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The Surgeon General is part of a completely separate branch of uniformed services from the rest of the military. They are called the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Officers within these Corps are appointed and given direct commissions. They share the same pay grades as the U.S. Navy and wear similar uniforms, but wear different insignia to distinguish them. By law, specific positions are assigned pay grades. The Surgeon General necessarily holds the rank of Vice Admiral. A full 4-star Admiral, David Satcher, once held the position of Surgeon General. He was also serving as the Assistant Secretary for Health simultaneously, which is a 4-star office. Further reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Public_Health_Service_Commissioned_Corps

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Q: Why does the Surgeon General of the US have the rank of Vice Admiral?
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What military rank does a surgeon general have?

The Surgeon General of the United States Army and the Surgeon General of the United States Air Force typically hold the rank of Lieutenant General (three stars), though it is possible for a Brigadier General (two starts) to hold the position. The Surgeon General of the United States Navy holds an equivalent rank - Vice Admiral, though it is possible for a Rear Admiral to hold the position. The Surgeon General of the United States is under the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps - one of the non-military uniformed services of the United States. Their rank structure is based on the rank structure used by Navy and Coast Guard officers, and they are typically appointed to the rank of Vice Admiral in the PHSCC.


Can a US navy vice admiral outrank a read admiral?

No, a US Navy vice admiral does not outrank a rear admiral. A rear admiral is a two-star rank, while a vice admiral is a three-star rank. Therefore, a vice admiral outranks a rear admiral.


How long does the surgeon general have to serve?

The Surgeon General serves a four-year term of office and is the highest ranking uniformed officer of the PHSCC, holding the grade of a three-star Vice Admiral while in office. However, the Surgeon General reports to the United States Assistant Secretary for Health, who himself may hold the rank of a four-star admiral within the Public Health Service Commisioned Corps. EAT THAT RONI!~


Is caption a higher rank than admiral?

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What is the highest rank in the Netherlands Royal Navy?

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Is a rear admiral higher rank than that captain?

No. A Rear Admiral is a one or two stars officer, while an Admiral is a four-star officer. The Admirals rank is as follows: 1 star: Rear Admiral (lower half) 2 star: Rear Admiral (upper half) 3 star: Vice Admiral 4 star: Admiral Where 4 star is the highest, equivalent to an Army or Air Force General.


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The Royal Air Force rank of Air Marshal is equivalent to Vice-Admiral (Royal Navy) and Lieutenant-General (British Army and Royal Marines).


What do they call a four star general in the army?

Army, Air Force and Marine Corps: One-star general: Brigadier GeneralTwo-star general: Major GeneralThree-star general: Lieutenant GeneralFour-star general: General Navy: One-star admiral: Rear Admiral (Lower Half)Two-star admiral: Rear Admiral (Upper Half)Three-star admiral: Vice AdmiralFour-star admiral: Admiral Rear Admiral (Lower Half) used to be called Commodore. They got rid of this rank because too many higher-ranking commanders would reject Commodores assigned to their commands with the phrase "send me a real admiral." So now they're real admirals. The Army and Air Force also have a five-star general rank--the Army calls theirs General of the Army, the Air Force calls theirs General of the Air Force. The five-star rank in the Navy is Fleet Admiral. The Marine Corps' rank structure has no five-star rank. Nine men have worn the five-star rank: Generals of the Army


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Is there a general in the navy?

No. The equivalent rank in the Navy is Admiral.