List of United States Navy vice admirals from 2000 to 2009
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]
Commander, U.S. Second Fleet/Commander, Striking Fleet Atlantic/Commander, Naval Forces North Fleet East/Commander, Joint Task Force 120/Commander, Joint Task Force 950 (COMSECONDFLT/COMSTRIKFLTLANT/COMNAVNFE/CDRJTF 120/CDRJTF 950), 2003–2004.
Commander, Naval Submarine Forces/Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic/Commander, Allied Submarine Command/Commander, Task Force 144/Commander, Task Force 84 (COMNAVSUBFOR/COMSUBLANT/COMASC/CTF-144/CTF-84), 2006–2007.
Commander, Naval Submarine Forces/Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic/Commander, Allied Submarine Command/Commander, Task Force 46/Commander, Task Force 82/Commander, Task Force 144/Commander, Task Force 84 (COMNAVSUBFOR/COMSUBLANT/COMASC/CTF-46/CTF-82/CTF-144/CTF-84), 2007.
Commander, Submarine Forces/Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic/Commander, Allied Submarine Command/Commander, Task Force 46/Commander, Task Force 82/Commander, Task Force 144/Commander, Task Force 84 (COMSUBFOR/COMSUBLANT/COMASC/CTF-46/CTF-82/CTF-144/CTF-84), 2007–2010.
Commander, Naval Network Warfare Command/Deputy Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer (Navy)/Assistant Chief of Naval Operations, Information Technology (COMNAVNETWARCOM/DCHINFO(N)/ACNO-IT), 2007–2008.
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Communication Networks/Deputy Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer (Navy) (DCNO N6/DCHINFO(N)), 2008–2009.
Vice Adm. Bruce E. MacDonald is pinned with his new rank by his wife, Karen, on 4 August 2008.
The N4 (Fleet Readiness and Logistics) and N7 (Warfare Requirements and Programs) directorates were stood up in 2000 under CNO Vern Clark as advocates for current and future fleet requirements respectively.[43] The heads of both directorates were three-star vice admirals.
The director of naval intelligence became a permanent three-star billet in 2009 under CNO Gary Roughead with the consolidation of the N2 and N6 directorates into the N2/N6 (Information Dominance) directorate under a deputy chief of naval operations dual-hatted as DNI.[44] Consequently, then-DNI Vice Admiral David J. Dorsett was reconfirmed as a vice admiral in October 2009 to assume the dual hat.[45]
Two positions directly responsible to the Chief of Naval Operations were elevated to three-star grade between 2000 and 2009.
The Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 elevated the leaders of all service reserve and National Guard components to three-star grade under standard promotion authority.[46][w] As such, the incumbent chief of Navy Reserve, Rear Admiral John B. Totushek was nominated for promotion to vice admiral,[48] and assumed the rank in June 2001.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 elevated all judge advocates general of the service branches to three-star grade.[49] Rear Admiral Bruce E. MacDonald, the incumbent judge advocate general of the Navy, was nominated for promotion to vice admiral in July 2008,[50] and assumed the rank in August of the same year.
Vice Adm. Bernard J. McCullough III at a change of command ceremony, 27 July 2011.
A number of Navy commands were established, elevated to or downgraded from three-star level between 2000 and 2009.
Navy Installations Command was established in October 2003 as a rear admiral's billet, but was elevated to a vice admiral's billet in 2006 concurrent with the downgrading of Military Sealift Command into a two-star command.
The commander of Military Sealift Command, charged with replenishment and transport operations for the Navy, was reduced to a rear admiral's billet in 2006. Vice Admiral David L. Brewer III thus became the last vice admiral to lead MSC.
U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and Tenth Fleet were established in late 2009 as a dual-hatted vice admiral's billet. Vice Admiral Bernard J. McCullough III, then-deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources (DCNO N8), was confirmed to the new position in December 2009.[51]
Additionally, on 1 October 2001, a single type commander was designated as the "follow-on" lead for a type of weapon system for the overall operating forces of the Navy, leading several Pacific and Atlantic type commanders to be dual-hatted as overall type commanders for the entire service.[52] The aviation, submarine and surface warfare type commanders, Vice Admirals John B. Nathman, John J. Grossenbacher, Timothy W. LaFleur assumed their dual hats on the same date.
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 Rear Admiral Elizabeth A. Hight to be director of the Defense Information Systems Agency in 2008 was withdrawn[53] due to concerns about a possible conflict of interest with her husband, a retired Air Force general who was employed by a prominent Defense contractor.[54]
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[58] and assignment as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command in April 2016[59] committed suicide two days before his scheduled promotion and assumption of command.[60] As a result, the then incumbent commander of USASMDC, Lieutenant General David L. Mann, remained in command beyond statutory term limits until another nominee, Major General James H. Dickinson was confirmed by the Senate.[61]
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 2000 to 2009.[x]
Each entry lists an act of Congress, its citation in the United States Statutes at Large, 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 2000 to 2009
Legislation
Citation
Summary
Act of October 30, 2000
[Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001]
Raised statutory rank of the chief of Naval Reserve, under standard promotion procedures, to vice admiral (John B. Totushek).
Repealed special requirement for senior reserve component officers,[y] per Section 12505 of Title 10, for appointment to grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral.
Act of December 2, 2002
[Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003]
Established a Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center and assigned director statutory grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral.
Exempted the senior military assistant to the secretary of defense from number and percentage limitations on general or flag officers, if serving in grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral.
Act of October 28, 2004
[Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005]
Raised statutory rank of the judge advocate general of the Navy to vice admiral (Bruce E. MacDonald).
Increased percentage of general or flag officers that may be appointed above grade of major general or rear admiral from 15.7% to 16.3%.
Allowed officers serving in grade of lieutenant general, general, vice admiral, or admiral to continue holding such position for up to 60 days following reassignment from such position, unless placed sooner in another designated position.
Made position of principal military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Navy (research, development and acquisition) statutory, to be selected from active duty vice admirals of the Navy and lieutenant generals of the Marine Corps.
Act of October 14, 2008
[Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009]
Increased percentage of flag officers in the Navy that may be appointed above grade of rear admiral from 16.3% to 16.4%.
Revised cap on total number of authorized Navy flag officers to be reduced to 160, of which 32 may be appointed in grade of vice admiral pending a congressional report by the secretary of defense.
Authorized appointment of up to 68 officers in grade of lieutenant general or vice admiral for joint duty assignments.
Act of October 28, 2009
[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010]
^"Terms of Board Members"(PDF). Ocean Exploration Advisory Board. 1 February 2021. Archived from the original(PDF) on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
^ abDates of rank are taken, where available, from the U.S. Navy register of active and retired commissioned officers, or from the flag officer's official biography. 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).
^ abPositions 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.
^ abThe 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.
^ abThe 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.
^ abNotes 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.
^Special promotion authority to three-star rank for service reserve and National Guard leaders had existed since 1999 under 10 U.S.C. § 12505;[47] the 2001 NDAA repealed this section and assigned the affected positions with statutory three-star grades under standard promotion authority.
^referring to the chiefs of service reserve components (Army Reserve, Marine Forces Reserve, Naval Reserve, and Air Force Reserve) and directors of the Army and Air National Guard
Swartz, Peter; Markowitz, Michael (31 December 2009), Organizing OPNAV (1970 - 2009)(PDF), U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, archived(PDF) from the original on 25 December 2021
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