Admiral

Admiral (Arabic amir al,”lord of the”), in common usage, a naval officer of the highest rank, also referred to as a flag officer. A system of gradations in the rank of admiral prevails in all major navies of the world. In the U.S. Navy the rank includes fleet admiral, admiral, vice admiral, and rear admiral, in descending order of seniority. In the British navy, except for the substitution of the title admiral of the fleet for that of fleet admiral, the grades are identical to those of the U.S. Navy.

Before the American Civil War, the highest rank in the U.S. Navy was that of commodore, a temporary rank assigned to the commander of a squadron. In 1862 the rank of rear admiral was created and bestowed on Captain David G. Farragut. Congress also established the ranks of vice admiral and admiral for Farragut in 1864 and 1866, respectively. The rank of admiral of the navy was created for the American naval officer George Dewey in 1899; on his death the rank was abolished. Between 1899 and 1915 the ranks of admiral and vice admiral were also temporarily abolished. During World War II the rank of fleet admiral was created; it was first bestowed upon William Daniel Leahy on December 15, 1944. Within a year it was also bestowed upon Ernest Joseph King, Chester William Nimitz, and William Frederick Halsey. No fleet admirals have been named since World War II.

The rank of admiral is held by the chief and vice chief of naval operations, commanders in chief of the Atlantic and Pacific fleets, and others in highest ranking posts. Chiefs of other fleet commands, major shore commands, and the naval bureaus usually hold the rank of vice admiral or rear admiral. If the officers chosen to fill these posts do not hold appropriate rank, it is bestowed on them, temporarily. It can also be conferred by Congress as a mark of honor.