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33-503: Admiral Harold Page Smith (February 17, 1904 – January 4, 1993) was a United States Navy four-star admiral who served as Commander in Chief, United States Naval Forces Europe /Commander in Chief, United States Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean from 1960 to 1963 and Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic/Commander in Chief, Allied Command Atlantic /Commander in Chief, United States Atlantic Fleet from 1963 to 1965. Smith attended

66-407: A position bearing that rank, they have no more than 60 days to be appointed or reappointed to a position of equal importance before they must involuntarily retire. Historically, officers leaving four-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

99-436: Is always used when referring to a four-star admiral, and informally "Full Admiral", "Four-star Admiral" (or simply four-star), or "O-10" (in reference to pay grade). The informal terms are used to distinguish a four-star admiral from the lower-ranking admirals who may also be referred to as "Admiral". The United States Navy did not have any admirals until 1862, because many people felt the title too reminiscent of royalty—such as

132-537: The British Royal Navy —to be used in the new nation's navy. Others saw the need for ranks above captain, among them John Paul Jones , who pointed out that the Navy had to have officers who "ranked" with army generals. He also felt there must be ranks above captain to avoid disputes among senior captains. The various secretaries of the navy repeatedly recommended to Congress that admiral ranks be created because

165-584: The President from any eligible officers holding the rank of rear admiral (lower half) or above, who also meets the requirements for the position, under the advice and/or suggestion of their respective department secretary, service secretary, and if applicable the joint chiefs. For some specific positions, statute allows the President to waive those requirements for a nominee whom he deems would serve national interests. The nominee must be confirmed via majority vote by

198-558: The Senate before the appointee can take office and thus assume the rank. The standard tour length for most four-star positions is three years, bundled as a two-year term plus a one-year extension, with the following exceptions: Extensions of the standard tour length can be approved, within statutory limits, by their respective service secretaries, the secretary of defense, the President, and/or Congress but these are rare, as they block other officers from being promoted. Some statutory limits under

231-490: The United States date from March 11, 1869, when General Order Number 90 specified that for their "undress" uniforms admirals would wear a two-inch stripe with three half-inch stripes above it and vice admirals the two-inch stripe with two half-inch stripes above it. The rear admiral got his two-inch stripe and one half-inch stripe in 1866. The sleeve stripes had been more elaborate. When the rear admiral rank started in 1862

264-489: The United States Naval Academy and graduated in its class of 1924. He served aboard USS  Idaho  (BB-42) , USS  Arizona  (BB-39) , USS  Nevada  (BB-36) , USS  Procyon  (AG-11) , USS  Farragut  (DD-348) , USS  Marblehead  (CL-12) , USS  Stewart  (DD-224) , and USS  Missouri  (BB-63) . This biographical article related to

297-447: The gun salute for Admiral of the Navy was set to 19, the equivalent salute for a British field marshal or admiral of the fleet . More four-star officers were appointed after an act authorizing the temporary grade of admiral for three fleet commanders-in-chief was passed in 1915. In terms of insignia, Dewey appears in a photograph soon after his promotion wearing the sleeve stripes last worn by Admiral David Dixon Porter , which are

330-442: The 1860s wore the same number of stars on their shoulders as admirals of corresponding grades do today. In 1899, the navy's one admiral (Dewey) and 18 rear admirals put on the new shoulder marks, as did the other officers when wearing their white uniforms, but kept their stars instead of repeating the sleeve cuff stripes. During the 20th century, the ranks of the modern U.S. admiralty were firmly established. An oddity that did exist

363-453: The Armies, but a previous bill submitted for its re-establishment on February 25, 1944, failed to be passed into law. Congress passed Pub.L. 78-482 on December 14, 1944, creating the rank of fleet admiral, without re-establishing the rank of Admiral of the Navy. As such, the rank remained nonexistent. By 1955, the Navy concluded that the rank was honorary. And while it held to the belief that

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396-520: The Navy . He held that rank until he died in 1917. Nobody has since held that title. In 1944, Congress approved the five-star grade of fleet admiral . The first to hold it were William D. Leahy , Ernest J. King , and Chester W. Nimitz . The Senate confirmed their appointments December 15, 1944. Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey got his fifth star in December 1945. None has been appointed since. The sleeve stripes now used by admirals and vice admirals in

429-506: The Navy wanted to re-establish and elevate Admiral of the Navy be equivalent to General of the Armies , but it could not legally do so without a congressional act. The Navy's chief of naval personnel , Vice Admiral Randall Jacobs, testified before the Committee on Naval Affairs of the House of Representatives , recommending that the rank of Admiral of the Navy should be made equivalent to General of

462-636: The Navy, the chief of naval operations and vice chief of naval operations are admirals; for the Coast Guard the commandant of the coast guard and vice commandant of the coast guard are admirals; for the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the Assistant Secretary for Health is an admiral if they hold an appointment to the regular corps. There are several exceptions to these limits allowing more than allotted within

495-608: The Navy." The collar and shoulder insignia were four silver stars, with gold foul anchors under the two outermost stars. In 1944, with the establishment of the rank of fleet admiral, the Department of the Navy specified in a Bureau of Navigation memo that "the rank of Fleet Admiral of the United States Navy shall be considered the senior most rank of the United States Navy". As Dewey had been deceased for nearly thirty years, no comparison between his rank and that of fleet admiral

528-447: The President's discretion during time of war or national emergency. Four-star grades go hand-in-hand with the positions of office they are linked to, so these ranks are temporary. Officers may only achieve four-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, which is usually set by statute. Admirals are nominated for appointment by

