier general , however " the grade stayed equivalent to brigadier " . It is the lowest ranking general officer , between the ranks of Colonel and Major General . Brigadier General is equivalent to commodore of the Bangladesh Navy and air commodore of the Bangladesh Air Force . It is still more popularly called " brigadier " ( one - star general ) . Belgium . The Belgian Army uses the rank of général de brigade ( French ) and brigadegeneraal ( Dutch ) ( " Brigade General " ) . However , in this small military there are no permanent promotions to this rank , and it is only awarded as a temporary promotion to a full colonel who assumes a post requiring the rank , notably in an international context ( e . g . as Military Attaché in a major embassy ) . Brazil . Brigadier General is the lowest rank amongst general officers of the Brazilian army . They wear two stars as this is the entry level for general officers in the Brazilian Army . In the Brazilian Air Force , the two - star , three - star and four - star ranks are known as " Brigadeiro " ( Brigadier ) , " Major - Brigadeiro " ( Major - Brigadier ) and " Tenente - Brigadeiro - do - Ar " ( Lieutenant - Air - Brigadier ) respectively . See Military ranks of Brazil and Brigadier # Officer rank in Latin America for more information . Canada . In the Canadian Forces , the rank of brigadier - general ( BGen ) ( " brigadier - général " or " bgén " in French ) is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a commodore of the Navy . A brigadier - general is the lowest rank of General Officer . A brigadier - general is senior to a colonel or naval captain , and junior to a major - general or rear admiral . The rank title " brigadier - general " is still used notwithstanding that brigades in the army are now commanded by colonels . Until the late 1990s brigades were commanded by brigadier - generals . In the air force context , brigadier - generals used to command air force " Groups " until these bodies were abolished in the late 1990s . The rank insignia for a brigadier - general is a single gold maple leaf beneath crossed sword and baton , all surmounted by St . Edward ' s Crown , worn on the shoulder strap s of the service dress jacket , and on slip - ons on other uniforms . The service dress jacket also features a wide strip of gold braid around the cuff . On the visor of the service cap are two rows of gold oak leaves ; the air force wedge cap features gold braid on the edges of the ear flaps . The cap insignia for a general officer is a modified version of the Canadian Forces insignia ; the collar insignia ( Army generals only ) is two crossed sabre s . Some brigadier - generals , by nature of holding a branch - specific appointment , may continue to wear the insignia of their personnel branch ; for example , the chaplain - general wears the general officer ' s cap insignia with the collar insignia of the Chaplain Branch , while the surgeon - general continues to wear the cap and collar insignia of the Canadian Forces Medical Service . Brigadier - generals are initially addressed verbally as " General " and name ; thereafter by subordinates as " Sir " or " Ma ' am " in English or " mon général " in French . They are normally entitled to staff car s . Note : Before unification in 1968 of the Royal Canadian Air Force , Canadian Army , and the Royal Canadian Navy , rank structure and insignia followed the British pattern . In army usage , the term " brigadier " was used to denote what is now known as a brigadier - general while the air force used the rank of Air Commodore . China . Chinese rank of ( Da - Xiao 大校 ) or " Senior Colonel " is a direct equivalent of a brigadier . It ranks above colonel ( Shang - Xiao 上校 ) and below major general ( Shao - Jiang 少将 ) . A brigadier is commonly in command of a division ( Shi 师 ) or a brigade ( Lu 旅 ) . Divisional commanders are seldom general officers . Colombia . The rank of brigadier general is the first general officer rank in the " Fuerzas Militares " , and the National Police . Denmark . Same as most NATO nations - first of general ranks - usually a brigade commander . Since Denmark is a NATO member ( and as of this writing the NATO secretary general being the former Danish prime minister ) Denmark has for many , many years been following NATO standards and adapting its rank system to closely relate . Estonia . In the Estonian military , the rank is called " Brigaadikindral " . France . France uses the rank of " brigade general " ( " général de brigade " ) . It formerly used the historic rank , until 1793 , of " brigadier