505:
490:
1596:
472:
1745:
54:
456:
1197:
1519:
1438:
1354:
440:
428:
521:
1114:
1274:
1102:
416:
promoted. Maintaining a three-star rank is a game of musical chairs; once an officer vacates a position bearing that rank, the officer must be appointed or reappointed to a job of equal or higher importance within 60 days or involuntarily retires. Historically, officers leaving three-star positions were allowed to revert to their permanent two-star ranks to mark time in lesser jobs until statutory retirement, but now such officers are expected to retire immediately to avoid obstructing the promotion flow.
1074:
1039:
86:
1088:
1060:
1081:
1053:
1095:
1032:
1046:
1751:
70:
1067:
1669:
374:
The three-star grade goes hand-in-hand with the position or office it is linked to, so the rank is temporary. Officers may only achieve three-star grade if they are appointed to positions that require the officer to hold such a rank. Their rank expires with the expiration of their term of office,
313:
is usually a vice admiral, either upon nomination or shortly thereafter. The
President may also add vice admirals to the Navy if they are offset by removing an equivalent number of three-star officers from other services. Finally, all statutory limits may be waived at the President's discretion
411:
Other than voluntary retirement, statute sets a number of mandates for retirement. Three-star officers must retire after 38 years of service unless appointed for promotion or reappointed to grade to serve longer. Otherwise all flag officers must retire the month after their 64th birthday. The
415:
Flag officers typically retire well in advance of the statutory age and service limits, so as not to impede the upward career mobility of their juniors. Since there is a finite number of three-star slots available to each service, typically one officer must leave office before another can be
304:
is capped at 162 for the U.S. Navy. For the Navy, no more than 20% of the service's active-duty flag officers may have more than two stars. Some of these slots can be reserved by statute. Officers serving in certain
Defense Agency Director positions such as the Director of the
402:
but these are rare, as they block other officers from being promoted. Some statutory limits under the U.S. Code can be waived in times of national emergency or war. Three-star ranks may also be given by act of
Congress but this is extremely rare.
504:
471:
455:
478:
254:
117:
489:
542:
342:
Although the rank of vice admiral exists in the NOAA Corps, its use is rare. Only three officers of the NOAA Corps or its ancestor organizations have reached the rank of vice admiral.
391:
before the appointee can take office and thus assume the rank. The standard tour length for most vice admiral positions is three years but some are set four or more years by statute.
350:
While the
Maritime Service has not been structurally organized since 1954, remnants of the service still commission officers for federal uniformed service, under the authority of the
439:
412:
Secretary of
Defense, however, can defer a three-star officer's retirement until the officer's 66th birthday and the president can defer it until the officer's 68th birthday.
379:
from any eligible officers holding the rank of rear admiral (lower half) or above, who also meet the requirements for the position, under the advice or suggestion of the
552:
547:
572:
1791:
1600:
462:
250:
176:
112:
537:
322:
By statute, no more than five vice admiral positions may exist in the Coast Guard and, if there are five, one must be the chief of staff of the Coast Guard.
166:
557:
562:
725:
1786:
877:
310:
631:
520:
427:
567:
363:
17:
649:
330:
By statute, the only U.S. Public Health
Service Commissioned Corps officer who holds the rank of vice admiral is the officer serving as
915:
1796:
1713:
1640:
1567:
1322:
351:
893:
278:
218:
366:
of the academy is appointed to the rank vice admiral due to their longevity in the position, or for prior military experience.
394:
Extensions of the standard tour length can be approved, within statutory limits, by their respective service secretaries, the
384:
359:
1698:
1625:
1552:
1307:
511:
331:
1182:
1718:
1645:
1572:
1327:
266:
204:
1500:
1476:
1416:
1392:
1255:
1235:
1172:
1152:
860:
845:
830:
699:
683:
665:
614:
596:
395:
380:
274:
262:
214:
1487:
1403:
1245:
1162:
1673:
577:
908:
376:
355:
258:
122:
1756:
These ranks are reserved for wartime use only, and are still listed as ranks within their respective services
1494:
1410:
1342:
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925:
1801:
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717:
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996:
629:
1210:
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161:
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1312:
1297:
923:
901:
446:
246:
107:
1451:
1367:
1456:
1426:
1372:
1215:
1132:
929:
306:
292:
explicitly limits the total number of vice admirals that may be on active duty at any given time.
