This is a complete list of vice admirals in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The rank of vice admiral (or three-star admiral), ranks above rear admiral (two-star admiral) and below admiral (full admiral, or four-star admiral) in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
There have been 12 vice admirals in the history of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Of these, 9 achieved that rank while on active duty and 3 were promoted upon retirement in recognition of meritorious service. All 12 were directly commissioned into the regular corps, with 10 commissioned into the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (direct) and 2 commissioned into its predecessor, the Marine Hospital Service (MHS). 8 were originally civilians who were appointed to the regular corps and to grade upon taking office, 3 were active duty officers appointed to grade after leaving office, and one was a civilian appointed to the regular corps at four-star rank upon initial assumption of office.
All admirals in this list are indexed by the numerical order in which each officer was promoted to that rank, or by an asterisk (*) if the officer did not serve in that rank while on active duty in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps or was promoted to four-star rank while on active duty in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The date listed is that of the officer's first promotion to vice admiral, and may differ from the officer's entry in the U.S. Public Health Service register. The year commissioned is taken to be the year the officer was directly commissioned which may precede the officer's actual date of commission by up to two years. Each entry lists the admiral's name, date of rank, active-duty position held while serving at three-star rank,[a] number of years of active-duty service at three-star rank (Yrs),[b] year commissioned and source of commission,[c] number of years in commission when promoted to three-star rank (YC),[d] and other biographical notes.[e]
# | Name | Photo | Date of rank | Position[a] | Yrs[b] | Commission[c] | YC[d] | Notes[e] |
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1 | Julius B. Richmond | 13 Jul 1977 |
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4 | 1977 (direct) | 0 | (1916–2008) Director, Head Start, 1965–1967.[1] | |
2 | C. Everett Koop | 21 Jan 1982 |
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7 | 1982 (direct) | 0 | (1916–2013) Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, 1981–1982. | |
3 | Antonia C. Novello | 9 Mar 1990 |
|
3 | 1990 (direct) | 0 | (1944– ) Commissioner, New York State Department of Health, 1999–2006. First woman to serve as Surgeon General. | |
4 | Joycelyn Elders | 8 Sep 1993 |
|
1 | 1993 (direct) | 0 | (1933– ) Resigned, 1994. Director, Arkansas Department of Health, 1979–1981. First African American to be Surgeon General. | |
5 | David Satcher | 20 Jan 2001 |
|
1 | 1998 (direct) | 3 | (1941– )[f] Assistant Secretary for Health, 1998–2001. | |
6 | Richard H. Carmona | 5 Aug 2002 |
|
4 | 2002 (direct) | 0 | (1949– ) Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Arizona, 2012. | |
7 | Regina M. Benjamin | 3 Nov 2009 |
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4 | 2009 (direct) | 0 | (1956– ) | |
8 | Vivek H. Murthy | 18 Dec 2014 |
|
6 | 2014 (direct) | 0 | (1977– ) Co-Chair, COVID-19 Advisory Board, 2020–2021. First surgeon general of Indian descent; and first to serve two nonconsecutive terms. | |
9 | Jerome M. Adams | 5 Sep 2017 |
|
4 | 2017 (direct) | 0 | (1974– ) Health Commissioner of Indiana, 2014–2017. |