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Admiral
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Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the senior naval leadership . Admiral (equivalent to full General)Vice Admiral is equivalent to Lt.-General and Rear Admiral is equivalent to a Maj.-General. Admiral may be abbreviated as "Adm." or "ADM". Where relevant, Admiral is a four star rank.
HistoryThe word Admiral in Middle English comes from Anglo-French amiral, "commander", from Medieval Latin admiralis, "emir", admirallus, "admiral", from Arabic amir-al- أمير الـ, "commander of the" (as in amir-al-bahr أمير البحر "commander of the sea"). Crusaders learned the term during their encounters with the Arabs, perhaps as early as the 11th century. The Sicilians and later Genoese took the first two parts of the term and used them as one word, amiral, from their Catalan opponents. The French and Spanish gave their sea commanders similar titles while in Portuguese the word changed to almirante. As the word was used by people speaking Latin or Latin-based languages it gained the "d" and endured a series of different endings and spellings leading to the English spelling "admyrall" in the 14th century and to "admiral" by the 16th century. The word Admiral has today come to be almost exclusively associated with the highest naval rank in most of the world's navies, equivalent to the Army rank of (Full) General. However, this wasn't always the case; for example, in some European countries prior to the end of World War II, Admiral was the third highest naval rank behind General Admiral and Grand Admiral. The rank of Admiral has also been subdivided into various grades, several of which are historically extinct while others are used by most present day navies. The Royal Navy used colours (red, white, and blue, in descending order) to indicate the seniority of its admirals until 1864; for example, Horatio Nelson's highest rank was Vice Admiral of the White. The generic term for these naval equivalents of army generals is Flag Officer. Some navies have also used army-type titles for them, such as the Cromwellian General at Sea. Canada The rank of Admiral in Canada is typically held by only one officer whose position is Chief of the Defence Staff and the senior uniformed officer of the Canadian Forces. The rank is referred to as 'four star', despite the use of maple leaves in the insignia. It is equivalent to the Army and Air Force rank of General. The current incumbent of the position of CDS is General Walter Natynczyk. The last naval officer to hold this position was Vice-Admiral Larry Murray, who held it on a temporary basis. The last naval officer to hold the rank of Admiral and the position of CDS was Admiral John Rogers Anderson. The only other serving officer of this rank's equivalent at the moment is Canada's representative on the NATO Military Committee, Air Force General Raymond Henault, who was previously the CDS. Canadian Naval officer's rank update On 5 March 2010, Conservative Member of Parliament for the riding of Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, Mr. Guy Lauzon, issued the following motion: ""That, in the opinion of the House, in light of the upcoming centennial of the Canadian Navy, the government should consider reinstating the Navy executive curl on its uniforms." The motion passed, and on 2 May 2010, (Battle of the Atlantic Sunday), the Minister of National Defence, the Honourable Peter Gordon Mackay, P.C., Q.C., B.A., LL.B., made the announcement of the return of the Executive Curl for Canadian naval officers. Canadian admirals will begin add the executive curl and three braid staring on 11 June 2010 over their wide gold braid, and will loose the shoulder straps. However, flag officer slip ons and shoulder boards will remain the same. United Kingdom Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet. King Edward I of England appointed the first English Admiral in 1297 when he named William de Leyburn “Admiral of the sea of the King of England”. The rank of Admiral should not be confused with the office of Admiral of England or Lord High Admiral, which was an office held by the person with overall responsibility for the Navy. The Royal Navy has had Vice and Rear Admirals since at least the 16th century. When in command of the fleet, the Admiral would either be in the lead or the middle portion of the fleet. When the Admiral commanded from the middle portion of the fleet his deputy, the Vice Admiral, would be in the leading portion or van. Below him was another admiral at the rear of the fleet, called Rear Admiral. In Elizabethan times the fleet grew large enough to be organized into squadrons. The admiral’s squadron wore a red ensign, the vice admiral’s white, and the rear admiral’s blue. As the squadrons grew, each was eventually commanded by an Admiral (with Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals commanding sections) and the official titles became Admiral of the White, et cetera. The squadrons ranked in order Red, White, and Blue, with admirals ranked according to their squadron: 
Promotion up the ladder was in accordance with seniority in the rank of Post-Captain, and rank was held for life, so the only way to get promoted was for the person above you on the list to die or resign. Another way was to promote unsuccessful captains to the rank of admiral without distinction of squadron (a practice known as yellowing—the Captain so raised became known as a yellow admiral). In the 18th century, the original nine ranks began to be filled by more than one person per rank, although the rank of Admiral of the Red was always filled by only one person and was known as Admiral of the Fleet, but the organisation of the fleet into coloured squadrons was abandoned in 1864. The Red Ensign was allocated to the Merchant Marine, the White Ensign became the flag of the Royal Navy, and the Blue Ensign was allocated to the naval reserve and naval auxiliary vessels. The 19th century British Navy also maintained a positional rank known as Port Admiral. A Port Admiral was typically a veteran Captain who served as the shore commander of a British Naval Port and was in charge of supplying, refitting, and maintaining