What military rank was posthumously awarded to George Washington during the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial?

George Washington was posthumously awarded the rank of General of the Armies during the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial.

Congress passed Public Law 94-479 in 1976, making Washington the senior-ranking military officer in United States history. The appointment was effective July 4, 1976, the Bicentennial anniversary of American independence. The honor recognized Washington’s leadership of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and his lasting place in United States military history.

The exact title is “General of the Armies of the United States,” not “General of the Army.” The latter is a separate five-star rank created during World War II. Washington’s title was deliberately written to place him above all other U.S. military officers, past and present.

Washington had already been appointed a lieutenant general in 1798. The 1976 action elevated his status retrospectively and made the Bicentennial date part of the formal history of the highest U.S. military rank.