List of United States Air Force four - star generals This is a complete list of four - star generals in the United States Air Force . The rank of general ( or " full general " , or " four - star general " ) is the highest rank normally achievable in the U . S . Air Force . It ranks above lieutenant general ( " three - star general " ) and below General of the Air Force ( " five - star general " ) . There have been 194 four - star generals in the history of the U . S . Air Force . Of these , 189 achieved that rank while on active duty , 3 were promoted after retirement , and one was promoted posthumously . Generals entered the Air Force via several paths : 60 were commissioned via the U . S . Military Academy ( USMA ) , 49 via the aviation cadet program , 31 via Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps ( AFROTC ) at a civilian university , 30 via the U . S . Air Force Academy ( USAFA ) , 9 via AFROTC at a senior military college , 6 via Air Force Officer Training School ( OTS ) , 4 via the U . S . Naval Academy ( USNA ) , 2 via direct commission , one via Reserve Officer Training Corps ( ROTC ) at a civilian university , one via the Army National Guard ( ARNG ) , and one via the Royal Canadian Air Force ( RCAF ) . List of generals . Entries in the following list of four - star generals are indexed by the numerical order in which each officer was promoted to that rank while on active duty , or by an asterisk ( * ) if the officer did not serve in that rank while on active duty . Each entry lists the general ' s name , date of rank , active - duty positions held while serving at four - star rank , number of years of active - duty service at four - star rank ( Yrs ) , year commissioned and source of commission , number of years in commission when promoted to four - star rank ( YC ) , and other biographical notes . The list is sortable by last name , date of rank , number of years of active - duty service at four - star rank , year commissioned , and number of years in commission when promoted to four - star rank . Timeline . 1940 - present . The modern rank of general was established by the Officer Personnel Act of 1947 , which authorized the President to designate certain positions of importance to carry that rank . Officers appointed to such positions bear temporary four - star rank while so serving , and are allowed to retire at that rank if their performance is judged satisfactory . The total number of active - duty four - star generals in the Air Force is limited to a fixed percentage of the number of Air Force general officers serving at all ranks . Within the Air Force , the chief of staff ( CSAF ) and vice chief of staff ( VCSAF ) are four - star generals by statute . Other four - star generals occupy positions of designated importance ; historically , these have included the commanders responsible for strategic bombers and nuclear missiles ( SAC / STRATCOM ) ; tactical air combat ( TAC / ACC ) ; air transport ( MAC / TRANSCOM ) ; North American aerospace defense ( NORAD ) ; the Air Force formations in Europe and the Pacific ; and other training , readiness , and materiel organizations . The Air Force also competes with the other services for a number of joint four - star positions , such as the chairman ( CJCS ) and vice chairman ( VCJCS ) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . Other joint four - star positions have included unified combatant commanders and certain NATO staff positions .