the ships docked at harbour. The most powerful Port Admiral position was the Port Admiral of Portsmouth, considered the leading harbour of the Royal Navy. The current ranks are Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral and Admiral of the Fleet, also known as flag ranks because admirals, known as Flag Officers, are entitled to fly a personal flag. An Admiral of the Fleet flies a Union Jack at the masthead, while an Admiral flies a St George’s cross (red cross on white). Vice Admirals and Rear Admirals fly a St George’s cross differenced with one and two red discs in the hoist, respectively. In 1996, the rank of Admiral of the Fleet was put in abeyance in peacetime, except for members of the Royal family. However, Admirals of the Fleet continue to hold their rank on the active list for life. Australia Admiral is the highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy and was created as a direct equivalent of the British Navy rank of Admiral. It is a 4 star rank. In general, the only time the rank is held is when the Chief of the Defence Force is a Navy officer. Admiral is a higher rank than Vice Admiral, but is a lower rank than Admiral of the Fleet. Admiral is the equivalent of Air Chief Marshal in the Royal Australian Air Force and General in the Australian Army. Since the mid 1990s, the insignia of a Royal Australian Navy Admiral is the crown of St. Edward above a crossed sword and baton, above four silver stars, above the word AUSTRALIA. Note that unlike other Commonwealth countries, the sword has a closed handle. The stars have eight points, like the Royal Navy insignia (and unlike the four pointed Order of the Bath stars used by the army.) Prior to 1995, the RAN shoulder board was identical to the UK shoulder board. (The UK shoulder board changed in 2001.) Australian Admirals
Germany Admiral is a rank of the German Navy that first appeared in the 19th century and was expanded in the early 20th century as part of a build-up and mobilization in preparation for the First World War. The rank again saw a resurgence during the Second World War. There were many famous German Admirals during these formative years of German naval power, among them Alfred von Tirpitz and Karl Dönitz. The ranks of the German Admiralty were based on those from other European Powers, with some modifications in the titles and pronunciation. The German Navy also never considered Commodore a rank of the Admiralty, as this rank has always been considered more of a senior Captain. In 1944, the ranks of the German Kriegsmarine were in order of seniority as follows:
In the modern age, the German Navy no longer uses the ranks of General Admiral and Grand Admiral. A junior admiral rank, known as Flottillenadmiral rates below Konteradmiral and is generally considered the equivalent of a Rear Admiral (Lower Half). United States of America In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral (ADM) is a four-star flag officer rank, 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 Corps, historically to date, has never had an officer hold the grade of admiral. However, 37 U.S.C. § 201 of the U.S. Code establishes the grade for the NOAA Corps in the case a position is created, temporarily or indefinitely, that merits the four-star grade. Since the five-star Fleet Admiral grade is reserved for war-time use only, the grade of admiral is considered to be the highest appointment an officer can achieve in these three services. HistoryThe United States Navy did not have any admirals until 1862 because many people felt the title too reminiscent of royalty, such as the British Royal Navy, to be used in the country's navy.[1] Others saw the need for ranks above Captain, among them John Paul Jones, who pointed out that the Navy had to have officers who "ranked" with Army generals [1]. He also felt there must be ranks above Captain to avoid disputes among senior captains [1]. The various Secretaries of the Navy repeatedly recommended to United States Congress that admiral ranks be created because the other navies of the world used them and American senior officers were "often subjected to serious difficulties and embarrassments in the interchange of civilities with those of other nations." [1] Congress finally authorized nine Rear Admirals on July 16, 1862, although that was probably more for the needs of the rapidly expanding Navy during the American Civil War than any international considerations [1]. Two years later Congress authorized the appointment of a vice admiral from among the nine rear admirals: David Farragut [1]. Another bill allowed the President of the United States to appoint Farragut to full admiral on July 25, 1866, and David Dixon Porter to vice admiral [1]. When Farragut died in 1870, Porter became admiral and Stephen C. Rowan was promoted to vice admiral [1]. Even after they died, Congress did not allow the promotion of any of the Rear Admirals to succeed them, so there were no more admirals or vice admirals by promotion until 1915 when Congress authorized an admiral and a vice admiral each for the Atlantic, Pacific and Asiatic fleets [1]. There was one admiral in the interim, however. In 1899, Congress recognized George Dewey's accomplishments during the Spanish-American War by authorizing the President to appoint him Admiral of the Navy [1]. He held that rank until he died in 1917. Nobody has since held that title. In 1944, Congress approved the five-star Fleet Admiral rank [1]. The first to hold it were William D. Leahy, Ernest J. King, and Chester W. Nimitz [1]. The Senate confirmed their appointments December 15, 1944 [1]. The fourth Fleet Admiral, William F. Halsey, got his fifth star in December 1945. None has been appointed since. The sleeve stripes now used by admirals and vice admirals in the United States date from March 11, 1869, when the Secretary of the Navy's General Order Number 90 specified that for their "undress" uniforms admirals would wear a two-inch stripe with three half-inch stripes above it and vice admirals the two-inch stripe with two half-inch stripes above it [1]. The rear admiral got his two-inch stripe and one half-inch stripe in 1866 [1]. The sleeve stripes had been more elaborate. When the rear admiral rank started in 