text: 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).\n\n(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.)\n\nThere 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).