Commodore Admiral
Encyclopedia
Commodore Admiral was a short lived military rank
of the United States Navy
that existed for less than 11 months during the year 1982. The rank of Commodore Admiral was established as the Navy's one-star admiral
rank after nearly forty years of all Navy captains
receiving promotion directly to the two-star position of rear admiral
.
The new rank of Commodore Admiral was created both as a means to appease other branches of the military
(who felt promoting O-6s directly to O-8 was unfair) and also as a means of distinguishing that Navy one-star admirals were in fact flag officer
s. This had been a major problem in World War II
when cultural mistakes had led to several Navy commodore
s being regarded as senior captains by members of foreign militaries and in turn denied honors due to a U.S. admiral grade officer.
Upon its establishment, many in the leadership of the US Navy felt that the rank of Commodore Admiral violated over a century of tradition and there were numerous petitions to the Chief of Naval Operations
to eliminate the rank. As a compromise, the rank of Commodore Admiral was changed simply to "Commodore" at the start of 1983, which itself was abolished as a rank in 1985. It was replaced by the new rank of rear admiral (lower half).
The rank of Commodore Admiral is one of the rarest ranks in the history of United States Navy. Only a handful of officers, mainly those Captains promoted to O-7 during the year 1982, have ever held the position, such as Admiral Leon A. Edney
, when promoted while serving as the Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
that existed for less than 11 months during the year 1982. The rank of Commodore Admiral was established as the Navy's one-star admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
rank after nearly forty years of all Navy captains
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
receiving promotion directly to the two-star position of rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
.
The new rank of Commodore Admiral was created both as a means to appease other branches of the military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
(who felt promoting O-6s directly to O-8 was unfair) and also as a means of distinguishing that Navy one-star admirals were in fact flag officer
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
s. This had been a major problem in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when cultural mistakes had led to several Navy commodore
Commodore (USN)
Commodore was an early title and later a rank in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard and a current honorary title in the U.S. Navy with an intricate history. Because the U.S. Congress was originally unwilling to authorize more than four ranks until 1862, considerable importance...
s being regarded as senior captains by members of foreign militaries and in turn denied honors due to a U.S. admiral grade officer.
Upon its establishment, many in the leadership of the US Navy felt that the rank of Commodore Admiral violated over a century of tradition and there were numerous petitions to the Chief of Naval Operations
Chief of Naval Operations
The Chief of Naval Operations is a statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the United States Navy, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Navy. The office is a military adviser and deputy to the Secretary of the Navy...
to eliminate the rank. As a compromise, the rank of Commodore Admiral was changed simply to "Commodore" at the start of 1983, which itself was abolished as a rank in 1985. It was replaced by the new rank of rear admiral (lower half).
The rank of Commodore Admiral is one of the rarest ranks in the history of United States Navy. Only a handful of officers, mainly those Captains promoted to O-7 during the year 1982, have ever held the position, such as Admiral Leon A. Edney
Leon A. Edney
Leon Albert "Bud" Edney is a retired United States Navy officer. A native of Dedham, Massachusetts, he retired from the Navy as an admiral and served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations for the United States Navy.-Naval career:...
, when promoted while serving as the Commandant of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy.