This is a complete list of four-star admirals in the United States Navy. The rank of

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

(or ''full admiral'', or ''four-star admiral'') is the highest rank normally achievable in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

. It ranks above vice admiral (''three-star admiral'') and below fleet admiral (''five-star admiral''). There have been 275 four-star admirals in the history of the

. Of these, 234 achieved that rank while on active duty, 40 were promoted upon retirement in recognition of combat citations, and

one 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

was promoted posthumously. Admirals entered the Navy via several paths: 237 were commissioned via the

U.S. Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy is ...

(USNA), 22 via

Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. Origins A pilot Naval Reserve unit was established in September 192 ...

(NROTC), 9 via

Officer Candidate School An officer candidate school (OCS) is a military school which trains civilians and enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a commission as officers in the armed forces of a country. How OCS is run differs between countries and services. Ty ...

(OCS), 2 via warrant, 2 via Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS),

via direct commission (direct),

via the Naval Aviation Cadet (NAVCAD) program, and

via the U.S. Merchant Marine.

List of admirals

Entries in the following list of four-star admirals are indexed by the numerical order in which each officer was promoted to that rank while on active duty, or by an asterisk (*) if the officer did not serve in that rank while on active duty. Each entry lists the admiral's name, date of rank,Dates of rank are taken, where available, from the ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships'', or from the U.S. Navy register of active and retired commissioned officers, or from the '' World Almanac and Book of Facts''. The date listed is that of the officer's first promotion to admiral, and may differ from the officer's entry in the U.S. Navy register, which lists admirals who reverted to their permanent ranks of rear admiral as ranking from the date of the legislation that ultimately restored them to the rank of admiral, not from the dates of their original appointments. active-duty positions held while serving at four-star rank,Positions listed are those held by the officer when promoted to admiral. Dates listed are for the officer's full tenure, which may predate promotion to four-star rank or postdate retirement from active duty. number of years of active-duty service at four-star rank (Yrs),The number of years of active-duty service at four-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Date of rank" column from the last year in the "Position" column. Time spent between active-duty four-star assignments is not counted, nor is time spent on special duty as an unassigned fleet admiral. year commissioned and source of commission,The year commissioned is taken to be the year the officer graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, or equivalent, which may precede the officer's actual date of commission by up to two years. Prior to 1912, graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy were required by law to serve two years at sea as passed midshipmen before receiving their commission as ensign. Sources of commission are listed in parentheses after the year of commission and include: the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...

(USNA),

(NROTC),

(OCS), warrant; the

Massachusetts Maritime Academy Massachusetts Maritime Academy (Mass Maritime) is a public university in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, focused on maritime-related fields. It was established in 1891 and is the second oldest state maritime academy in the United States. Originall ...

(MMA), and the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high grou ...

(USMA). number of years in commission when promoted to four-star rank (YC),The number of years in commission before being promoted to four-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Commission" column from the year in the "Date of rank" column. and other biographical notes.Notes include years of birth and death; awards of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional prac ...

Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merito ...

, or honors of similar significance; major government appointments; university presidencies or equivalents; familial relationships with other four-star officers or significant government officials such as U.S. Presidents, cabinet secretaries, U.S. Senators, or state governors; and unusual career events such as premature relief or death in office.

Tombstone admirals

The Act of Congress of 4 March 1925, allowed officers in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to be promoted one grade upon retirement if they had been specially commended for performance of duty in actual combat. Combat citation promotions were colloquially known as " tombstone promotions" because they conferred all the perks and prestige of the higher rank including the loftier title on their tombstones but no additional retirement pay. The Act of Congress of 23 February 1942, enabled tombstone promotions to three- and four-star grades. Tombstone promotions were subsequently restricted to citations issued before 1 January 1947, and finally eliminated altogether effective 1 November 1959. Any admiral who actually served in a grade while on active duty receives precedence on the retired list over any tombstone admiral holding the same retired grade. Tombstone admirals rank among each other according to the dates of their highest active duty grade.

History

Four-star positions

1866–1941

The rank of admiral was created in 1866 to honor the Civil War achievements of

David Farragut David Glasgow Farragut (; also spelled Glascoe; July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. ...

. Upon his death, another Civil War hero, David D. Porter Jr., succeeded to the title. In 1873, Congress stated that further vacancies in the grade would not be filled, and the rank lapsed with Porter's death in 1890. Congress revived the rank in 1899 to honor

George Dewey George Dewey (December 26, 1837January 16, 1917) was Admiral of the Navy, the only person in United States history to have attained that rank. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War, wit ...