74:
The shoulder stars, shoulder boards, and sleeve stripes of a U.S. Navy vice admiral of the "line".
1655:
1582:
1505:
1481:
1461:
1421:
1397:
1377:
1358:
1337:
1260:
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1220:
1177:
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1137:
772:
270:
194:
1678:
773:"Vice Admiral Joanna M. Nunan, 14th Superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy"
1605:
1287:
1127:
885:
647:
399:
1471:
1387:
1230:
1187:
1147:
1009:
1744:
53:
1683:
1610:
1537:
1528:
1447:
1363:
1292:
1123:
388:
238:
510:
Rank flag of a U.S. Public Health
Service Commissioned Corps vice admiral (serves as
8:
1759:
1278:
1118:
289:
242:
102:
59:
31:
1693:
1620:
1547:
1302:
375:
which is usually set by statute. Vice admirals are nominated for appointment by the
1739:
747:
864:
1738:
No official insignia and not currently listed by the Army as an obtainable rank.
881:
849:
834:
703:
687:
669:
656:
Pub.L. 110-181: National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 full text
653:
635:
618:
600:
151:
799:
1780:
1016:
495:
301:
35:
801:
Adm. Nunan’s assumption of command - United States
Merchant Marine Academy
479:
National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps
255:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps
118:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps
235:
498:
of a U.S. Coast Guard vice admiral (unrestricted line officer)
638:
Pub.L. 110-181: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
69:
884:
DoD News Briefing on Thursday, June 6, 1996. Retirement of Admiral
543:
List of United States Navy vice admirals on active duty before 1960
1750:
1101:
1094:
433:
U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, USPHSCC, NOAA Corps shoulder insignia
1087:
1080:
1073:
1066:
1059:
1052:
1045:
1038:
1031:
526:
Rank flag of a NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps vice admiral
325:
309:(DLA), when filled by a naval officer, are vice admirals. The
34:
rank. For other countries that use a Vice Admiral rank, see
477:
The collar stars, shoulder boards, and sleeve stripes of a
461:
The collar stars, shoulder boards, and sleeve stripes of a
445:
The collar stars, shoulder boards, and sleeve stripes of a
158:
826:
824:
822:
820:
818:
553:
List of United States Navy vice admirals from 2010 to 2019
548:
List of United States Navy vice admirals from 2000 to 2009
573:
List of United States Coast Guard tombstone vice admirals
387:. The nominee must be confirmed via majority vote by the
815:
748:"46 U.S. Code § 51701 - United States Maritime Service"
463:
United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
251:
United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
113:
United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
538:
List of active duty United States three-star officers
358:, to serve as administrators and instructors at the
558:
List of United States Navy vice admirals since 2020
58:Flag of the vice admiral of the Unrestricted Line,
706:– Grades, ranks, and titles of commissioned corps.
679:
677:
563:List of United States Navy tombstone vice admirals
337:
311:Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy
1778:
1736:No universal insignia for officer candidate rank
1792:Military ranks of the United States Coast Guard
674:
568:List of United States Coast Guard vice admirals
610:
608:
369:
909:
722:NOAA Commissioned Personnel Center Cyberflash
641:
326:U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
797:
273:. Vice admiral is equivalent to the rank of
605:
383:, the applicable service secretary, or the
1764:Grade has never been created or authorized
916:
902:
718:"NOAA Corps Commissioned Personnel Center"
314:during time of war or national emergency.
1787:Military ranks of the United States Navy
623:
345:
219:uniformed services of the United States
14:
1779:
716:Adams, Amilynn E. (December 9, 2016).
897:
777:United States Merchant Marine Academy
728:from the original on October 18, 2022
715:
385:Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
27:Three-star commissioned naval officer
512:Surgeon General of the United States
332:Surgeon General of the United States
317:
284:
24:
25:
1813:
924:United States uniformed services
798:Media Center (December 2, 2022).
