2011 US Code
Title 10 - Armed Forces
Subtitle C - Navy and Marine Corps (§§ 5001 - 7921)
Part II - PERSONNEL (§§ 5401 - 6522)
Chapter 535 - GRADE AND RANK OF OFFICERS (§§ 5501 - 5508)
Section 5501 - Navy: grades above chief warrant officer, W-5

The commissioned grades in the Navy above the grade of chief warrant officer, W–5, are the following:

(1) Admiral.

(2) Vice admiral.

(3) Rear admiral.

(4) Rear admiral (lower half).

(5) Captain.

(6) Commander.

(7) Lieutenant commander.

(8) Lieutenant.

(9) Lieutenant (junior grade).

(10) Ensign.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 314; Pub. L. 96–513, title III, §301, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2887; Pub. L. 97–86, title IV, §405(a), Dec. 1, 1981, 95 Stat. 1105; Pub. L. 99–145, title V, §514(a)(1), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 628; Pub. L. 102–190, div. A, title XI, §1131(8)(A), Dec. 5, 1991, 105 Stat. 1506.)

The Act of July 24, 1941, ch. 320, as amended (34 U.S.C. 350 et seq.), and §413 of the Officer Personnel Act of 1947 (34 U.S.C. 211d) provide for the temporary appointment of officers to grades up to and including admiral. Staff corps officers, women officers, and reserve officers are not excluded from the operation of the provisions of the 1941 Act. Since authority exists for the appointment of officers of any category in any grade in the Navy, the existence of every grade in the several staff corps and in the Naval Reserve is recognized, and the restriction of these grades to the active list of the line is removed.

The grade of Fleet Admiral is omitted inasmuch as the law authorizing appointments in this grade was limited.

In subsection (a) the words “above the grade of chief warrant officer, W–4” are inserted for clarity.

Subsection (c) is added to make clear the fact that an officer serving in a position, such as chief of bureau, which entitles him to the rank, pay, and allowances of a rear admiral of the upper half ranks rear admirals receiving the pay and allowances of the lower half even though he has not been appointed to the grade of rear admiral or, if so appointed, is in the lower half. A statement of this fact is necessary to give full effect to 5 U.S.C. 441 which provides that chiefs of bureaus of the Navy Department and the Judge Advocate General of the Navy, while so serving, shall have “corresponding rank and shall receive the same pay and allowances * * * as * * * chiefs of bureaus of the War Department and the Judge Advocate General of the Army”. The rank so conferred, corresponding to the Army rank of major general, is rear admiral of the upper half. In §§5133 and 5148 of this title, based on 5 U.S.C. 441, the reference to the Army rank is eliminated and the corresponding Navy rank is substituted. The substitution is made because, as stated in the revision notes on those sections, the creation of the Department of the Air Force and the reorganization of the Department of the Army make it impracticable to continue to relate Navy Department positions to former War Department positions. This treatment of 5 U.S.C. 441 does not, however, completely cover the question of the rank, in relation to other officers in the Navy and other services, of a captain or rear admiral of the lower half who by virtue of his position becomes entitled to the rank, pay, and allowances of a rear admiral of the upper half. Under 34 U.S.C. 241a officers holding commissions in the grade of rear admiral rank with major generals if entitled to the pay of the upper half and with brigadier generals if entitled to the pay of the lower half. Under 5 U.S.C. 441 bureau chiefs and the Judge Advocate General rank with major generals regardless of the grade in which they hold commissions and, therefore, also rank all officers of the Navy who are ranked by major generals. This fact, obscured by the substitution of Navy rank in the codification of 5 U.S.C. 441, is set out in subsection (c).

1991—Pub. L. 102–190 substituted “W–5” for “W–4” in section catchline and text.

1985—Par. (4). Pub. L. 99–145 substituted “Rear admiral (lower half)” for “Commodore”.

1981—Par. (4). Pub. L. 97–86 substituted “Commodore” for “Commodore admiral”.

1980—Pub. L. 96–513 struck out subsec. (a) designation from provisions formerly classified as such and, as so redesignated, inserted commodore admiral in the listing of commissioned grades above the grade of chief warrant officer, W–4 and struck out former subsecs. (b) and (c) which related to the grades of commodore and rear admiral, respectively.

Amendment by Pub. L. 102–190 effective Feb. 1, 1992, see section 1132 of Pub. L. 102–190, set out as a note under section 521 of this title.

Amendment by Pub. L. 97–86 effective Sept. 15, 1981, see section 405(f) of Pub. L. 97–86, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–513 effective Sept. 15, 1981, but the authority to prescribe regulations under the amendment by Pub. L. 96–513 effective on Dec. 12, 1980, see section 701 of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

For transition provisions relating to the new commodore admiral grade established in the Navy, see section 614 of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as a note under section 611 of this title.