United States Code explicitly limits the total number of vice admirals that may be on active duty at any given time.
U.S. Navy The total number of active-duty
flag officers is capped at 162 for the U.S. Navy. For the Navy, no more than 20% of the service's active-duty flag officers may have more than two stars. Some of these slots can be reserved by statute. Officers serving in certain Defense Agency Director positions such as the Director of the
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), when filled by a naval officer, are vice admirals. The
Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy is usually a vice admiral, either upon nomination or shortly thereafter. The President may also add vice admirals to the Navy if they are offset by removing an equivalent number of three-star officers from other services.
U.S. Coast Guard By statute, no more than five vice admiral positions may exist in the Coast Guard
U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps By statute, the only U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officer who holds the rank of vice admiral is the officer serving as the
surgeon general of the United States.
NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps Although the rank of vice admiral exists in the NOAA Corps, its use is rare. Only three officers of the NOAA Corps or its ancestor organizations have reached the rank of vice admiral.
U.S. Maritime Service While the Maritime Service has not been structurally organized since 1954, remnants of the service still commission officers for federal uniformed service, under the authority of the
secretary of transportation and the
president, to serve as administrators and instructors at the
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Occasionally, the
superintendent of the academy is appointed to the rank vice admiral due to their longevity in the position, or for prior military experience. The superintendent also get a flag with the anchor and wreath in the canton (upper left) and three white stars across the bottom. ==Appointment and tour length==