This is a complete list of United States Coast Guard vice admirals. The grade of vice admiral (or three-star admiral) is the second-highest in the Coast Guard, ranking above rear admiral (two-star admiral) and below admiral (four-star admiral).
The grade of vice admiral was first granted to the commandant of the Coast Guard during World War II. From 1942 to 1972, the Coast Guard had at most one vice admiral, either the commandant or the assistant commandant. Additional vice admirals were appointed in 1972 to command operating forces in the Atlantic and Pacific, and by 2021 the Coast Guard had four vice admirals on active duty. More than a dozen rear admirals received tombstone promotions to vice admiral when they retired, for either completing 40 years of service or being specially commended for performance of duty in actual combat before the end of World War II. Tombstone promotions for years of service ended on November 1, 1949, and for combat citations on November 1, 1959.
Of the 77 vice admirals who were appointed to that rank while on active duty, 65 were commissioned via the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) or its predecessor, the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service School of Instruction (USRCSSI); 1 via the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA); and 11 via officer candidate school (OCS).
List of vice admirals
The following list of vice admirals is indexed by the numerical order in which each officer was appointed to that rank. Each entry lists the officer's name, date of rank,[1] number of years on active duty as vice admiral (Yrs),[2] active-duty positions held while serving as vice admiral,[3] year commissioned and source of commission,[4] and number of years in commission when promoted to vice admiral (YC),[5] and other biographical notes.[6]
# | Name | Photo | Date of rank [1] | Position [3] | Yrs [2] | Commission [4] | YC [5] | Notes [6] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Russell R. Waesche | ![]() |
10 Mar 1942 |
|
3 | 1906 (USRCSSI)[7] | 36 | (1886–1946) Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 4 Apr 1945–1 Jan 1946. |
2 | Merlin O'Neill | ![]() |
1 Jan 1950 |
|
4 | 1921 (USCGA) | 29 | (1898–1981) Retired as admiral, 1 Jan 1954. |
3 | Alfred C. Richmond | ![]() |
1 Jun 1954 |
|
6 | 1924 (USCGA) | 30 | (1902–1984) Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 1 Jun 1960–1 Jun 1962. |
4 | James A. Hirshfield | ![]() |
1 Jun 1960 | 2 | 1924 (USCGA) | 36 | (1902–1993) | |
5 | Edwin J. Roland | ![]() |
12 Feb 1962 | 0 | 1929 (USCGA) | 33 | (1905–1985) Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 1 Jun 1962–1 Jun 1966. | |
6 | Donald M. Morrison | ![]() |
3 Jul 1962 |
|
2 | 1931 (USCGA) | 31 | (1906–1989) |
7 | William D. Shields | ![]() |
8 Jul 1964 |
|
2 | 1931 (USCGA) | 33 | (1907–1989) |
8 | Paul E. Trimble | ![]() |
17 Jul 1966 |
|
4 | 1936 (USCGA) | 30 | (1913–2004) |
9 | Thomas R. Sargent III | ![]() |
1 Jul 1970 |
|
4 | 1938 (USCGA) | 32 | (1914–2010) |
10 | Mark A. Whalen | ![]() |
14 Oct 1972 |
|
2 | 1937 (USCGA) | 35 | (1919–2002) |
11 | Benjamin F. Engel | ![]() |
14 Oct 1972 |
|
2 | 1938 (USCGA) | 34 | (1914–1983) |
12 | Ellis L. Perry | ![]() |
1 Jul 1974 |
|
4 | 1941 (USCGA) | 33 | (1919–2002) |
13 | William F. Rea III | ![]() |
1 Jul 1974 |
|
4 | 1941 (USCGA) | 33 | (1918–2004) |
14 | Joseph J. McClelland | ![]() |
1 Jul 1974 |
|
2 | 1940 (USCGA) | 34 | (1916–1981) |
15 | Austin C. Wagner | ![]() |
30 Jun 1976 |
|
2 | 1941 (USCGA) | 35 | (1919–2004) |
16 | Robert H. Scarborough Jr. | ![]() |
1 Jul 1978 |
|
4 | 1944 (USMMA) | 34 | (1923–2020) |
17 | Robert I. Price | ![]() |
1 Jul 1978 |
|
3 | 1945 (USCGA) | 33 | (1921–2019) |