des armées " ( " brigadier of the armies " ) . The rank contrasts with the French sub - officer rank of brigadier . As with all French general officers , a French brigade general is titled " general " without any implication that he is an army general ; for instance General De Gaulle never rose higher than brigade general . Until 1793 , a rank of " brigadier des armées " ( " brigadier of the armies " ) existed in the French Army , which could be described as a senior colonel or junior brigade commander . The normal brigade command rank was field marshal ( maréchal de camp ) ( which elsewhere is a more senior rank ) . A " brigadier of the armies " wore one - star and a " field marshal " wore two stars . During the French Revolution , the revolutionaries ' drive to rationalise the state led to a change in the system of ranks . The rank of " brigadier of the armies " was abolished and the normal brigade command rank , field marshal , was replaced by brigade general . The rank of brigade general inherited the two stars of the rank of field marshal , explaining the absence since 1793 of a French rank with only one star . Nowadays , a French " général de brigade " generally commands a brigade , which is the biggest permanent formation in the French army . The rank can also be awarded in an honorary fashion to retiring colonels . The insignias are two stars , worn on the shoulder are at the sleeve of the uniform , depending on the dress . Two different kepi s are issued : the service kepi sports the two - starts , while the formal kepi features a large band of oak leaves ( the kepi of a division general has two smaller such bands ) . Charles de Gaulle , held the rank of brigade general . He was given a temporary promotion to this rank in May 1940 as commander of the 4th Armoured Reserve Division ( " 4ème division cuirassée de réserve " ) . However his authority as head of the Free French really came from being the only cabinet member outside occupied France , not from his military rank . As a reminder of his war position , he refused any further promotion . Germany . The equivalent modern German rank is Brigadegeneral . The concept of a brigadier general rank is relatively new , as prior to 1945 the lowest German general officer rank was " Generalmajor " , which was often considered equivalent to brigadier general in other armies . Hungary . In Hungary the brigadier general is a relatively new military rank used from 1992 . The army and the air force insignia are not different . Indonesia . In Indonesia , " brigadir jenderal " ( abbreviated as " brigjen " ) is the fourth highest rank and the lowest general rank both in Polri and TNI . The insignia is a gold star . Iran . The equivalent rank for brigadier general in the Iranian army and air force is called " sar - tip " . In Persian the word " tip " means brigade , and " sar " means head or commander . After 1987 the rank " sar - tip dovom " ( second brigadier general ) was introduced between " sar - tip " and " sar - hang " ( colonel or literally head of regiment ) . There is no equivalent for " sar - tip dovom " in other countries . The rank above " sar - tip " is " sar - lashkar " . Lashkar means division so , " sar - lashkar " means divisional general ( major general ) . The Iranian Revolutionary Guards also use this rank ; the difference is in salutation . One refers an army or air force brigadier general as " amir sar - tip " , while a revolutionary guard general is referred to as " sardar sar - tip " . Major general is the highest Iranian military rank , and therefore brigadier general is considered to be second highest rank . It is equivalent to the rank of the commander of the air force , and commodore of the Navy . Ireland . The country is divided into two areas for administrative and operational reasons , and in each area there is an infantry Brigade . The two brigade group structure envisages distinct operational areas of responsibility for each of the brigades and is supported in its responsibilities by the Naval Service and Air Corps . Each of the Brigade formations and the Air Corps are commanded by a Brigadier General while the Naval Service is commanded by a Commodore . See also Brigade Commanders . Israel . In the Israel Defense Forces , the rank of brigadier general is called " tat aluf " and is the third highest rank , below " aluf " ( major general ) and " rav aluf " ( lieutenant general or general ) , and above " aluf mishne " ( colonel ) . Jordan . In the Jordanian military , the rank of brigadier general is known as " amid " , and it is higher than