Vice admiral (United States)

A vice admiral in the United States Navy, Coast Guard, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Officer Corps is a three-star officer. It is a rank above rear admiral (upper half) and below admiral.

Rank and Appointment

• A vice admiral is equivalent to a lieutenant general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps.
• Appointments to the rank of vice admiral are made by the President of the United States, and must be confirmed by the Senate.
• Vice admirals typically hold significant command positions, such as commander of a numbered fleet, head of a major naval or coast guard system command, or a key staff position within the Department of Defense.

Insignia

• A vice admiral wears three stars in a line. The stars are silver for Navy and Coast Guard officers and gold for NOAA Corps officers.
• Sleeve insignia for the Navy consists of one 2-inch stripe and two 1/2-inch stripes of gold braid.
• Collar devices consist of three silver stars for the Navy and Coast Guard and three gold stars for the NOAA Corps.

Retirement

• A vice admiral typically retires at the end of their assignment, or after 38 years of service, unless selected for promotion or retention. They may also be forced to retire if they fail to be selected for promotion to the next higher rank after a certain number of attempts (known as "up or out").

Pay Grade

• Vice admirals are paid at the O-9 pay grade.