Congress posthumously awarded George Washington the rank of General of the Armies during the 1976 Bicentennial, before America250.
Public Law 94-479, approved in 1976, provided that Washington would be considered the senior-ranking officer of the United States Army, past and present. The appointment recognized his leadership as commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
The wording matters because “General of the Armies” is a distinct title from “General of the Army.” The latter is a five-star rank created in the twentieth century, while General of the Armies is an exceptional rank associated with Washington and, later, John J. Pershing.
Washington had resigned his military commission after the Revolution and served as the nation’s first president. The Bicentennial legislation restored his symbolic position at the top of the nation’s military hierarchy without making him an active commander.