text: how many 5 star generals are there today? or whatever the highest rank military person is if it's not 5 star.  also, i saw online that 5 star is during war time only, so there should be 5 star now right?  what happens when war time is over?  do they go back down to 4 star general? there hasn't been a 5-star general since wwii.  once you do make 5-star, you'll probably too close to retirement.  if it's a field promotion (meaning someone died in battle and your next one up), the military have their right take your field promotion away.  but, being a 4-star promoted to 5-star, that probably won't happened (because of politics).  (my uncle was in the air force during the vietnam war.  he was tsgt in eod (explosive ordnance disposal).  he received a field promotion to colonel (because back then the air force didn't have eod officers just enlisted because they were under the base commander.  so they needed someone with a power and respect.  when the war was over and he returned to florida.  he got demoted back to tsgt, but he was able to keep his paygrade of a colonel.)  there isn't any public record of the exact number of 4 star generals and admirals because some of that information needs to be classified, but the roundabout number is: 800 (for all services, including the coast guards, national guards, and reserves).