List of United States Coast Guard four-star admirals

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four-star admiral

The rank of admiral (or full admiral, or four-star admiral) is the highest rank in the United States Coast Guard. It ranks above vice admiral (three-star admiral).

Contents

There have been 24 four-star admirals in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard. Of these, 23 achieved that rank while on active duty and one was promoted upon retirement in recognition of combat citations. All were commissioned via the United States Coast Guard Academy or its predecessor, the School of Instruction of the United States Revenue Cutter Service. Prior to the vice commandant of the Coast Guard being elevated to a four-star position in 2016, all four-star admirals in the U.S. Coast Guard held the position of commandant of the Coast Guard.

List of admirals

The following list of four-star admirals is sortable by last name, date of rank, [1] number of years on active duty at four-star rank (Yrs), [2] active-duty positions held while serving at four-star rank, [3] year commissioned and source of commission, [4] and number of years in commission when promoted to four-star rank (YC), [5] and other biographical notes. [6]

#NamePhotoDate of rank [1] Position [3] Yrs [2] Commission [4] YC [5] Notes [6]
1 Russell R. Waesche Russell R Waesche.jpg 4 Apr 1945  11906 (USRCSSI) [7] 39(1886–1946)
2 Joseph F. Farley Joseph F Farley.jpg 1 Jan 1946  41912 (USRCSSI) [7] 34(1889–1974)
3 Alfred C. Richmond Alfred C Richmond.jpg 1 Jun 1960  21924 (USCGA)36(1902–1984) Served as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard from 1954 to 1960 in the rank of vice admiral.
4 Edwin J. Roland Edwin J Roland.jpg 1 Jun 1962  41929 (USCGA)33(1905–1985)
5 Willard J. Smith Smith, Willard J., Adm., USCG.jpg 1 Jun 1966  41933 (USCGA)33(1910–2000) Superintendent, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 1962–1965; U.S. Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Safety and Consumer Affairs, 1970–1971.
6 Chester R. Bender ADM Chester R. Bender 190301-G-G0000-2020.jpg 1 Jun 1970  41936 (USCGA)34(1914–1996) Superintendent, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, 1965–1967.
7 Owen W. Siler Owen W Siler.jpg 1 Jun 1974  41943 (USCGA)31(1922–2007)
8 John B. Hayes ADM J B Hayes USCG.jpg 1 Jun 1978  41946 (USCGA)32(1924–2001)
9 James S. Gracey Gracey-190614-G-G0000-2004.jpeg 28 May 1982  41949 (USCGA)33(1927–2020)
10 Paul A. Yost Jr. Yost-190731-G-G0000-2003.jpeg 30 May 1986  41951 (USCGA)35(1929–2022)
11 J. William Kime J William Kime.jpg 31 May 1990  41957 (USCGA)33(1934–2006)
12 Robert E. Kramek KramekRobertPortrait300.jpg 1 Jun 1994  41961 (USCGA)33(1939–2016)
13 James M. Loy Admiral Loy.jpg May 1998  41964 (USCGA)34(1942–    ) Administrator, Transportation Security Administration, 2002–2003; U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, 2003–2005.
14 Thomas H. Collins Admiral Collins.jpg 30 May 2002  41968 (USCGA)34(1946–    )
15 Thad W. Allen Thad W. Allen.jpg 25 May 2006  41971 (USCGA)35(1949–    ) Remained on active duty for 36 days after stepping down as commandant while serving as National Incident Commander, Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
16 Robert J. Papp Cmdt Papp 2010.jpg 25 May 2010  41975 (USCGA)35(1953–    ) U.S. Special Representative for the Arctic, 2014–2017.
17 Paul F. Zukunft Zukunft June 2014.jpg 30 May 2014  41977 (USCGA)37(1955–    )
18 Charles D. Michel ADM Charles Michel.jpg 24 May 2016  21985 (USCGA)31(1963–    ) Served as Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard from 2015 to 2016 in the rank of vice admiral. First career judge advocate officer to achieve four-star rank in any service.
19 Charles W. Ray Adm. Charles W. Ray.jpg 24 May 2018  31981 (USCGA)37(1959–    )
20 Karl L. Schultz Adm. Karl L. Schultz.jpg 1 Jun 2018  41983 (USCGA)35(1961–    )
21 Linda L. Fagan Admiral Linda L. Fagan, Coast Guard Vice Commandant.jpg 18 Jun 2021  41985 (USCGA)36(1963–    ) Relieved, 2025. First woman to achieve the rank of admiral in the Coast Guard; first woman to lead an armed service.
22 Steven D. Poulin ADM Steven D. Poulin.jpg 31 May 2022  21984 (USCGA)38(1962–    )
23 Kevin E. Lunday ADM Kevin E. Lunday (3).jpg 13 Jun 2024  11987 (USCGA)37(1965–    )

Tombstone admirals

The Act of Congress of March 4, 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 the prestige of the higher rank but not the additional retirement pay, so their only practical benefit was to allow recipients to engrave a loftier title on their business cards and tombstones. The Act of Congress of February 23, 1942, enabled tombstone promotions to three- and four-star grades. Tombstone promotions were subsequently restricted to citations issued before January 1, 1947, and finally eliminated altogether effective November 1, 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.

