THE OTHER DAY I WENT TO A MEETING WITH KATHY.
THE MAN CONDUCTING THE MEETING WAS AN ARMY BRIGADIER GENERAL.
KATHY TOLD ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AND SHAKE HIS HAND.
HE WAS A REALLY NICE MAN.
HIS NAME WAS BRIGADIER GENERAL KEITH VICKERY.
KATHY IS VERY GOOD FRIENDS WITH HIS FATHER AND SHE IS A MEMBER OF HIS MARINE CORPS LEAGUE DETACHMENT FOR LIKE 12 YEARS.
A brigadier general in the
United States Army,
Air Force, and
Marine Corps, is a
one-star general officer, with the
pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a
colonel and below
major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of
rear admiral in the other
uniformed services.
History
The rank of Brigadier General has existed in the
United States armed forces since the
American Revolutionary War. A brigadier general was, at first, strictly an
infantry officer who commanded a
brigade; however, over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, the responsibilities of the rank expanded significantly.
During the period from March 16, 1802 to January 11, 1812, the rank of Major General was abolished and Brigadier General became the highest rank in the U.S. Army. Foreseeing the need for an expanded general staff in case of war, which seemed imminent, Congress restored the rank of Major General in January 1812. The first Brigadier General in the U.S. Marine Corps was
Commandant Archibald Henderson, promoted to the rank of
brevet Brigadier General in the 1830s for his service in the
Second Seminole War[
citation needed]. The first non-brevet Brigadier General in the Marines was Commandant
Jacob Zeilin who was promoted to the rank in 1874, but when he retired in 1876, Colonel once again became the highest rank in the Marines until March 1899 when Commandant
Charles Heywood was promoted. Ever since then the office of Commandant has been held by a general officer, with the permanent rank of the Commandant raised to Major General in 1908 and to first Lieutenant General and then General during World War II, which rank it has held ever since[
citation needed].
The insignia for a brigadier general is one silver star worn on the shoulder or collar, and has not changed since the creation of the rank two centuries ago. Since the
Mexican-American War, however, the lower rank of
colonel has been the normal rank appointed to command a brigade.
Today, an
Army or
Marine Corps "BG" typically serves as Deputy Commander to the Commanding General of a
division or division-sized units and assists in overseeing the planning and coordination of a mission. In an infantry brigade not attached to a division, a Brigadier General serves as the unit's commander, while a
Colonel serves as deputy commander. An
Air Force brigadier general typically commands a large
wing. Additionally, one-star officers of all services may serve as high-level staff officers in large military organizations.