18 | James S. Gracey | ![]() |
1 Jul 1978 |
|
4 | 1949 (USCGA) | 29 | (1927–2020) Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 28 May 1982 – 30 May 1986. |
19 | James P. Stewart | ![]() |
17 Jun 1981 |
|
1 | 1946 (USCGA) | 35 | (1924–2019) |
20 | Wayne E. Caldwell | ![]() |
21 May 1982 |
|
2 | 1948 (USCGA) | 34 | (1923–2009) |
21 | Benedict L. Stabile | ![]() |
22 May 1982 |
|
4 | 1950 (USCGA) | 32 | (1927–2014) |
22 | Charles E. Larkin | ![]() |
28 Jun 1982 |
|
2 | 1949 (USCGA) | 33 | (1927– ) |
23 | Paul A. Yost Jr. | ![]() |
1 Jul 1984 |
|
2 | 1951 (USCGA) | 33 | (1929– ) Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 30 May 1986 – 31 May 1990. |
24 | John D. Costello | ![]() |
31 Jul 1984 |
|
4 | 1952 (USCGA) | 32 | (1930–2014) |
25 | James C. Irwin | ![]() |
16 May 1986 |
|
5 | 1953 (USCGA) | 33 | (1929–2018) |
26 | Donald C. Thompson | ![]() |
27 May 1986 |
|
2 | 1952 (USCGA) | 34 | (1930– ) |
27 | Clyde T. Lusk Jr. | ![]() |
Jun 1988 |
|
2 | 1954 (USCGA) | 34 | (1932–2014) |
28 | Clyde E. Robbins | ![]() |
Jun 1988 |
|
5 | 1954 (USCGA) | 34 | (1929– ) |
29 | Howard B. Thorsen | ![]() |
31 Mar 1989 |
|
2 | 1955 (USCGA) | 34 | (1933– ) |
30 | Martin H. Daniell Jr. | ![]() |
May 1990 |
|
4 | 1957 (OCS) | 35 | (1935– ) |
31 | A. Bruce Beran | ![]() |
30 Jun 1990 |
|
2 | 1957 (USCGA) | 33 | (1935– ) |
32 | Paul A. Welling | ![]() |
28 Jun 1991 |
|
3 | 1959 (USCGA) | 32 | (1938– ) |
33 | Robert T. Nelson | ![]() |
Jun 1992 |
|
2 | 1958 (USCGA) | 34 | (1936– ) |
34 | Robert E. Kramek | ![]() |
Jul 1992 |
|
2 | 1961 (USCGA) | 31 | (1939–2016) Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 1 Jun 1994–30 May 1998. |
35 | Arthur D. Henn | ![]() |
Jun 1994 |
|
2 | 1962 (USCGA) | 32 | (1940–2001) |
36 | James M. Loy | ![]() |
23 Jun 1994 |
|
4 | 1964 (USCGA) | 30 | (1942– ) Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 30 May 1998 – 30 May 2002. Administrator, Transportation Security Administration, 2002–2003; U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, 2003–2005. |
37 | Kent H. Williams | ![]() |
Jun 1994 |
|
3 | 1965 (USCGA) | 31 | (1943– ) |
38 | Richard D. Herr | ![]() |
1 Jul 1994 |
|
4 | 1964 (USCGA) | 30 | (1941– ) |
39 | Roger T. Rufe Jr. | ![]() |
1996 |
|
3 | 1965 (USCGA) | 31 | (1943– ) |
40 | James C. Card | ![]() |
May 1997 |
|
3 | 1964 (USCGA) | 33 | (1942– ) |
41 | Timothy W. Josiah | ![]() |
May 1998 |
|
4 | 1969 (USCGA) | 29 | (c. 1947– ) |
42 | Thomas H. Collins | ![]() |
1998 |
|
4 | 1968 (USCGA) | 30 | (1946– ) Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 30 May 2002 – 25 May 2006. |
43 | John E. Shkor | ![]() |
3 Sep 1999 |
|
2 | 1966 (USCGA) | 33 | (1944– ) |
44 | Ernest R. Riutta | ![]() |
24 May 2000 |
|
2 | 1968 (USCGA) | 32 | (c. 1946– ) |
45 | Thad W. Allen | ![]() |
Aug 2001 |
|
5 | 1971 (USCGA) | 30 | (1949– ) Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 25 May 2006 – 25 May 2010. |
46 | James D. Hull | ![]() |
14 May 2002 |
|
2 | 1969 (USCGA) | 33 | (c. 1947– ) |
47 | Thomas J. Barrett | ![]() |
30 May 2002 |
|
2 | 1969 (OCS) | 33 | (1947– ) Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, 2006–2007; U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation, 2007–2009. |
48 | Terry M. Cross | ![]() |
Jul 2002 |
|
4 | 1970 (USCGA) | 32 | (1947– ) |
49 | Harvey E. Johnson Jr. | ![]() |
Jun 2004 |
|
2 | 1975 (USCGA) | 29 | (c. 1953– ) Deputy Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2006–2009. |
50 | Vivien S. Crea | ![]() |
16 Jul 2004 |
|
5 | 1973 (OCS) | 31 | (1952– ) |
51 | Robert J. Papp Jr. | ![]() |
Apr 2006 |
|
4 | 1975 (USCGA) | 31 | (1953– ) Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 25 May 2010 – 30 May 2014. |
52 | D. Brian Peterman | ![]() |