, stipulating that the grade would again cease to exist upon his death or retirement. In 1903, Dewey was promoted to the unique rank of

Admiral of the Navy Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

, which during his lifetime was considered to be equivalent to an admiral of the fleet, but was later declared to be senior to the five-star grade of fleet admiral. The Act of 3 March 1915, provided that the commanders in chief of the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe a ...

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

, and

Asiatic Asiatic refers to something related to Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the ...

Fleets would have the rank of admiral while so serving, and their seconds in command the rank of vice admiral. In 1916, the

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a memb ...

was also made an admiral while so serving, ranking next after the

. The ranks of admiral and vice admiral were strictly temporary appointments for the duration of an officer's tour in designated billets, and the temporary admiral reverted to his permanent grade of rear admiral immediately upon vacating the office bearing the title. In 1917, Congress accommodated the Navy's desire to reorganize the fleet by authorizing the President to appoint three admirals and three vice admirals for any six fleet command positions. All fleet command tours lasted one year except for the commander in chief of the U.S. Fleet, whose term was sometimes renewed for a second year, and the commander in chief of the Asiatic Fleet, whose command was considered a backwater. (The

was appointed for four years.) Officers would typically "fleet up" to admiral or vice admiral for their year of fleet command and then revert to rear admiral to mark time until mandatory retirement. ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:10 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:50 right:130 left:20 AlignBars = late Define $start = 1860 Define $end = 1950 DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:$start till:$end TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:$start Colors = id:cno value:rgb(1,0,0) legend: CNO id:cincus value:rgb(0,0.7,0.7) legend: CINCUS id:battle value:rgb(0,1,0) legend: COMBATFOR id:atlantic value:rgb(0,0.7,0.7) legend: Atlantic_Fleet id:pacific value:rgb(0,1,0) legend: Pacific_Fleet id:asiatic value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0) legend: Asiatic_Fleet id:europe value:rgb(0,0,1) id:navy value:rgb(0,0,1) legend: Other_Navy id:jcs value:rgb(0,0,0) legend: JCS id:time value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) id:category value:rgb(0.9,0.9,1) id:period value:rgb(0.5,0.5,1) id:none value:rgb(1,1,1) Legend = orientation:vertical position:right LineData = layer:back width:0.1 color:time at:1870 at:1880 at:1890 at:1900 at:1910 at:1920 at:1930 at:1940 at:1941 BarData = barset:PM bar:period_0 bar:period_1 bar:end_period bar:start_officers bar:officers bar:farragut bar:porter bar:dewey bar:fletcher bar:howard bar:cowles bar:winterhalter bar:winslow bar:caperton bar:benson bar:mayo bar:knight bar:sims bar:wilson bar:rodman bar:gleaves bar:coontz bar:strauss bar:jones bar:eberle bar:anderson bar:washington bar:robison bar:williams bar:hughes bar:jackson bar:wiley bar:bristol bar:desteiguer bar:pratt bar:nulton bar:mcvay bar:chase bar:schofield bar:taylor bar:leigh bar:mcnamee bar:standley bar:sellers bar:reeves bar:upham bar:brumby bar:laning bar:murfin bar:leahy bar:hepburn bar:yarnell bar:bloch bar:kalbfus bar:hart bar:richardson bar:stark bar:snyder bar:end_officers PlotData= width:6 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till barset:PM bar:period_0 from:1860 till:1860 color:none text:"

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policie ...

" bar:period_1 from:1861 till:1865 color:period bar:period_0 from:1897 till:1897 color:none text:"

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clo ...

" bar:period_1 from:1898 till:1899 color:period bar:period_0 from:1916 till:1916 color:none text:"

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fight ...

" bar:period_1 from:1917 till:1920 color:period bar:period_0 from:1940 till:1940 color:none text:"

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

" bar:period_1 from:1941 till:1945 color:period bar:start_officers from:$start till:$end color:category bar:farragut from: 1866 till: 1870 color:navy text:"

" bar:porter from: 1870 till: 1891 color:navy text:" David D. Porter" bar:dewey from: 1899 till: 1917 color:navy text:"

" bar:fletcher from: 1915 till: 1916 color:atlantic text:" Frank F. Fletcher" bar:howard from: 1915 till: 1915 color:pacific text:" Thomas B. Howard" bar:cowles from: 1915 till: 1915 color:asiatic text:" Walter C. Cowles" bar:winterhalter from: 1915 till: 1917 color:asiatic text:" Albert G. Winterhalter" bar:winslow from: 1915 till: 1916 color:pacific text:" Cameron M. Winslow" bar:caperton from: 1916 till: 1919 color:pacific text:" William B. Caperton" bar:benson from: 1916 till: 1919 color:cno text:" William S. Benson" bar:mayo from: 1916 till: 1919 color:atlantic bar:mayo from: 1919 till: 1919 color:cincus text:" Henry T. Mayo" bar:knight from: 1917 till: 1918 color:asiatic text:" Austin M. Knight" bar:sims from: 1918 till: 1919 color:europe text:" William S. Sims" bar:wilson from: 1919 till: 1921 color:atlantic text:" Henry B. Wilson Jr." bar:rodman from: 1919 till: 1921 color:pacific text:" Hugh Rodman" bar:gleaves from: 1919 till: 1921 color:asiatic text:"

