Hispanic and Latino Admirals in the United States Navy can trace their tradition of naval military service to the Latino sailors, who have served in the Navy in every war and conflict since the American Revolution. Prior to the Civil War, the highest rank reached by a Latino-American in the Navy was commodore. Such was the case of Commodore Uriah Phillips Levy (1792–1862), a Sephardic Jew of Latin American descent and great grandson of Dr. Samuel Nunez, who served in the War of v. During the American Civil War, the government of the United States recognized that the rapid expanding Navy was in need of admirals therefore, Congress proceeded to authorize the appointment of nine officers the rank of rear admiral. On July 16, 1862, Flag Officer David Glasgow Farragut became the first Hispanic-American to be appointed to the rank of rear admiral. Two years later (1864), Farragut became a vice admiral, and in 1866 the Navy's first full admiral. During World War I, Robert Lopez, the first Hispanic graduate of the United States Naval Academy, served with the rank of commodore in command of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, and during World War II five Hispanics served with the ranks of rear admiral or above in either the European or Pacific Theaters of the war. As of April 2007, twenty-two Hispanic-Americans have reached the rank of admiral, and of this number thirteen were graduates of the USNA.
Michelle Janine Howard is a retired United States Navy four-star admiral who last served as the commander of the United States Naval Forces Europe, United States Naval Forces Africa and Allied Joint Force Command Naples. She previously was the 38th Vice Chief of Naval Operations. She assumed her last assignment on June 7, 2016.
Mary Marcella Jackson is a retired United States Navy officer.
Paul J. Schlise is a retired rear admiral in the United States Navy.
Robert C. Nowakowski is a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy, who is currently serving as the deputy commander of Naval Education and Training Command.
William Rhode Merz is a retired United States Navy vice admiral who last served as deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy from August 6, 2021 to October 7, 2022. He previously served as commander of U. S. Seventh Fleet from 2019 to 2021.
Stephen D. Barnett is an active duty United States Navy officer and career naval flight officer who serves as the commander of Navy Region Hawaii since June 17, 2022, and as the commander of Navy Closure Task Force - Red Hill since November 2023. He most recently served as commander of Navy Region Southwest from July 16, 2021 to May 23, 2022, and before that as commander, Navy Region Northwest from March 2021 to June 2021.
John Vincent Fuller is a United States Navy vice admiral who serves as the 42nd Naval Inspector General since June 11, 2021. Prior to that, Fuller served as deputy director for force protection of the Joint Staff and before that as the director of strategy, plans, and policy of the United States Northern Command.
Daryl Lane Caudle is a United States Navy admiral who is the 35th commander of United States Fleet Forces Command since December 7, 2021. He most recently served as commander of Naval Submarine Forces (COMSUBFOR), Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic (COMSUBLANT) and Commander, Allied Submarine Command (ASC). As COMSUBFOR, he was the undersea domain lead, and is responsible for the submarine force's strategic vision. As COMSUBLANT, he commanded all Atlantic-based U.S. submarines, their crews and supporting shore activities. These responsibilities also include duties as commander, Task Force (CTF) 114, CTF 88, and CTF 46. As commander, Allied Submarine Command, he was the principal undersea warfare advisor to all North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) strategic commanders.
John Fredric G. Wade is a United States Navy vice admiral who has served as commander of the United States Third Fleet since June 7, 2024. He most recently served as the commander of Joint Task Force - Red Hill from 2022 to 2024. He previously served as the director of operations of the United States Indo-Pacific Command from 2020 to 2022.
Carl Andrew Lahti is a United States Navy rear admiral and submarine warfare officer who has served as the commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic since July 3, 2024. He most recently served as the 36th commander of the United States Naval Forces Japan and commander of Navy Region Japan from 2021 to 2024. He served as the 91st commandant of Naval District Washington and deputy commander of the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region from 2018 to 2021.
Alvin Holsey is a United States Navy vice admiral and naval aviator who has served as the military deputy commander of the United States Southern Command since February 1, 2023. He previously served as commander of the Navy Personnel Command and Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel from January 8, 2021, to December 15, 2022. He has command assignments as commander of Carrier Strike Group 1 from June 2018 to June 2020, and commanding officer of the U.S. Navy’s first hybrid electric propulsion warship, the USS Makin Island (LHD-8) from June 2013 to December 2014, having started out as its executive officer in February of the former year.
Craig A. "Clap" Clapperton is a United States Navy vice admiral and naval flight officer who serves as the commander of U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and the United States Tenth Fleet since August 4, 2022. He most recently served as the commander of Combined Joint Task Force, Cyber from June 30, 2021, to June 7, 2022. He previously served as commander of Carrier Strike Group 12 from May 7, 2020 to June 17, 2021.
Paul C. Spedero Jr. is a United States Navy rear admiral and naval aviator who has served as the vice director for operations of the Joint Staff since June 2023. He most recently served as the commander of Carrier Strike Group 8 from May 31, 2022 to June 1, 2023. He most recently served as commander of the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command from July 9, 2021 to May 23, 2022, and prior to that as director for fleet integrated readiness and analysis on the staff of the United States Fleet Forces Command.
Peter Gerard Vasely is a retired United States Navy rear admiral who last served as the deputy director for future joint force development of the Joint Staff from June 3, 2022 to June 24, 2024. He served as a special assistant to the Director of the Navy Staff from November 4, 2021 to June 3, 2022. Before that, he served as the Director of Operations of the Defense Intelligence Agency from November 2019 to 2021 and then as the Commander of Special Operations Joint Task Force–Afghanistan and NATO Special Operations Component Command–Afghanistan from May 17 to August 31, 2021. Vasely is a Navy SEAL officer and former member of SEAL Team ONE and Development Group.
Michael Edward Boyle is a United States Navy vice admiral who has served as the director of the Navy Staff since August 2, 2024. He most recently served as commander of the United States Third Fleet from 2022 to 2024. He served as the Director of Maritime Operations of the United States Pacific Fleet from 2020 to 2022, and previously commanded Carrier Strike Group 12 from 2019 to 2020.
Jeffrey Thomas Anderson is a United States Navy rear admiral who served as the director of operations of the United States Indo-Pacific Command. He previously served as the commander of the Carrier Strike Group 3.
