List of United States Navy vice admirals from 2000 to 2009

2000–2009

Three-star positions, elevations and reductions

The directorates of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations underwent significant restructuring between 2000 and 2009.

• The N4 (Fleet Readiness and Logistics) and N7 (Warfare Requirements and Programs) directorates were stood up in 2000 under CNO Vern Clark as advocates for current and future fleet requirements respectively.^[43] The heads of both directorates were three-star vice admirals.
• The director of naval intelligence became a permanent three-star billet in 2009 under CNO Gary Roughead with the consolidation of the N2 and N6 directorates into the N2/N6 (Information Dominance) directorate under a deputy chief of naval operations dual-hatted as DNI.^[44] Consequently, then-DNI Vice Admiral David J. Dorsett was reconfirmed as a vice admiral in October 2009 to assume the dual hat.^[45]

Two positions directly responsible to the Chief of Naval Operations were elevated to three-star grade between 2000 and 2009.

• The Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 elevated the leaders of all service reserve and National Guard components to three-star grade under standard promotion authority.^[46][w] As such, the incumbent chief of Navy Reserve, Rear Admiral John B. Totushek was nominated for promotion to vice admiral,^[48] and assumed the rank in June 2001.
• The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 elevated all judge advocates general of the service branches to three-star grade.^[49] Rear Admiral Bruce E. MacDonald, the incumbent judge advocate general of the Navy, was nominated for promotion to vice admiral in July 2008,^[50] and assumed the rank in August of the same year.

A number of Navy commands were established, elevated to or downgraded from three-star level between 2000 and 2009.

• Navy Installations Command was established in October 2003 as a rear admiral's billet, but was elevated to a vice admiral's billet in 2006 concurrent with the downgrading of Military Sealift Command into a two-star command.
• The commander of Military Sealift Command, charged with replenishment and transport operations for the Navy, was reduced to a rear admiral's billet in 2006. Vice Admiral David L. Brewer III thus became the last vice admiral to lead MSC.
• U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and Tenth Fleet were established in late 2009 as a dual-hatted vice admiral's billet. Vice Admiral Bernard J. McCullough III, then-deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources (DCNO N8), was confirmed to the new position in December 2009.^[51]

Additionally, on 1 October 2001, a single type commander was designated as the "follow-on" lead for a type of weapon system for the overall operating forces of the Navy, leading several Pacific and Atlantic type commanders to be dual-hatted as overall type commanders for the entire service.^[52] The aviation, submarine and surface warfare type commanders, Vice Admirals John B. Nathman, John J. Grossenbacher, Timothy W. LaFleur assumed their dual hats on the same date.

Senate confirmations

Military nominations are considered by the Senate Armed Services Committee. While it is rare for three-star or four-star nominations to face even token opposition in the Senate, nominations that do face opposition due to controversy surrounding the nominee in question are typically withdrawn. Nominations that are not withdrawn are allowed to expire without action at the end of the legislative session.

• The nomination of Rear Admiral Elizabeth A. Hight to be director of the Defense Information Systems Agency in 2008 was withdrawn^[53] due to concerns about a possible conflict of interest with her husband, a retired Air Force general who was employed by a prominent Defense contractor.^[54]
• The nomination of Major General Joseph J. Taluto to succeed Clyde A. Vaughn as director of the Army National Guard in 2010 was withdrawn^[55] due to public controversy and subsequent Senate inaction over his handling of the deaths of Phillip Esposito and Louis Allen.^[56][57]

Additionally, events that take place after Senate confirmation may still delay or even prevent the nominee from assuming office.

• For example, Major General John G. Rossi, who had been confirmed for promotion to lieutenant general^[58] and assignment as the commanding general of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command in April 2016^[59] committed suicide two days before his scheduled promotion and assumption of command.^[60] As a result, the then incumbent commander of USASMDC, Lieutenant General David L. Mann, remained in command beyond statutory term limits until another nominee, Major General James H. Dickinson was confirmed by the Senate.^[61]
• Vice Admiral Scott A. Stearney assumed command of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, Fifth Fleet, and Combined Maritime Forces in May 2018.^[62] His death in December of the same year resulted in the speedy confirmation^[63] of Rear Admiral James J. Malloy in the same month for appointment to three-star rank as his replacement.^[64]