Albert Gleaves Albert Gleaves (January 1, 1858 – January 6, 1937) was a decorated admiral in the United States Navy, also notable as a naval historian. Biography Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Gleaves graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1877. ...

" bar:coontz from: 1919 till: 1923 color:cno bar:coontz from: 1923 till: 1925 color:cincus text:" Robert E. Coontz" bar:strauss from: 1921 till: 1922 color:asiatic text:" Joseph Strauss" bar:jones from: 1921 till: 1922 color:atlantic bar:jones from: 1922 till: 1923 color:cincus text:" Hilary P. Jones" bar:eberle from: 1921 till: 1921 color:pacific bar:eberle from: 1921 till: 1923 color:battle bar:eberle from: 1923 till: 1927 color:cno text:" Edward W. Eberle" bar:anderson from: 1922 till: 1923 color:asiatic text:" Edwin A. Anderson" bar:washington from: 1923 till: 1925 color:asiatic text:" Thomas Washington" bar:robison from: 1923 till: 1925 color:battle bar:robison from: 1925 till: 1926 color:cincus text:" Samuel S. Robison" bar:williams from: 1925 till: 1927 color:asiatic text:" Clarence S. Williams" bar:hughes from: 1925 till: 1926 color:battle bar:hughes from: 1926 till: 1927 color:cincus bar:hughes from: 1927 till: 1930 color:cno text:" Charles F. Hughes" bar:jackson from: 1926 till: 1927 color:battle text:" Richard H. Jackson" bar:wiley from: 1927 till: 1929 color:cincus text:" Henry A. Wiley" bar:bristol from: 1927 till: 1929 color:asiatic text:" Mark L. Bristol" bar:desteiguer from: 1927 till: 1928 color:battle text:" Louis R. de Steiguer" bar:pratt from: 1928 till: 1929 color:battle bar:pratt from: 1929 till: 1930 color:cincus bar:pratt from: 1930 till: 1933 color:cno text:" William V. Pratt" bar:nulton from: 1929 till: 1930 color:battle text:" Louis M. Nulton" bar:mcvay from: 1929 till: 1931 color:asiatic text:" Charles B. McVay Jr." bar:chase from: 1930 till: 1931 color:cincus text:" Jehu V. Chase" bar:schofield from: 1930 till: 1931 color:battle bar:schofield from: 1931 till: 1932 color:cincus text:" Frank H. Schofield" bar:taylor from: 1931 till: 1933 color:asiatic text:" Montgomery M. Taylor" bar:leigh from: 1931 till: 1932 color:battle bar:leigh from: 1932 till: 1933 color:cincus text:" Richard H. Leigh" bar:mcnamee from: 1932 till: 1933 color:battle text:" Luke McNamee" bar:standley from: 1933 till: 1933 color:battle bar:standley from: 1933 till: 1937 color:cno text:" William H. Standley" bar:sellers from: 1933 till: 1934 color:cincus text:" David F. Sellers" bar:reeves from: 1933 till: 1934 color:battle bar:reeves from: 1934 till: 1936 color:cincus text:" Joseph M. Reeves" bar:upham from: 1933 till: 1935 color:asiatic text:" Frank B. Upham" bar:brumby from: 1934 till: 1935 color:battle text:" Frank H. Brumby" bar:laning from: 1935 till: 1936 color:battle text:" Harris Laning" bar:murfin from: 1935 till: 1936 color:asiatic text:" Orin G. Murfin" bar:leahy from: 1936 till: 1937 color:battle bar:leahy from: 1937 till: 1939 color:cno bar:leahy from: 1942 till: 1949 color:jcs text:"

William D. Leahy William Daniel Leahy () (May 6, 1875 – July 20, 1959) was an American naval officer who served as the most senior United States military officer on active duty during World War II. He held multiple titles and was at the center of all major ...

