Military career of George Washington

General of the Armies George Washington
Portrait of George Washington in military uniform, painted by Rembrandt Peale, c. 1850
Born	(1732-02-22)February 22, 1732 Westmoreland County, Virginia
Died	December 14, 1799(1799-12-14) (aged 67) Mount Vernon
Allegiance	Great Britain United States
Years of service	1752–1758 – British provincial militia 1775–1783 – Continental Army 1798–1799 – United States Army
Rank	Major 1752–1754 Lieutenant Colonel 1754–1755 Colonel 1755–1758 General 1775–1783 Lieutenant General 1798–1799 General of the Armies 1976–present (posthumous)
Commands held	Colonel, Virginia Regiment General and Commander-in-chief, Continental Army Commander-in-chief, United States Army

This article is part of a series about George Washington
Early life Family Military career Electoral history American Revolution Virginia Association Commander in Chief of the Continental Army Valley Forge Battle of Trenton Mount Vernon Conference 1787 Constitutional Convention 1st President of the United States Presidency (Timeline) First term 1788–89 election 1st inauguration Judiciary Act Whiskey Rebellion Thanksgiving Presidential title Coinage Act Residence Act District of Columbia Second term 1792 election 2nd inauguration Neutrality Act Jay Treaty Judicial appointments Rutledge Supreme Court nomination Farewell Address Legacy Legacy Memorials Depictions Slavery Papers Library Bibliography
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The military career of George Washington spanned over forty-five years of service (1752–1799). Washington's service can be broken into three periods, French and Indian War, American Revolutionary War, and the Quasi-War with France, with service in three different armed forces (British provincial militia, the Continental Army, and the United States Army).

Because of Washington's importance in the early history of the United States of America, he was granted a posthumous promotion to General of the Armies of the United States, legislatively defined to be the highest possible rank in the US Army, more than 175 years after his death.