9 May 2006 |
|
2 | 1972 (OCS) | 34 | (c. 1950– ) |
53 | Charles D. Wurster | ![]() |
May 2006 |
|
2 | 1971 (USCGA) | 35 | (c. 1949– ) Brother of Air Force lieutenant general Donald C. Wurster. |
54 | David P. Pekoske | ![]() |
29 May 2008 |
|
2 | 1977 (USCGA) | 31 | (1955– ) Administrator, Transportation Security Administration, 2017–present. |
55 | Clifford I. Pearson | ![]() |
Jun 2008 |
|
1 | 1973 (OCS) | 35 | (c. 1951– ) |
56 | Jody A. Breckenridge | ![]() |
Jul 2009 |
|
1 | 1976 (OCS) | 33 | (c. 1954– ) |
57 | John P. Currier | ![]() |
6 Aug 2009 |
|
5 | 1976 (OCS) | 33 | (1951–2020) |
58 | Robert C. Parker | ![]() |
30 Apr 2010 |
|
4 | 1979 (USCGA) | 33 | (1957– ) |
59 | Manson K. Brown | ![]() |
17 May 2010 |
|
4 | 1978 (USCGA) | 32 | (1956– ) U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction, 2015–2017. |
60 | Sally Brice-O'Hara | ![]() |
24 May 2010 |
|
2 | 1975 (OCS) | 35 | (c. 1953– ) |
61 | Brian M. Salerno | ![]() |
28 Mar 2011 |
|
1 | 1976 (OCS) | 35 | (c. 1954– ) Director, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, 2013–2017. |
62 | Paul F. Zukunft | ![]() |
27 Apr 2012 |
|
2 | 1977 (USCGA) | 35 | (1955– ) Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 30 May 2014–1 Jun 2018. |
63 | Peter V. Neffenger | ![]() |
3 May 2012 |
|
3 | 1982 (OCS) | 30 | (1955– ) Administrator, Transportation Security Administration, 2015–2017. |
64 | Charles W. Ray | ![]() |
22 Apr 2014 |
|
4 | 1981 (USCGA) | 33 | (1959– ) Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 24 May 2018–18 Jun 2021. |
65 | Charles D. Michel | ![]() |
2 May 2014 |
|
2 | 1985 (USCGA) | 29 | (1963– ) Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 24 May 2016 – 24 May 2018. |
66 | William D. Lee | ![]() |
16 May 2014 |
|
2 | 1981 (OCS) | 33 | (c. 1959– ) |
67 | Sandra L. Stosz | ![]() |
3 Jun 2015 |
|
3 | 1982 (USCGA) | 33 | (1960– ) First woman to lead a U.S. service academy. |
68 | Fred M. Midgette | ![]() |
11 Mar 2016 |
|
3 | 1982 (USCGA) | 33 | (c. 1960– ) |
69 | Marshall B. Lytle III | ![]() |
13 Jul 2016 |
|
2 | 1981 (USCGA) | 35 | (1959– ) |
70 | Karl L. Schultz | ![]() |
4 Aug 2016 |
|
2 | 1983 (USCGA) | 33 | (1961– ) Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 1 Jun 2018–1 Jun 2022. |
71 | Scott A. Buschman | ![]() |
24 May 2018 |
|
4 | 1984 (USCGA) | 34 | (1962– ) |
72 | Michael F. McAllister | ![]() |
25 May 2018 |
|
4 | 1986 (USCGA) | 32 | (1964– ) |
73 | Linda L. Fagan | ![]() |
8 Jun 2018 |
|
3 | 1985 (USCGA) | 33 | (1963– ) Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 18 Jun 2021–1 Jun 2022; Commandant of the Coast Guard, 1 Jun 2022–present. |
74 | Daniel B. Abel | ![]() |
18 Jun 2018 |
|
2 | 1983 (USCGA) | 35 | (1961– ) |
75 | Steven D. Poulin | ![]() |
1 Jul 2020 |
|
2 | 1984 (USCGA) | 36 | (1962– ) Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard, with rank of admiral, 24 May 2022–present. |
76 | Paul F. Thomas | ![]() |
22 Jun 2021 |
|
1 | 1985 (USCGA) | 36 | (1963– ) |
77 | Kevin E. Lunday | ![]() |
24 May 2022 |
|
0 | 1987 (USCGA) | 35 | (1965– ) |
Timeline
![](https://web.archive.org/web/20220530220805im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/iql1ww5js9ede9b18s91lvvak6dbahy.png)
![](https://web.archive.org/web/20220530220805im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/kzmores4yammsnsylk83p3o53i7k7sv.png)
History
World War II