" bar:hepburn from: 1936 till: 1938 color:cincus text:" Arthur J. Hepburn" bar:yarnell from: 1936 till: 1939 color:asiatic text:" Harry E. Yarnell" bar:bloch from: 1937 till: 1938 color:battle bar:bloch from: 1938 till: 1940 color:cincus text:" Claude C. Bloch" bar:kalbfus from: 1938 till: 1939 color:battle text:" Edward C. Kalbfus" bar:hart from: 1939 till: 1942 color:asiatic text:" Thomas C. Hart" bar:richardson from: 1939 till: 1940 color:battle bar:richardson from: 1940 till: 1941 color:cincus text:" James O. Richardson" bar:stark from: 1939 till: 1942 color:cno bar:stark from: 1942 till: 1945 color:navy text:" Harold R. Stark" bar:snyder from: 1940 till: 1941 color:battle text:" Charles P. Snyder"

1941–1991

During

, the President was authorized to create as many admirals and vice admirals as he deemed necessary for the duration of the emergency. Most of these new creations retired at the end of the war, having been promoted to reward service in the fleet or headquarters, or to achieve parity with wartime counterparts. Although three- and four-star ranks remained temporary appointments, the practice of reverting to a lower grade pending retirement largely halted after 1942, when Congress authorized officers to be retired in the highest grade in which they served on active duty.Act of Congress of 16 July 1942. The rank of fleet admiral was created in 1944, and the four officers promoted to that grade were allowed to remain on active duty permanently. By 1956, the Navy had equilibrated at a total of seven permanent billets bearing four-star rank: the

(CNO); the

Vice Chief of Naval Operations The vice chief of naval operations (VCNO) is the second highest-ranking commissioned United States Navy officer in the Department of the Navy and functions as the principal deputy of the chief of naval operations and by statute, the vice chief ...

(VCNO), the commanders in chief of the unified commands in the

(CINCPAC) and

(CINCLANT); the commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT); the commander in chief of U.S. Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (CINCNELM) (retitled commander in chief of U.S. Naval Forces Europe (CINCUSNAVEUR) in 1960); and the commander in chief of

North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

(NATO) forces in

Southern Europe Southern Europe is the southern region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countries and regions: Alba ...

(CINCSOUTH). In 1965, an eighth billet was added when the chief of naval material (CNM) was promoted to admiral. Occasionally this count would fluctuate when a Navy officer was selected as the

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: app ...

(CJCS), as the chairman's four-star representative to the

NATO Military Committee The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Military Committee (NATO MC) is the body of NATO that is composed of member states' Chiefs of Defence (CHOD). These national CHODs are regularly represented in the MC by their permanent Military Representativ ...

(USMILREP), or as the

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

or deputy director of central intelligence; or by special legislation.In 1994, special legislation authorized

Charles R. Larson Charles Robert Larson (November 20, 1936 – July 26, 2014) was an Admiral of the United States Navy. Military career A 1958 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Larson twice served as Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapoli ...

to resume the superintendency of the

, then a two-star billet, as a full admiral. When the long-serving director of the naval nuclear reactor program, Hyman G. Rickover, was finally compelled to retire in 1982, his successor was promoted to admiral and appointed director of naval nuclear propulsion, institutionalizing the position as a permanent four-star billet. To compensate, another four-star billet was eliminated by merging

Allied Forces Southern Europe Allied Joint Force Command Naples (JFC Naples) is a NATO military command based in Lago Patria, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy. It was activated on 15 March 2004, after effectively redesigning its predecessor command, Allied Forces So ...

with U.S. Naval Forces Europe. Similarly, when the

U.S. Atlantic Fleet The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFF) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United Stat ...

