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).
There have been 58 vice admirals in the U.S. Navy since 1 January 2020, six of whom were promoted to four-star admiral. All 57 achieved that rank while on active duty in the U.S. Navy. Admirals entered the Navy via several paths: 27 were commissioned via Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) at a civilian university, 23 via the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), four via Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS), two via Officer Candidate School (OCS), one via direct commission (direct), and one via the California State University Maritime Academy (CSU Maritime).
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, active-duty positions held while serving at three-star rank, number of years of active-duty service at three-star rank (Yrs), year commissioned and source of commission, number of years in commission when promoted to three-star rank (YC), and other biographical notes.
Vice admirals in the United States Navy include commanders of numbered fleets as well as high-level type commands and geographic commands, including the commanders of the naval submarine forces, naval surface forces, naval information forces and the chief of navy reserve. The superintendent of the United States Naval Academy has been a three-star vice admiral without interruption since John R. Ryan's tenure began in 1998.
As with any other service branch, vice admirals can hold joint assignments, of which there are 30 to 50 at any given time. Among the most prestigious of them is the director of the Joint Staff (DJS), principal staff advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and historically considered a stepping stone to four-star rank. All deputy commanders of the unified combatant commands are of three-star rank, as are directors of Defense Agencies not headed by a civilian such as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIRDIA). Internationally-based three-star positions include the United States military representative to the NATO Military Committee (USMILREP), the commander of Allied Joint Force Command â Norfolk (JFC-NF), and the security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian National Authority. All nominees for three-star rank must be confirmed via majority by the Senate before the appointee can take office and thus assume the rank.
The U.S. Code states that no more than 34 officers in the U.S. Navy may hold the rank of vice admiral on the active duty list, aside from those on joint duty assignments. Three-star positions can be elevated to four-star grade or reduced to two-star grade where deemed necessary, either to highlight their increasing importance to the defense apparatus (or lack thereof) or to achieve parity with equivalent commands in other services or regions. Few three-star positions are set by statute, leading to their increased volatility as they do not require congressional approval to be downgraded.
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.
Additionally, events that take place after Senate confirmation may still delay or even prevent the nominee from assuming office.