752:LII / Legal Information Institute
709:
265:of O-9. Vice admiral ranks above
1797:United States Navy vice admirals
1762:for use but has not been created
1749:
1743:
1667:
1594:
1517:
1436:
1352:
1272:
1195:
1112:
1100:
1093:
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1079:
1072:
1065:
1058:
1051:
1044:
1037:
1030:
519:
503:
488:
470:
454:
438:
426:
300:The total number of active-duty
84:
68:
52:
869:
854:
839:
791:
765:
724:. U.S. Department of Commerce.
578:U.S. Navy officer rank insignia
338:NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps
943:Pay grade / branch of service
740:
693:
659:
590:
259:United States Maritime Service
123:United States Maritime Service
13:
1:
583:
406:
360:U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
295:
18:Vice Admiral (United States)
7:
1758:Grade is authorized by the
531:
370:Appointment and tour length
352:secretary of transportation
10:
1818:
1735:
419:
29:
937:
880:December 1, 2009, at the
447:United States Coast Guard
247:United States Coast Guard
210:
200:
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182:
172:
157:
147:
139:
131:
108:United States Coast Guard
95:
79:
67:
51:
45:
307:Defense Logistics Agency
91:United States of America
30:This article is about a
652:March 18, 2012, at the
634:March 18, 2012, at the
886:Leighton W. Smith Jr.
346:U.S. Maritime Service
926:commissioned officer
811:– via YouTube.
396:Secretary of Defense
381:Secretary of Defense
362:. Occasionally, the
239:commissioned officer
1802:Three-star officers
398:, the President or
779:. February 3, 2023
290:United States Code
279:uniformed services
275:lieutenant general
243:United States Navy
215:Lieutenant general
103:United States Navy
60:United States Navy
32:United States Navy
1774:
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1769:
1768:
1742:'s GAS insignia:
930:officer candidate
481:vice admiral
465:vice admiral
449:vice admiral
225:
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16:(Redirected from
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690:– Vice admirals.
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318:U.S. Coast Guard
285:Statutory limits
230:(abbreviated as
211:Equivalent ranks
191:Next higher rank
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666:10 U.S.C.
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364:superintendent
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132:Abbreviation
46:Vice admiral
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36:Vice admiral
1524:Coast Guard
1443:Space Force
865:§ 1253
783:February 3,
261:, with the
1781:Categories
1674:NOAA Corps
948:candidate
850:§ 636
835:§ 601
807:August 14,
757:August 14,
704:§ 207
688:§ 305
670:§ 527
619:§ 525
601:§ 526
584:References
407:Retirement
269:and below
257:, and the
236:three-star
152:Three-star
140:Rank group
1760:U.S. Code
1748:(collar)
1601:PHS Corps
1359:Air Force
1025:Insignia
732:March 22,
496:Rank flag
377:President
356:president
296:U.S. Navy
263:pay grade
183:Formation
173:Pay grade
162:rank code
1488:Brig Gen
1404:Brig Gen
1017:Special
878:Archived
726:Archived
650:Archived
632:Archived
532:See also
400:Congress
354:and the
1495:Maj Gen
1411:Maj Gen
1010:Wartime
946:Officer
420:Gallery
271:admiral
234:) is a
195:Admiral
143:Officer
80:Country
1501:Lt Gen
1477:Lt Col
1462:1st Lt
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1279:Navy
1246:BGen
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1211:Cand
1207:Midn
1119:Army
1004:O-10
928:and
809:2024
785:2023
759:2024
734:2021
232:VADM
186:1864
167:OF-8
159:NATO
148:Rank
135:VADM
1704:CDR
1684:ENS
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1631:CDR
1611:ENS
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1538:ENS
1529:CDT
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1293:ENS
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1188:GAS
1178:GEN
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997:O-9
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983:O-7
977:O-6
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967:O-4
962:O-3
957:O-2
952:O-1
177:O-9
1783::
1694:LT
1679:OC
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