commander (CINCLANTFLT) was separated from the Atlantic unified commander in 1985, the number of four-star billets was conserved by eliminating the chief of naval material position. The U.S. Atlantic Fleet was replaced by U.S. Fleet Forces Command (COMUSFF) in 2006. ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:10 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:50 right:130 left:20 AlignBars = late Define $start = 1940 Define $end = 2000 DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:$start till:$end TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:$start Colors = id:jcs value:rgb(0,0,0) legend: CJCS/VJCS id:cno value:rgb(1,0,0) legend: CNO id:vcno value:rgb(0.7,0.7,0.7) legend: VCNO id:atlantic value:rgb(0,0.7,0.7) legend: Atlantic_Fleet id:pacific value:rgb(0,1,0) legend: Pacific_Fleet id:asiatic value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0) legend: Asiatic_Fleet id:nuclear value:rgb(0,1,1) legend: Nuclear_propulsion id:navy value:rgb(0,0,1) legend: Other_Navy id:joint value:rgb(0.7,0,1) legend: Joint_(military) id:federal value:rgb(1,0,1) legend: Joint_(other) id:general value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) id:time value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) id:category value:rgb(0.9,0.9,1) id:period value:rgb(0.5,0.5,1) id:none value:rgb(1,1,1) Legend = orientation:vertical position:right LineData = layer:back width:0.1 color:time at:1941 at:1950 at:1960 at:1970 at:1980 at:1990 at:1991 BarData = barset:PM bar:period_0 bar:period_1 bar:period_2 bar:end_period bar:start_officers bar:officers bar:leahy bar:hart bar:stark bar:kimmel bar:king bar:nimitz bar:ingersoll bar:halsey bar:spruance bar:ingram bar:horne bar:edwards bar:hewitt bar:kinkaid bar:richmondturner bar:robinson bar:towers bar:ramsey bar:cooke bar:moreell bar:mitscher bar:conolly bar:blandy bar:denfeld bar:radford bar:sherman bar:fechteler bar:carney bar:mccormick bar:donaldduncan bar:stump bar:wright bar:cassady bar:arleighburke bar:briscoe bar:boone bar:felt bar:curts bar:hollowayjr bar:hopwood bar:russell bar:brown bar:dennison bar:haroldpagesmith bar:sides bar:anderson bar:ricketts bar:davidmcdonald bar:griffin bar:sharp bar:moorer bar:rivero bar:thach bar:ward bar:royjohnson bar:mccain bar:galantin bar:holmes bar:hyland bar:clarey bar:wendt bar:zumwalt bar:charlesduncan bar:arnold bar:cousins bar:bringle bar:kidd bar:colbert bar:gayler bar:weisner bar:hollowayiii bar:worthbagley bar:rickover bar:johnston bar:shear bar:weinel bar:michaelis bar:davidbagley bar:stansfieldturner bar:murphy bar:hayward bar:long bar:davis bar:whittle bar:train bar:watkins bar:crowe bar:inman bar:small bar:williams bar:kinnear bar:mckee bar:foley bar:wesleymcdonald bar:hays bar:white bar:baggett bar:lyons bar:trost bar:busey bar:moreau bar:kelso bar:hardisty bar:carter bar:jeremiah bar:edney bar:demars bar:hogg bar:howe bar:larson bar:jeromejohnson bar:end_officers PlotData= width:6 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till barset:PM bar:period_0 from:1941 till:1945 color:period text:"

" bar:period_1 from:1947 till:1991 color:period text:"

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...

" bar:period_2 from:1950 till:1953 color:period text:"

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

" bar:period_2 from:1961 till:1975 color:period text:"

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietna ...

" bar:period_2 from:1990 till:1991 color:period text:"

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

" bar:start_officers from:$start till:1991 color:category bar:leahy from: 1942 till: 1949 color:jcs text:"

" bar:hart from: 1940 till: 1942 color:asiatic text:" Thomas C. Hart" bar:stark from: 1940 till: 1942 color:cno bar:stark from: 1942 till: 1945 color:navy text:" Harold R. Stark" bar:kimmel from: 1941 till: 1942 color:pacific text:" Husband E. Kimmel" bar:king from: 1941 till: 1942 color:atlantic bar:king from: 1942 till: 1946 color:cno text:" Ernest J. King" bar:nimitz from: 1942 till: 1946 color:pacific bar:nimitz from: 1946 till: 1948 color:cno text:" Chester W. Nimitz" bar:ingersoll from: 1942 till: 1944 color:atlantic bar:ingersoll from: 1944 till: 1945 color:navy text:" Royal E. Ingersoll" bar:halsey from: 1942 till: 1945 color:navy text:" William F. Halsey Jr." bar:spruance from: 1944 till: 1945 color:navy bar:spruance from: 1945 till: 1946 color:pacific bar:spruance from: 1946 till: 1948 color:navy text:" Raymond A. Spruance" bar:ingram from: 1944 till: 1946 color:atlantic text:" Jonas H. Ingram" bar:horne from: 1944 till: 1945 color:vcno text:" Frederick J. Horne" bar:edwards from: 1945 till: 1946 color:vcno bar:edwards from: 1946 till: 1947 color:navy text:" Richard S. Edwards Jr." bar:hewitt from: 1945 till: 1949 color:navy text:" H. Kent Hewitt" bar:kinkaid from: 1945 till: 1950 color:navy text:" Thomas C. Kinkaid" bar:richmondturner from: 1945 till: 1947 color:navy text:" Richmond K. Turner" bar:robinson from: 1945 till: 1946 color:navy text:" Samuel M. Robinson" bar:towers from: 1945 till: 1946 color:navy bar:towers from: 1946 till: 1947 color:pacific text:"

John H. Towers John Henry Towers CBE (January 30, 1885 – April 30, 1955) was a highly decorated United States Navy four-star Admiral and pioneer naval aviator. He made important contributions to the technical and organizational development of naval aviation ...