The following list of tombstone admirals is sortable by last name, date of rank as vice admiral, date retired, and year commissioned.

NamePhotoDate of rank (VADM)Date retired (ADM)Commission [4] Notes
1 Merlin O'Neill [8] Admiral Merlin O'Neill.jpg 1 Jan 19501 Jun 19541921 (USCGA)(1898–1981) Commandant of the Coast Guard, 1949–1954.

Timeline

Vice Adm. Linda L. Fagan is promoted to the rank of admiral during a ceremony at Coast Guard Headquarters, June 18, 2021. Vice Adm. Linda Fagan promoted to rank of admiral 210618-G-BI776-2001.jpg
Vice Adm. Linda L. Fagan is promoted to the rank of admiral during a ceremony at Coast Guard Headquarters, June 18, 2021.

The first full admiral in the United States Coast Guard was Russell R. Waesche, who served as commandant from 1936 to 1945 and was promoted to that rank on April 4, 1945. His successor as commandant, John Farley, also inherited the rank of admiral. After Farley retired on December 31, 1949, the commandant's rank was reduced to vice admiral, although Farley's successor, Merlin O'Neill, was promoted to full admiral upon retirement in recognition of combat citations. O'Neill's successor, Alfred C. Richmond, remained a vice admiral until the commandant's rank was again elevated to admiral on June 1, 1960, where it has remained ever since. [9]

Kevin LundaySteven D. PoulinLinda L. FaganKarl L. SchultzCharles Ray (admiral)Charles D. MichelPaul F. ZukunftRobert J. Papp, Jr.Thad W. AllenThomas H. CollinsJames M. LoyRobert E. KramekJ. William KimePaul A. Yost, Jr.James S. GraceyJohn B. HayesOwen W. SilerChester R. BenderWillard J. SmithEdwin J. RolandAlfred C. RichmondJoseph F. FarleyRussell R. WaescheList of United States Coast Guard four-star admirals

Legislation

The following list of Congressional legislation includes major acts of Congress pertaining to appointments to the grade of admiral in the United States Coast Guard.

LegislationCitationSummary
Act of March 21, 1945 59  Stat.   37
  • Authorized one grade of admiral, appointed from officers serving now or hereafter as commandant of the Coast Guard, until six months after the end of World War II (Russell R. Waesche, Joseph F. Farley) [made permanent for Waesche in 1946 (60  Stat.   59)].
Act of August 4, 1949 63  Stat.   498
 63  Stat.   516
 63  Stat.   558
  • Reduced rank of commandant of the Coast Guard to vice admiral, without reducing the grade of the current commandant (Joseph F. Farley).
  • Authorized Coast Guard officers to retire with the rank but not the pay of the next higher grade if specially commended for performance of duty in actual combat on or before December 31, 1946 (Merlin O'Neill) [repealed in 1959 (73  Stat.   337)].
Act of May 14, 1960 74  Stat.   144
  • Increased rank of commandant of the Coast Guard to admiral, effective June 1, 1960.
Act of February 8, 2016 130  Stat.   33
  • Increased rank of vice commandant of the Coast Guard to admiral.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Dates of rank are taken, where available, from the officer's official biography (U.S. Coast Guard, Commandants of the U.S. Coast Guard).
  2. 1 2 The number of years on active duty at four-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Date of rank" column from the last year in the "Position" column.
  3. 1 2 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.
  4. 1 2 3 Sources of commission are listed in parentheses after the year of commission, and include the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) and the United States Revenue Cutter Service School of Instruction (USRCSSI).
  5. 1 2 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.
  6. 1 2 Notes include years of birth and death; awards of the Medal of Honor, Congressional Gold Medal, Presidential Medal of Freedom, 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.
  7. 1 2 Graduated from the Revenue Cutter Service School of Instruction, which became the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1915.
  8. ↑ "Merlin O'Neill, USCG". www.uscg.mil. Archived from the original on 2008-09-22.
  9. ↑ U.S. Coast Guard, Commandants of the U.S. Coast Guard

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References


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