sentences:  It ranks above lieutenant general ("three-star general") and below General of the Army ("five-star general").There have been 242 four-star generals in the history of the U.S. Army.Of these, 228 achieved that rank while on active duty in the U.S. Army; eight were promoted after retirement; five were promoted posthumously; and one (George Washington) was appointed to that rank in the Continental Army, the U.S. Army's predecessor.