" bar:ramsey from: 1946 till: 1948 color:vcno bar:ramsey from: 1948 till: 1949 color:pacific text:" DeWitt C. Ramsey" bar:cooke from: 1946 till: 1948 color:asiatic text:" Charles M. Cooke Jr." bar:moreell from: 1946 till: 1946 color:navy text:"

Ben Moreell Admiral Ben Moreell (September 14, 1892 – July 30, 1978) was the chief of the U.S. Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks and of the Civil Engineer Corps. Best known to the American public as the father of the Navy's Seabees, Moreell's life spanned ...

" bar:mitscher from: 1946 till: 1947 color:atlantic text:" Marc A. Mitscher" bar:conolly from: 1946 till: 1950 color:navy text:"

Richard L. Conolly Richard Lansing Conolly (April 26, 1892 – March 1, 1962) was a United States Navy admiral, who served during World War I and World War II. Early life Conolly was born in Waukegan, Illinois, attended Lake Forest Academy and was appointed to the ...

" bar:blandy from: 1947 till: 1950 color:atlantic text:" William H.P. Blandy" bar:denfeld from: 1947 till: 1948 color:pacific bar:denfeld from: 1948 till: 1949 color:cno text:" Louis E. Denfeld" bar:radford from: 1949 till: 1953 color:pacific bar:radford from: 1953 till: 1957 color:jcs text:" Arthur W. Radford" bar:sherman from: 1949 till: 1951 color:cno text:" Forrest P. Sherman" bar:fechteler from: 1950 till: 1951 color:atlantic bar:fechteler from: 1951 till: 1953 color:cno bar:fechteler from: 1953 till: 1956 color:joint text:" William M. Fechteler" bar:carney from: 1950 till: 1952 color:navy bar:carney from: 1952 till: 1953 color:joint bar:carney from: 1953 till: 1955 color:cno text:" Robert B. Carney" bar:mccormick from: 1950 till: 1951 color:vcno bar:mccormick from: 1951 till: 1954 color:atlantic text:" Lynde D. McCormick" bar:donaldduncan from: 1951 till: 1956 color:vcno text:" Donald B. Duncan" bar:stump from: 1953 till: 1958 color:pacific text:" Felix B. Stump" bar:wright from: 1954 till: 1960 color:atlantic text:" Jerauld Wright" bar:cassady from: 1954 till: 1956 color:navy text:"

John H. Cassady John Howard Cassady (April 3, 1896 – January 25, 1969) was an admiral in the United States Navy. He was Commander in Chief, United States Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean from 1954 to 1956. Prior to his assignment, Cassady had ...

" bar:arleighburke from: 1955 till: 1961 color:cno text:" Arleigh A. Burke" bar:briscoe from: 1956 till: 1959 color:joint text:" Robert P. Briscoe" bar:boone from: 1956 till: 1958 color:navy bar:boone from: 1958 till: 1960 color:joint text:" Walter F. Boone" bar:felt from: 1956 till: 1958 color:vcno bar:felt from: 1958 till: 1964 color:joint text:" Harry D. Felt" bar:curts from: 1957 till: 1958 color:pacific text:" Maurice E. Curts" bar:hollowayjr from: 1958 till: 1959 color:navy text:" James L. Holloway Jr." bar:hopwood from: 1958 till: 1960 color:pacific text:" Herbert G. Hopwood" bar:russell from: 1958 till: 1961 color:vcno bar:russell from: 1961 till: 1965 color:joint text:" James S. Russell" bar:brown from: 1959 till: 1961 color:joint text:" Charles R. Brown" bar:dennison from: 1959 till: 1960 color:navy bar:dennison from: 1960 till: 1963 color:atlantic text:" Robert L. Dennison" bar:haroldpagesmith from: 1960 till: 1963 color:navy bar:haroldpagesmith from: 1963 till: 1965 color:atlantic text:" Harold Page Smith" bar:sides from: 1960 till: 1963 color:pacific text:" John H. Sides" bar:anderson from: 1961 till: 1963 color:cno text:" George W. Anderson Jr." bar:ricketts from: 1961 till: 1964 color:vcno text:" Claude V. Ricketts" bar:davidmcdonald from: 1963 till: 1963 color:navy bar:davidmcdonald from: 1963 till: 1967 color:cno text:"

David L. McDonald David Lamar McDonald (September 12, 1906 – December 16, 1997) was an admiral in the United States Navy, who served as the 17th Chief of Naval Operations from 1 August 1963 to 1 August 1967 during the Vietnam War era. Early life and education Mc ...

