List of United States Navy vice admirals from 2010 to 2019
Last updated
Flag of a Navy vice admiral
The rank of vice admiral (or three-star admiral) is the second-highest rank normally achievable in the United States Navy, and the first to have a specified number of appointments set by statute. It ranks above rear admiral (two-star admiral) and below admiral (four-star admiral).
Entries in the following list of vice 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,[a] active-duty positions held while serving at three-star rank,[b] number of years of active-duty service at three-star rank (Yrs),[c] year commissioned and source of commission,[d] number of years in commission when promoted to three-star rank (YC),[e] and other biographical notes.[f]
Several three-star positions were created, consolidated, or even eliminated entirely between 2010 and 2019.
The warfighting development (OPNAV N7) directorate was stood up in October 2019 to develop and disseminate naval strategy and implement it in tandem with naval training and education efforts.[21][22] Rear Admiral Stuart B. Munsch was promoted to vice admiral to become the first deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting development.[23][21]
Vice Adm. David Dunaway is pinned with three-star shoulder boards by his wife and daughter on 20 September 2012.
The warfare systems (OPNAV N9) directorate was stood up in 2012 for validating and integrating requirements and resources for manpower, training, sustainment safety and modernization of manned and unmanned warfare systems of the U.S. Navy,[24] with Vice Admiral William R. Burke as its inaugural commander.
Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR), established in 2014 as a two-star command[26] was elevated to a three-star command in July 2017.[17] Then-NAVIFOR commander, Rear Admiral Matthew J. Kohler was promoted to vice admiral on 6 July 2017.[17][27]
Facing maritime competition from Russia, Second Fleet was formally re-established on 24 August 2018[30] as a strategic countermeasure. Its new commander, Vice Admiral Andrew L. Lewis was dual-hatted as Joint Force Command - Norfolk (JFC-NF) from June 2018, and re-assumed the directorship of CJOS COE in October 2020.[18][31]
Military nominations are considered by the Senate Armed Services Committee. While it is rare for three-star or four-star nominations to face even token opposition in the Senate, nominations that do face opposition due to controversy surrounding the nominee in question are typically withdrawn. Nominations that are not withdrawn are allowed to expire without action at the end of the legislative session.
The nomination of Major General Ryan F. Gonsalves for promotion to lieutenant general and assignment as commanding general of U.S. Army Europe was withdrawn in November 2017[36] after an investigation was launched into the general's inappropriate comment to a female Congressional staffer.[37] As a result, Gonsalves was administratively reprimanded and retired in May 2018.[37][38][39]
Additionally, events that take place after Senate confirmation may still delay or even prevent the nominee from assuming office.
For example, Major General John G. Rossi, who had been confirmed for promotion to lieutenant general[40] and assignment as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command in April 2016[41] committed suicide two days before his scheduled promotion and assumption of command.[42] As a result, the then incumbent commander of USASMDC, Lieutenant General David L. Mann, remained in command beyond customary term limits until another nominee, Major General James H. Dickinson was confirmed by the Senate.[43]
The following list of Congressional legislation includes all acts of Congress pertaining to appointments to the grade of vice admiral in the United States Navy from 2010 to 2019.[s]
Each entry lists an act of Congress, its citation in the United States Statutes at Large or Public Law number, and a summary of the act's relevance, with officers affected by the act bracketed where applicable. Positions listed without reference to rank are assumed to be eligible for officers of three-star grade or higher.
List of legislation on appointments of vice admirals from 2010 to 2019
Legislation
Citation
Summary
Act of 7 January 2011
[Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011]
Authorized officers frocked to grade of vice admiral or admiral to wear the insignia of that grade for up to 14 days before assuming position for which that grade is authorized.
Repealed 30-day waiting period following congressional notification before officers below grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral may wear insignia of the next higher grade.
Act of 23 December 2016
[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017]
Repealed authorization for the Chief of Staff to the President, if a general or flag officer of the United States Armed Forces, to be designated a position of importance and responsibility with grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral.[47]
Removed statutory requirement for the director of the Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center, if a commissioned officer, to hold grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral.
Repealed statutory requirement for the director of the Missile Defense Agency, if a commissioned officer, to hold grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral.[48]
Repealed statutory requirement for senior members of the United Nations Military Staff Committee to hold grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral.[49]
Repealed statutory requirement for the principal military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Navy (research, development and acquisition) to hold grade of lieutenant general in the Marine Corps or vice admiral in the Navy.
Repealed statutory requirement for the judge advocate general of the Navy to hold grade of vice admiral.
Act of 12 December 2019
[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020]
Required advice and consent of the Senate on any proposal by the secretary of defense to increase the retired grade of any military officer through the reopening of the determination or certification of said officer's retired grade.
1 2 Dates of rank are taken, where available, from the U.S. Navy register of active and retired commissioned officers, or from the monthly U.S. Navy flag officer roster. The date listed is that of the officer's first promotion to vice admiral. If such a date that qualifies for the above cannot be found, the next date substituted should be that of the officer's assumption of his/her first three-star appointment. Failing which, the officer's first Senate confirmation date to vice admiral should be substituted. For officers promoted to vice admiral on the same date, they should be organized first by officers promoted to four-star rank, number of years spent as a vice admiral, then by the tier of their first listed assignment upon promotion to vice admiral (joint assignments followed by service assignments).
1 2 Positions listed are those held by the officer when promoted to vice admiral. Dates listed are for the officer's full tenure, which may predate promotion to three-star rank or postdate retirement from active duty. Positions held in an acting capacity are italicized.
1 2 The number of years of active-duty service at three-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 three-star assignments is not counted.
1 2 The number of years in commission before being promoted to three-star rank is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Commission" column from the year in the "Date of rank" column.
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 significant military 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.
↑ Nomination as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Plans, Policy, and Operations confirmed, March 2014; retired prior to assumption of post, September 2015.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000025-QINU`"'
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