The first vice admiral in the Coast Guard was appointed in March 1942, following the United States entry into World War II, when Coast Guard commandant Russell R. Waesche and two Navy officers were nominated to be temporary vice admirals under a 1941 statute that authorized an unlimited number of appointments in all grades for temporary service during a national emergency.[8][9][10] The statute technically created temporary grades only up to rear admiral, but the Senate confirmed all three officers as vice admirals anyway.[11] Three years later, Waesche became the first four-star officer in the Coast Guard when the commandants of the Coast Guard and Marine Corps were both authorized that rank until six months after the end of the war.[12]
Postwar
After World War II, Congress consolidated all of the various statutes governing the Coast Guard into a single positive law, Title 14 of the United States Code, which lowered the rank of future commandants to vice admiral. In 1960, Congress restored the commandant's rank to admiral and raised the assistant commandant to vice admiral. Congress gave three-star rank to the commanders of Coast Guard Atlantic Area and Coast Guard Pacific Area in 1972.[13]
Initially most vice admirals retired after their first three-star assignment. Only three of the eight commandants appointed after 1960 ever served as vice admirals, the other five being promoted directly from rear admiral. As late as 1990, rear admiral J. William Kime was selected for commandant over all three vice admirals. Follow-on assignments were rare until 1988, when vice commandant James C. Irwin was transferred to command the Coast Guard Atlantic Area, breaking the tradition that vice commandants retired with their commandants.[14] Irwin retired in 1989 and was recalled to active duty to serve as the three-star commander of Joint Task Force Four, the predecessor of Joint Interagency Task Force South.[15] Reappointments as vice admiral became more common after a fourth three-star position was created for the chief of staff of the Coast Guard in 1993.[16]
21st century
In 2010, to support the Coast Guard's modernization plan, Congress removed the requirement that vice admirals be assigned as area commanders or chief of staff of the Coast Guard, and simply authorized the President to designate four positions to carry three-star rank in addition to the vice commandant. The chief of staff of the Coast Guard became the deputy commandant for mission support, and the deputy commandant for operations received a third star.[17]
The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 elevated the vice commandant to admiral and authorized Coast Guard officers to serve as additional vice admirals in positions outside the Coast Guard without having to retire and be recalled to active duty in that rank like Irwin and Clyde E. Robbins, the first director of intelligence and security for the Department of Transportation.[18] In 2016, Marshall B. Lytle III became the director of command, control, communications and computers (C4) and cyber and chief information officer on the Joint Staff, the first Coast Guard officer to compete successfully for a joint three-star position that traditionally rotated between the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
Tombstone vice admirals
From 1923 to 1959, Coast Guard officers could retire with a tombstone promotion to the rank and sometimes the pay of the next higher grade, if they had 40 years of service or had been specially commended for the performance of duty in actual combat before the end of World War II. More than a dozen rear admirals received tombstone promotions to vice admiral, and one vice admiral, Merlin O'Neill, received a tombstone promotion to admiral. Tombstone promotions for years of service ended on November 1, 1949, and for combat citations on November 1, 1959.[19][20]
Legislative history
The following list of Congressional legislation includes all acts of Congress pertaining to appointments to the grade of vice admiral in the United States Coast Guard.