" bar:griffin from: 1963 till: 1965 color:navy bar:griffin from: 1965 till: 1968 color:joint text:" Charles D. Griffin" bar:sharp from: 1963 till: 1964 color:pacific bar:sharp from: 1964 till: 1968 color:joint text:" U.S. Grant Sharp Jr." bar:moorer from: 1964 till: 1965 color:pacific bar:moorer from: 1965 till: 1967 color:atlantic bar:moorer from: 1967 till: 1970 color:cno bar:moorer from: 1970 till: 1974 color:jcs text:" Thomas H. Moorer" bar:rivero from: 1964 till: 1968 color:vcno bar:rivero from: 1968 till: 1972 color:joint text:" Horacio Rivero Jr." bar:thach from: 1965 till: 1967 color:navy text:" John S. Thach" bar:ward from: 1965 till: 1968 color:joint text:" Alfred G. Ward" bar:royjohnson from: 1965 till: 1967 color:pacific text:" Roy L. Johnson" bar:mccain from: 1967 till: 1968 color:navy bar:mccain from: 1968 till: 1972 color:joint text:" John S. McCain Jr." bar:galantin from: 1967 till: 1970 color:navy text:" Ignatius J. Galantin" bar:holmes from: 1967 till: 1970 color:atlantic text:" Ephraim P. Holmes" bar:hyland from: 1967 till: 1970 color:pacific text:" John J. Hyland Jr." bar:clarey from: 1968 till: 1970 color:vcno bar:clarey from: 1970 till: 1973 color:pacific text:" Bernard A. Clarey" bar:wendt from: 1968 till: 1971 color:navy text:" Waldemar F. A. Wendt" bar:zumwalt from: 1970 till: 1974 color:cno text:" Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr." bar:charlesduncan from: 1970 till: 1972 color:atlantic text:" Charles K. Duncan" bar:arnold from: 1970 till: 1971 color:navy text:" Jackson D. Arnold" bar:cousins from: 1970 till: 1972 color:vcno bar:cousins from: 1972 till: 1975 color:atlantic text:" Ralph W. Cousins" bar:bringle from: 1971 till: 1973 color:navy text:" William F. Bringle" bar:kidd from: 1971 till: 1975 color:navy bar:kidd from: 1975 till: 1978 color:atlantic text:" Isaac C. Kidd Jr." bar:colbert from: 1972 till: 1973 color:joint text:" Richard G. Colbert" bar:gayler from: 1972 till: 1976 color:joint text:" Noel A.M. Gayler" bar:weisner from: 1972 till: 1973 color:vcno bar:weisner from: 1973 till: 1976 color:pacific bar:weisner from: 1976 till: 1979 color:joint text:" Maurice F. Weisner" bar:hollowayiii from: 1973 till: 1974 color:vcno bar:hollowayiii from: 1974 till: 1978 color:cno text:" James L. Holloway III" bar:worthbagley from: 1973 till: 1974 color:navy bar:worthbagley from: 1974 till: 1975 color:vcno text:" Worth H. Bagley" bar:rickover from: 1973 till: 1982 color:nuclear text:" Hyman G. Rickover" bar:johnston from: 1973 till: 1975 color:joint text:" Means Johnston Jr." bar:shear from: 1974 till: 1975 color:navy bar:shear from: 1975 till: 1977 color:vcno bar:shear from: 1977 till: 1980 color:joint text:" Harold E. Shear" bar:weinel from: 1974 till: 1977 color:joint text:"

John P. Weinel John Philip Weinel (February 23, 1916 – February 16, 2004) was an admiral in the United States Navy. Early life Weinel was born on 1916 in Columbia, Illinois. He attended public schools in Columbia and enrolled for a year at Illinois State Unive ...