1862 the sleeve arrangement was three stripes of three-quarter-inch lace alternating with three stripes of quarter-inch lace [1]. It was some ten inches from top to bottom [1]. The vice admiral, of course, had even more stripes and when Farragut became admiral in 1866, he had so many stripes they reached from his cuffs almost to his elbow [1]. On their dress uniforms the admirals wore bands of gold embroidery of live oak leaves and acorns [1]. The admirals of the 1860s wore the same number of stars on their shoulders as admirals of corresponding grades do today [1]. In 1899, the Navy's one admiral (Dewey) and 18 rear admirals put on the new shoulder marks, as did the other officers when wearing their white uniforms, but kept their stars instead of repeating the sleeve cuff stripes [1]. During the 20th century, the ranks of the modern U.S. Admiralty were firmly established. An oddity that did exist was that the Navy did not have a one-star rank except briefly during the Second World War when Congress established a temporary war rank of Commodore. The one-star rank was later established permanently in 1986. Statutory limitsU.S. Code of law explicitly limits the total number of four-star admirals that may be on active duty at any given time. The total number of active duty flag officers is capped at 216 for the Navy.[2] For the Navy, no more than 16.3% of the service's active duty flag officers may have more than two stars, and no more than 25% of those may have four stars.[3][4][5] This corresponds to 9 four-star admirals. Some of these slots are reserved by statute. For the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations and the Vice Chief of Naval Operations are both four-star admirals. In addition, the Commandant of the Coast Guard [6] is a four-star admiral; for the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the Assistant Secretary for Health [7] is four-star admiral if he or she holds an appointment to the regular corps. There are several exceptions to these limits allowing more than allotted within the statute. A four-star navy admiral serving as Chief of Staff to the President, or as Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff does not count against the navy's flag officer cap. A navy admiral serving in one of several joint positions does not count against his service's four-star limit, but he does count against his service's limit on officers with more than two stars; these positions include the commander of a unified combatant command, the commander of United States Forces Korea, and the deputy commander of U.S. European Command but only if the commander of that command is also the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe.[8] Officers serving in certain intelligence positions are not counted against either limit, including the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.[9] The President may also add four-star admirals to the Navy if they are offset by removing an equivalent number of four-stars from other services.[3] Finally, all statutory limits may be waived at the President's discretion during time of war or national emergency.[10] Appointment and tour lengthFour-star grades go hand-in-hand with the positions of office they are linked to, so these ranks are temporary. Officers may only achieve four-star grade if they are appointed to positions that require the officer to hold such a rank.[11] Their rank expires with the expiration of their term of office, which is usually set by statute.[11] Four-star admirals are nominated for appointment by the President of the United States from any eligible officers holding the rank of rear admiral (lower half) or above, whom also meets the requirements for the position, under the advice and/or suggestion of their respective department secretary, service secretary, and if applicable the joint chiefs.[11] For some specific positions, statute allows the President to waive those requirements for a nominee whom he deems would serve national interests. [12] The nominee must be confirmed via majority vote by the United States Senate before the appointee can take office and thus assume the rank.[11] The standard tour length for most four-star positions is three years, bundled as a two-year term plus a one-year extension, with the following exceptions:
Note: Extensions of the standard tour length can be approved, within statutory limits, by their respective service secretaries, the Secretary of Defense, the President, and/or Congress but these are rare, as they block other officers from being promoted. Some statutory limits under the U.S. Code can be waived in times of national emergency or war. Admiral ranks may also be given by act of Congress but this is extremely rare. RetirementOther than voluntary retirement, statute sets a number of mandates for retirement. Four-star admirals must retire after 40 years of service unless he or she is reappointed to grade to serve longer.[13] Otherwise all flag officers must retire the month after their 64th birthday.[14] However, the Secretary of Defense can defer a four-star officer's retirement until the officer's 66th birthday [14] and the President can defer it until the officer's 68th birthday. [14] Flag officers typically retire well in advance of the statutory age and service limits, so as not to impede the upward career mobility of their juniors. Since there is a limited number of four-star slots available to each service, typically one officer must leave office before another can be promoted.[15] Maintaining a four-star rank is a game of musical chairs; once an officer vacates a position bearing that rank, he or she has no more than 60 days to be appointed or reappointed to a position of equal importance before he or she must involuntarily retire.[11] Historically, officers leaving four-star positions were allowed to revert to their permanent two-star ranks to mark time in lesser jobs until statutory retirement, but now such officers are expected to retire immediately to avoid obstructing the promotion flow. References
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This page was last modified on 17 June 2010, at 13:14.
This page has been accessed 480 times.
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