What exactly is a "general officer" and which ranks does that term cover?Expand
In the U.S. military, a “general officer” is a very senior commissioned officer who ranks above a colonel. In the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force, this covers four star‑levels:
Brigadier general (one‑star, O‑7)
Major general (two‑star, O‑8)
Lieutenant general (three‑star, O‑9)
General (four‑star, O‑10)
These officers typically command large organizations (like divisions, corps, major commands) or hold top‑level staff and leadership roles at the Pentagon or major headquarters.
How does the nomination and confirmation process for a general officer work?Expand
For U.S. general officers, promotions and certain assignments follow a set nomination and confirmation process:
Service & Pentagon selection: Each military service identifies officers to promote or move into key positions. The Department of War/Defense and Joint Staff review and approve a nomination package.
President’s nomination: The Secretary of War/Defense forwards the package to the President. The President formally nominates the officers for a specific higher rank and job.
Senate review: The nomination goes to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which vets the nominees. For the highest posts, the committee may hold hearings.
Full Senate vote: Nominations are usually approved in large groups (“en bloc”) by unanimous consent, but any senator can delay or force individual votes. A majority vote confirms the promotion.
Promotion and assumption of duties: After Senate confirmation and issuance of new orders, the officer is formally promoted (“pinned on”) and can fully assume the new rank and position.
The announcements dated December 18, 2025 state only that “the president” made the nominations. At that time, the official White House site identifies Donald J. Trump as President, so these general officer nominations were made by President Donald J. Trump.
Who is Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and what is his role in this announcement?Expand
Pete Hegseth is a former Army National Guard officer and TV host who, according to official biographies, has served since early 2025 as the U.S. Secretary of Defense, a role that the administration has rebranded as Secretary of War and the department as the Department of War. As Secretary, he is the senior civilian leader of the department and is responsible for managing the U.S. military under the President.
In this announcement his role is to publicly transmit and sign out the list of general officer nominations that the President has decided to send to the Senate. The actual legal nominations are made by the President and then require Senate confirmation; the Secretary’s press release is the formal public notice of that list.
Does the full Department of Defense release list the nominees' names and assignments, and where can I find that information?Expand
Yes. The full Department of War release does list each nominee by name, current job, the new rank they are being nominated for, and the assignment they would move into.
You can read the complete list directly at this official page:
What is the typical timeline from nomination to confirmation and assuming the new rank?Expand
There is no fixed timeline, but under normal conditions the pattern for general/flag officer nominations looks roughly like this:
Nomination to Senate confirmation: Historically averages about 1–2 months. An analysis of recent Congresses found an average of roughly 50–55 days from nomination to confirmation for general officers, with many clustered before major recesses.
Confirmation to assuming new rank/position: Often days to a few weeks as orders are cut, change‑of‑command or promotion ceremonies are scheduled, and the officer moves into the new role.
However, the timeline can stretch much longer if a senator places a “hold” or if there is political controversy; in recent years, blanket holds have delayed hundreds of general and flag officer promotions for many months.