colonel ( " akeed " ) and lower than major general ( " liwa " ) . South Korea . The rank of brigadier general is known in South Korea as " junjang " ( ; hanja : 准將 ) and is a direct equivalent to the United States one - star rank , with very similar insignia . The military of North Korea does not technically maintain a brigadier general rank , but the rank of senior colonel ( 대좌 , " taejwa " ) which is above colonel ( 상좌 , " sangjwa " ) and below major general ( 소장 , " Sojang " ) is the effective equivalent . Burma ( Myanmar ) . The rank of brigadier general is known in Burma as " bo mhu gyoke " and is often the deputy commander of one of Burma ' s Regional Military Commands , commander of the light infantry division ( LID ) or Military Operation Commands . In civil service , a brigadier general often holds the office of deputy minister or director general of certain ministries . Mexico . In Mexico , brigade general is the rank below divisional general and , confusingly , the rank above brigadier general . A Mexican brigade general wears as rank insignia the arms of Mexico above two stars . ( A Mexican brigadier general wears the arms of Mexico above one star . ) Poland . Prior to 2002 , the Polish rank of " generał brygady " was equivalent to both the ranks of major general and brigadier general . Portugal . In the Portuguese Army and Air Force , " brigadeiro - general " is a temporary general rank for the colonels that have to exercise a special command . It is the equivalent of the commodore rank in the Portuguese Navy . The rank was reintroduced in 1999 . Before that , simply as " brigadeiro " , it existed from 1707 to 1864 and again from 1929 to 1947 , not being considered a general rank . From 1947 to 1999 , " brigadeiro " become the two - star general rank in the Portuguese Army . As two - star rank , it was substituted by the rank of major - general in 1999 . Spain . In the Spanish Army and Spanish Air Force , " general de brigada " is the lowest rank of general officers . Its equivalent in the Navy is " contraalmirante " . Sweden . In the Swedish Army and Swedish Air Force , " brigadgeneral " is the lowest rank of general officers . Its equivalent in the Navy is " flottiljamiral " . Turkey . In the Turkish Army and the Turkish Air Force , the equivalent rank is " tuğgeneral " ( the Turkish Navy equivalent would be " tuğamiral " ) . The name is derived from " tugay " , the Turkish word for a brigade . Both tugay and tuğ - as military terms may owe their origins to the older Turkish word " tuğ " , meaning horsetail , which was used as a symbol of authority and rank in Ottoman and pre - Ottoman times . United Kingdom . Brigadier - general was formerly a rank or appointment in the British Army and Royal Marines , and briefly in the Royal Air Force . It first appeared in the army in the reign of James II , but did not exist in the Royal Marines until 1913 . In the 1740s , the substantive rank of brigadier - general was suppressed , and thereafter brigadier - general was a temporary appointment only , bestowed on a colonel or lieutenant - colonel ( or on a colonel commandant in the Royal Marines ) for the duration of a specific command . The appointment was abolished in both the Army and the Marines in 1922 , being replaced in the Army by the appointments of colonel - commandant ( which already existed as a rank in the Marines ) and colonel on the staff . Colonel - commandant was in turn replaced by the appointment of brigadier in the Army in 1928 , and later , at some time between World War II and 1957 , in the Marines . From the formation of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918 until 31 July 1919 , it used the appointment of brigadier - general . This was superseded by the rank of air commodore on the following day . The rank insignia for appointment of the brigadier - general was a crossed sword and baton ; the insignia for higher grades of general consist of this device , with the addition of a star ( major general ) , crown ( lieutenant general ) , or both ( " full " general ) . The equivalent naval appointment was commodore . Brigadier is the highest field officer rank ( hence the absence of the word " general " ) , whereas brigadier - general was the lowest general officer " rank " . However , the two ranks are considered equal . United States . In the United States Army , United States Air Force and United States Marine Corps , a brigadier general is a one - star general officer . It is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral ( lower half ) in the other uniformed services .