Marshal Marshal ( also spelled marshall , esp . in British English ) is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society . As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe , the title grew in reputation . During the last few centuries , it has been used for elevated offices , such as in military rank and civilian law enforcement . Etymology . " Marshal " is an ancient loanword from Old ( Norman ) French , cf . modern French " maréchal " , which in turn is borrowed from Old Frankish * " marhskalk " " stable boy , keeper , servant , " still evident in Middle Dutch " maerscalc " , " marscal " " id . " , modern Dutch " maarschalk " " military commander " ( the meaning influenced by the French ) . It is cognate with Old High German " mar ( ah ) - scalc " " id . " , modern German " Marschall " " military commander " ( the meaning influenced by the French ) . It originally meant " stable keeper , " from Germanic " * marha - " " horse " ( cf . Engl . " mare " ) and " skalk - " " servant " ( cf . Old Engl . " scealc " " servant , soldier " ) . This " stable servant " origin is retained in the current French name for " farrier " : " maréchal - ferrant " . The late Roman and Byzantine title of " comes stabuli " ( " count of the stable " ) was adopted as a Latin analogue , which has become English " constable " ( cf . French ( obsolete ) " connétable " ) . Military . In many countries , the rank of marshal , cf . field marshal , is the highest army rank , outranking other general officer s . The equivalent navy rank is often admiral of the fleet . Marshals are typically , but not exclusively , appointed only in wartime . In many countries , especially in Europe , the special symbol of a marshal is a baton , and their insignia often incorporate batons . In some countries , the term " marshal " is used instead of " general " in the higher air force ranks . The four highest Royal Air Force ranks are marshal of the Royal Air Force , air chief marshal , air marshal and air vice marshal ( although the first named , which has generally been suspended as a peacetime rank , is the only one which can properly be considered a marshal ) . The five - star rank of marshal of the Air Force is used by some Commonwealth and Middle Eastern air forces . In the French Army and some armies based on the French Army , " maréchal des logis " ( " marshal - of - lodgings " ) is a cavalry term equivalent to sergeant . Some historical rulers have used special " marshal " titles to reward certain subjects . Though not strictly military ranks , these honorary titles have been exclusively bestowed upon successful military leaders , such as the famous grand marshal of Ayacucho Antonio José de Sucre . Most famous are the marshals of France ( " Maréchaux de France " ) , not least under Napoleon I . Another such title was that of " Reich marshal " ( " Reichsmarschall " ) , bestowed upon Hermann Göring by Adolf Hitler , although it was never a regular title . In England during the First Barons ' War the title " Marshal of the Army of God " was bestowed upon Robert Fitzwalter by election . Both the Soviet Union and Russia have army general as well as " marshal " in their rank system , the latter being largely an honorary rank . Marshal ranks by country . The following articles discuss the rank of marshal as used by specific countries : See also : Marshal equivalents . These ranks are considered the equivalent to a marshal : Military police . The name is also applied to the leader of military police organizations . Civilian . Political . Poland . Apart from its military uses , the Polish word " marszałek " ( marshal ) also refers to certain political offices : Demonstration marshal . Demonstration marshals , also called stewards , are used by the organizers of large or controversial demonstrations , rallies and protest s , to help ensure the safety of the participants . They are especially important for preventing infiltration by agents provocateurs . Law enforcement . The word " Maréchaussée " seems to derive from the Old French name " Maréchaux " given to an ancient court of justice in Paris called the " Tribunal of Constable s and Marshals of France " . These constables and marshals were to become members of the " Gendarmerie " , which served as a model for the police forces of both Belgium and the Netherlands . The term " Maréchaussée " was also used for the Continental Army ' s military police during the American Revolution . In the Netherlands today , the " Koninklijke Marechaussee " is a national military police service similar to the French " Gendarmerie " . United States . In the United States , " marshal " is used particularly for various types of law enforcement officers . Federal marshals . The federal court system in the United States is organized into 94 federal judicial districts , each with a court ( and one or several judges ) , a United States Attorney with assistants such as prosecutors and government lawyers , and one marshal , appointed by the president , in charge of federal law enforcement . The courts are part of the independent judicial branch of the government , while the marshals and US attorneys are part of the Department of Justice in the executive branch . In actual practice , the US marshal for the district primarily oversees court security , and has a unit of appointed deputies and special deputies . ( Other law enforcement operations and the federal prison system are handled by a variety of federal police agencies . ) The United States Marshals Service is a professional , civil service unit of federal police , part of the system of marshals , made up of career law enforcement personnel rather than the appointed district marshals . The US Marshals Service assists with court security and prisoner transport , asset forfeiture , serves arrest warrant s and seeks fugitive s . The Federal Air Marshal