Each entry lists an act of Congress, its citation in the United States Statutes at Large, and a summary of the act's relevance.
Legislation | Citation | Summary |
---|---|---|
Act of January 12, 1923 | 42 Stat. 1131 |
|
Act of July 24, 1941 | 55 Stat. 604 |
|
Act of June 6, 1942 | 56 Stat. 328 |
|
Act of March 21, 1945 | 59 Stat. 37 |
|
Act of August 4, 1949 | 63 Stat. 498 63 Stat. 516 63 Stat. 558 63 Stat. 561 |
|
Act of October 12, 1949
[Career Compensation Act of 1949] |
63 Stat. 807 |
|
Act of August 3, 1950 | 64 Stat. 406 |
|
Act of May 20, 1958 | 72 Stat. 124 |
|
Act of August 11, 1959 | 73 Stat. 338 |
|
Act of May 14, 1960 | 74 Stat. 144 |
|
Act of October 2, 1972 | 86 Stat. 755 |
|
Act of December 20, 1993 [Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1993] |
107 Stat. 2422 |
|
Act of October 15, 2010 [Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010] |
124 Stat. 2951 |
|
Act of February 8, 2016 [Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015] |
130 Stat. 33 |
|
See also
- Vice admiral (United States)
- List of United States Navy vice admirals on active duty before 1960
- List of United States Coast Guard tombstone vice admirals
- List of United States Coast Guard four-star admirals
Notes
- ^ a b Dates of rank are taken from the Coast Guard Register of Officers or from the officer's official biography.
- ^ a b The number of years on active duty as vice admiral is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Date of rank" column from the last year in the "Position" column, or from the date promoted to admiral in the "Notes" column.
- ^ a b Positions 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 vice admiral or postdate retirement from active duty.
- ^ a b Sources of commission are listed in parentheses after the year of commission, and include the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), United States Revenue Cutter Service School of Instruction (USRCSSI), and officer candidate school (OCS).
- ^ a b The number of years in commission before being promoted to vice admiral is approximated by subtracting the year in the "Commission" column from the year in the "Date of rank" column.
- ^ a b Notes 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 other three-star 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.
- ^ Graduated from the Revenue Cutter Service School of Instruction, which became the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1915.
- ^ Act of July 24, 1941 (55 Stat. 604).
- ^ "Admiral King Named To Head Operations; Two Are Promoted". The Cincinnati Enquirer. March 14, 1942. p. 7.
- ^ Hearings Before the Committee on Naval Affairs of the House of Representatives on Sundry Legislation Affecting the Naval Establishment, 1943–[1944]: Seventy-Sixth Congress, First–[Second] Session, Volume 1. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 1944. p. 3202.
- ^ Acts of March 21, 1945 (57 Stat. 36) and March 21, 1945 (57 Stat. 37).
- ^ Acts of August 4, 1949 (63 Stat. 498); May 14, 1960 (74 Stat. 144); and October 2, 1972 (86 Stat. 755).
- ^ Coast Guard Transfers, Promotes Flag Officers, U.S. Department of Transportation press release, February 19, 1988.
- ^ ALCOAST 107/18 - Mar 2018: Death of Retired Flag Officer, U.S. Coast Guard bulletin, March 27, 2018.
- ^ Act of December 20, 1993 (107 Stat. 2422).
- ^ Act of October 15, 2010 [Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010] (124 Stat. 2951).
- ^ Act of February 8, 2016 [Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015] (130 Stat. 33). Gellene, Denise (December 23, 1990). "Long After Lockerbie, Air Safety Still a Worry". The Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Acts of August 4, 1949 (63 Stat. 561) and August 11, 1959 (73 Stat. 338).
- ^ Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Eighty-Fourth Congress, Second Session: Sundry Legislation. Vol. 4. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1956. pp. 6966–1973.