561-460: The Secretary of Defense can defer a four-star officer's retirement until the officer's 66th birthday and the President can defer it until the officer's 68th birthday. Since there are a limited number of four-star slots available to each service, typically one officer must leave office before another can be promoted. Maintaining a four-star rank is a game of musical chairs ; once an officer vacates

594-538: The Senate approved Dewey to the grade of "Admiral of the Navy," retroactive to March 2, 1899. The Navy Register of 1904 listed Dewey for the first time as "Admiral of the Navy" instead of "Admiral." Though this clarified the grade's unique title, the precedence of the new rank was still considered "four star", equivalent to general in the army, in the US Navy Regulations of 1909. In the U.S. Navy Regulations of 1913,

627-421: The U.S. Code can be waived in times of national emergency or war. Admiral ranks may also be given by act of Congress but this is extremely rare. Other than voluntary retirement, statute sets a number of mandates for retirement. Four-star officers must retire after 40 years of service unless reappointed to grade to serve longer. Otherwise all flag officers must retire the month after their 64th birthday. However,

660-565: The United States Navy is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Admiral (United States) Since the five-star grade of fleet admiral has not been used since 1946, the grade of admiral is the highest appointment an officer can achieve in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Formally, "Admiral"

693-470: The appointment of a vice admiral from among the nine rear admirals: David Farragut . Another bill allowed the President of the United States to appoint Farragut to admiral on July 25, 1866, and David Dixon Porter to vice admiral . When Farragut died in 1870, Porter became admiral and Stephen C. Rowan was promoted to vice admiral. Even after they died, Congress did not allow the promotion of any of

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726-598: The commander of that command is also the Supreme Allied Commander , Europe. Officers serving in certain intelligence positions are not counted against either limit, including the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency . The President may also add admirals to the Navy if they are offset by removing an equivalent number of four-stars from other services. Finally, all statutory limits may be waived at

759-413: The creation of the grade of Admiral of the Navy. On March 3, President McKinley transmitted to the Senate his nomination of Dewey for the new grade, which was approved the same day. But McKinley's nomination had used the term "Admiral in the Navy," while the act creating the new grade had used "Admiral of the Navy." On March 14, 1903, this discrepancy was addressed when President Roosevelt nominated and

792-510: The other navies of the world used them and American senior officers were "often subjected to serious difficulties and embarrassments in the interchange of civilities with those of other nations." Congress finally authorized nine rear admirals on July 16, 1862, although that was probably more for the needs of the rapidly expanding navy during the American Civil War than any international considerations. Two years later, Congress authorized

825-613: The promotion flow. Admiral of the Navy Admiral of the Navy was the highest-possible rank in the United States Navy , prior to the creation of fleet admiral in 1944. The rank is considered to be at least equivalent to that of a five-star admiral, with Admiral George Dewey being the only officer to be appointed to the rank. The rank has only been awarded once, to George Dewey , in recognition of his victory at Manila Bay in 1898. On March 2, 1899, Congress approved

858-566: The rank was equivalent to General of the Armies, the Navy amended its regulations to establish fleet admiral as its highest achievable rank, adhering to the standard set by the law. The act to create the grade of Admiral of the Navy read as follows: Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President is hereby authorized to appoint, by selection and promotion, an Admiral of

891-527: The rear admirals to succeed them, so there were no more admirals or vice admirals by promotion until 1915 when Congress authorized an admiral and a vice admiral each for the Atlantic, Pacific and Asiatic Fleets. There was one admiral in the interim, however. In 1899, Congress recognized George Dewey 's accomplishments during the Spanish–American War by authorizing the President to appoint him Admiral of

924-452: The same as present-day admirals (one two-inch band with three half-inch stripes above). When a new edition of US Navy Uniform Regulations was issued in May 1899, the sleeve insignia for admiral was specified as "two strips of 2-inch gold lace, with one 1-inch strip between, set one-quarter of an inch apart." In the 1905 Uniform Regulations, a similar description was used but with the title "Admiral of

957-421: The service's active-duty general or flag officers may have more than two stars, and statute sets the total number of four-star officers allowed in each service. This is set at 6 four-star Navy admirals. However, exceptions to this limit are made to meet operational needs. As of July 2020, there were 9 four star admirals serving on active duty with the U.S. Navy. Some of these slots are reserved by statute. For

990-448: The sleeve arrangement was three stripes of three-quarter-inch lace alternating with three stripes of quarter-inch lace. It was some ten inches from top to bottom. The vice admiral, of course, had even more stripes and when Farragut became admiral in 1866, he had so many stripes they reached from his cuffs almost to his elbow. On their dress uniforms the admirals wore bands of gold embroidery of live oak leaves and acorns. The admirals of

1023-496: The statute. A Navy admiral serving as Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff does not count against the Navy's flag-officer cap. A Navy admiral serving in one of several joint positions does not count against his or her service's four-star limit; these positions include the commander of a unified combatant command , the commander of U.S. Forces Korea , and the deputy commander of U.S. European Command but only if

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1056-457: Was made until 1945. At that time, during the preparations for Operation Downfall , the proposed invasion of Japan, the possibility was raised of promoting one of the serving United States Fleet Admirals to " six-star rank " should the Army take a similar measure by promoting Douglas MacArthur to the rank of General of the Armies . As Congress was trying to create the rank of fleet admiral in 1944,

1089-439: Was that the navy did not have a one-star rank except briefly during World War II when Congress established a temporary war rank of commodore . The one-star rank was later established permanently in 1986. U.S. law limits the number of four-star admirals that may be on active duty at any time. The total number of active-duty flag officers is capped at 162 for the Navy. For the Army, Navy, and Air Force, no more than about 21% of

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