Service is a separate armed federal law enforcement service employed to protect commercial airliners from the threat of aircraft hijacking . These officers work for the executive branch of the US government . The US Supreme Court maintains its own , separate Marshal of the United States Supreme Court , who also controls the US Supreme Court Police , a security police service answerable to the court itself , rather than to the president or attorney general . It handles security for the Supreme Court building and for the justices personally , and undertakes whatever other missions the court may require or assign . United Kingdom . England . William Marshal , 1st Earl of Pembroke , rose from obscurity due to his courage and skill as a knight , and he served four kings , ultimately becoming one of the most powerful men in Europe . Before him , the hereditary title of " marshal " designated the head of household security for the King of England ; however , by the time he died in 1219 , people throughout Europe ( not just England ) referred to William Marshal simply as " the marshal " . In 1595 , Queen Elizabeth I issued letters patent giving powers to a marshal to maintain order within the City of London . Later , an under - marshal and six city marshalmen were appointed to assist the marshal in his duties . As a result of the Police Acts of 1829 and 1839 , the marshal ' s role changed significantly ; however , there is still one city marshal ( , currently Colonel Billy King - Harman , CBE , who acts as peacekeeper to the Lord Mayor of London , leading processions and representing the Lord Mayor at all Entries of Troops ( challenging and then escorting those few regiment s entitled to march though the City of London ) . Scotland . The office of " marischal of Scotland " ( " marascallus Scotie " or " marscallus Scotie " ) had been held heritably by the senior member of the Keith family since Hervey de Keith , who held the office of marischal under Malcolm IV and William I . The descendant of Herveus , Sir Robert de Keith ( d . 1332 ) , was confirmed in the office of " Great Marischal of Scotland " by Robert Bruce around 1324 . Robert de Keith ' s great - grandson , William , was raised to the peerage as Earl Marischal by James II in about 1458 . The peerage died out when George Keith , the 10th Earl , forfeited it by joining the Jacobite Rising of 1715 . The marischal was to serve as custodian of the Royal Regalia of Scotland , and protect the king ' s person when attending parliament . The former duty was fulfilled by the 7th Earl during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms , who hid the Royal Regalia at Dunnottar Castle . The role of regulation of heraldry carried out by the English Earl Marshal is carried out in Scotland by the Lord Lyon King of Arms . The separate office of Knight Marischal was first created for the Scottish coronation of Charles I in 1633 . The office is not heritable , although it has been held by members of the Keith family . France . In France , the " Maréchaussée " was the forerunner of the French " Gendarmerie " . A military corps having such duties was first created in 1337 , placed under the command of the Constable of France , and named the " connétablie " . In 1626 after the abolition of the title of " connétable " , it was put under the command of the " Maréchal of France , " and renamed the " Maréchaussée " . Its main mission was to protect the roads from highwaymen . The " maréchaussée " was a mounted military police force organised and equipped along military lines . The force wore uniforms similar to those of the dragoons of the regular army and carried the same muskets and sabres . While its existence ensured the relative safety of French rural districts and roads , the " maréchaussée " was regarded in contemporary England ( which had no effective police force of any nature ) as a symbol of foreign tyranny . In 1789 , on the eve of the French Revolution , the " maréchaussée " numbered 3 , 660 men divided into small detachments called brigade s . By law dated 16 February 1791 , this force was renamed the " gendarmerie nationale , " though its personnel and role remained unchanged . The new designation was derived from that of " gens d ' armes , " who were originally heavy cavalry in the king ' s household , the equivalent of the " Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms " . Netherlands . In the Netherlands , the " Koninklijke Marechaussee " are the " gendarmerie " force created by King William I to replace the French " gendarmerie " on October 26 , 1814 . The word " gendarmerie " had gained a negative connotation , so William called the new force " " marechaussée " " ( an alternate French word for " gendarmerie " ) . At that time , the " marechaussee " was part of the army ( " landmacht " ) . The " marechaussee " performed police duties for the army , as well as civilian police work as a part of the national police ( " rijkspolitie " ) . The " marechaussee " formed the only police force in many small cities like Venlo , especially in the southern provinces of Limburg and North Brabant . As of 1998 , the " marechaussee " is a separate branch of the Dutch military , and is assigned both military and civilian police tasks . Fiction . Science fiction . The rank of marshal has made frequent appearances in works of science fiction , both in live action productions and literature . Star Wars . In the universe of " Star Wars " , the rank of marshal may be connected to the TIE fighter forces . Marshall are the ranks held by senior TIE fighter commanders , equivalent to Imperial Navy Admirals . Several sources of the Star Wars Expanded Universe have listed the following marshal ranks of the starfighter service . Fantasy . Other . In Mercedes Lackey ' s fictional country of Valdemar , one of the country ' s most important ranks is that of lord marshal .