This is a complete list of four-star admirals in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps . The rank of admiral (or full admiral, or four-star admiral), ranks above vice admiral (three-star admiral) and is the highest rank achievable in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
There have been six four-star admirals in the history of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. All six were directly commissioned into the regular corps. One was already an officer in the regular corps and the other five were originally civilians who were appointed to the regular corps and to grade upon taking office.
The following lists of four-star admirals are sortable by last name, date of rank. 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. Public Health Service register. The year commissioned is taken to be the year the officer was directly commissioned which may precede the officer's actual date of commission by up to two years. Each entry lists the admiral's name, date of rank, active-duty position held while serving at four-star rank, number of years of active-duty service at four-star rank (Yrs), year commissioned and source of commission, number of years in commission when promoted to four-star rank (YC), and other biographical notes.
# | Name | Photo | Date of rank | Position | Yrs | Commission | YC | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | James O. Mason | 1 Oct 1989 |
| 4 | 1983 (direct) | 6 | (1930–2019) Acting Surgeon General, 1989–1990. | |
2 | David Satcher | 13 Feb 1998 |
| 3 | 1998 (direct) | 0 | (1941– ) Reverted down to a vice admiral in 2001 after completing three years as ASH but remained as Surgeon General until 2002. | |
3 | John O. Agwunobi | 4 Jan 2006 |
| 2 | 2005 (direct) | 0 | ||
4 | Joxel García | 28 Mar 2008 |
| 1 | 2008 (direct) | 0 | (1962– ) First Puerto Rican to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health. | |
5 | Brett P. Giroir | 22 Feb 2018 |
| 3 | 2018 (direct) | 0 | (1960– ) Acting Commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration 2019. | |
6 | Rachel L. Levine | 19 Oct 2021 |
| 2 | 2021 (direct) | 0 | (1957– ) Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Health, 2017–2021. First openly transgender person to achieve four-star rank in any uniformed service. | |
United States military seniority is the method by which the United States Armed Forces determines precedence among commissioned officers, in particular those who hold the same rank. Seniority is used to determine assignments, tactical commands, promotions and general courtesy. To a lesser extent, historical seniority is used to recognize status of honor given to early United States military leaders such as inaugural holders of certain ranks or those officers who served as leadership during major wars and armed conflicts.
Admiral is a four-star commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below fleet admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health Service do not have an established grade above admiral. Admiral is equivalent to the rank of general in the other uniformed services. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps has never had an officer hold the grade of admiral. However, 37 U.S.C. § 201 of the U.S. Code established the grade for the NOAA Corps, in case a position is created that merits the four-star grade.
In the United States military, a general is the most senior general-grade officer; it is the highest achievable commissioned officer rank that may be attained in the United States Armed Forces, with exception of the Navy and Coast Guard, which have the equivalent rank of admiral instead. The official and formal insignia of "general" is defined by its four stars.
A rear admiral in the uniformed services of the United States is either of two different ranks of commissioned officers: one-star flag officers and two-star flag officers. By contrast, in most other countries, the term "rear admiral" refers only to an officer of two-star rank.
Vice admiral is a three-star commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, with the pay grade of O-9. Vice admiral ranks above rear admiral and below admiral. Vice admiral is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant general in the other uniformed services.