" bar:michaelis from: 1975 till: 1978 color:navy text:" Frederick H. Michaelis" bar:davidbagley from: 1975 till: 1977 color:navy text:" David H. Bagley" bar:stansfieldturner from: 1975 till: 1977 color:joint bar:stansfieldturner from: 1977 till: 1979 color:federal text:" Stansfield Turner" bar:murphy from: 1976 till: 1977 color:federal text:" Daniel J. Murphy" bar:hayward from: 1976 till: 1978 color:pacific bar:hayward from: 1978 till: 1982 color:cno text:" Thomas B. Hayward" bar:long from: 1977 till: 1979 color:vcno bar:long from: 1979 till: 1983 color:joint text:" Robert L. J. Long" bar:davis from: 1978 till: 1981 color:pacific text:" Donald C. Davis" bar:whittle from: 1978 till: 1981 color:navy text:" Alfred J. Whittle Jr." bar:train from: 1978 till: 1982 color:atlantic text:" Harry D. Train II" bar:watkins from: 1979 till: 1981 color:vcno bar:watkins from: 1981 till: 1982 color:pacific bar:watkins from: 1982 till: 1986 color:cno text:" James D. Watkins" bar:crowe from: 1980 till: 1985 color:joint bar:crowe from: 1985 till: 1989 color:jcs text:" William J. Crowe Jr." bar:inman from: 1981 till: 1982 color:federal text:" Bobby R. Inman" bar:small from: 1981 till: 1983 color:vcno bar:small from: 1983 till: 1985 color:navy text:" William N. Small" bar:williams from: 1981 till: 1983 color:navy text:" John G. Williams Jr." bar:kinnear from: 1981 till: 1982 color:joint text:" George E. R. Kinnear II" bar:mckee from: 1982 till: 1988 color:nuclear text:" Kinnaird R. McKee" bar:foley from: 1982 till: 1985 color:pacific text:" Sylvester R. Foley Jr." bar:wesleymcdonald from: 1982 till: 1985 color:atlantic text:" Wesley L. McDonald" bar:hays from: 1983 till: 1985 color:vcno bar:hays from: 1985 till: 1988 color:joint text:" Ronald J. Hays" bar:white from: 1983 till: 1985 color:navy text:" Steven A. White" bar:baggett from: 1985 till: 1988 color:joint text:" Lee Baggett Jr." bar:lyons from: 1985 till: 1987 color:pacific text:" James A. Lyons Jr." bar:trost from: 1985 till: 1986 color:atlantic bar:trost from: 1986 till: 1990 color:cno text:" Carlisle A. H. Trost" bar:busey from: 1985 till: 1987 color:vcno bar:busey from: 1987 till: 1989 color:navy text:" James B. Busey IV" bar:moreau from: 1985 till: 1986 color:navy text:"

Arthur S. Moreau Jr. Arthur Stanley Moreau Jr. (June 3, 1931 – December 8, 1986) was a United States Navy four-star admiral who served as commander-in-chief, United States Naval Forces Europe and commander-in-chief, Allied Forces Southern Europe from 1985 until h ...

" bar:kelso from: 1986 till: 1988 color:atlantic bar:kelso from: 1988 till: 1990 color:joint bar:kelso from: 1990 till: 1994 color:cno text:" Frank B. Kelso II" bar:hardisty from: 1987 till: 1988 color:vcno bar:hardisty from: 1988 till: 1991 color:joint text:"

Huntington Hardisty Huntington Hardisty (February 3, 1929 – October 1, 2003) was a United States Navy four star admiral who served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO) from 1987 to 1988; and Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Command (USCINCPAC) from 19 ...

" bar:carter from: 1987 till: 1988 color:joint bar:carter from: 1988 till: 1991 color:atlantic text:" Powell F. Carter Jr." bar:jeremiah from: 1987 till: 1990 color:pacific bar:jeremiah from: 1990 till: 1994 color:jcs text:"

David E. Jeremiah David Elmer Jeremiah (February 25, 1934 – October 7, 2013) was a United States Navy admiral who served as the second vice chairman and also the acting chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. After his retirement from the Navy in February 1 ...

" bar:edney from: 1988 till: 1990 color:vcno bar:edney from: 1990 till: 1992 color:joint text:" Leon A. Edney" bar:demars from: 1988 till: 1996 color:nuclear text:" Bruce DeMars" bar:hogg from: 1988 till: 1991 color:joint text:" James R. Hogg" bar:howe from: 1989 till: 1991 color:navy bar:howe from: 1991 till: 1992 color:federal text:" Jonathan T. Howe" bar:larson from: 1990 till: 1991 color:pacific bar:larson from: 1991 till: 1994 color:joint bar:larson from: 1994 till: 1998 color:navy text:"

" bar:jeromejohnson from: 1990 till: 1992 color:vcno text:" Jerome L. Johnson"

1991–present

With the end of the

, U.S. Atlantic Command was repurposed as the joint force trainer, becoming U.S. Joint Forces Command in 1999. The change in mission cost the Navy its traditional monopoly over that command, which has since rotated among all the services, but the Navy made up the difference through repeated appointments to other

combatant commands A unified combatant command (CCMD), also referred to as a combatant command, is a joint military command of the United States Department of Defense that is composed of units from two or more service branches of the United States Armed Forces, ...

and to the vice chairmanship of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (VJCS). All military commanders in chief were retitled "Commanders" in 2002, when the title of "Commander in Chief" was reserved solely to the President of the United States.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{US Navy navbox

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

United States Navy admirals United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

Admirals Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...