List of United States Coast Guard four-star admirals

The rank of admiral (or full admiral, or four-star admiral) is the highest rank in the United States Coast Guard. It ranks above vice admiral (three-star admiral).

There have been 25 four-star admirals in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard. Of these, 24 achieved that rank while on active duty and one was promoted upon retirement in recognition of combat citations. All were commissioned via the United States Coast Guard Academy or its predecessor, the School of Instruction of the United States Revenue Cutter Service. Prior to the vice commandant of the Coast Guard being elevated to a four-star position in 2016, all four-star admirals in the U.S. Coast Guard held the position of commandant of the Coast Guard.

List of admirals

The following list of four-star admirals is sortable by last name, date of rank, number of years on active duty at four-star rank (Yrs), active-duty positions held while serving at four-star rank, year commissioned and source of commission, and number of years in commission when promoted to four-star rank (YC), and other biographical notes.

Tombstone admirals

The Act of Congress of March 4, 1925, allowed officers in the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to be promoted one grade upon retirement if they had been specially commended for performance of duty in actual combat. Combat citation promotions were colloquially known as "tombstone promotions" because they conferred the prestige of the higher rank but not the additional retirement pay, so their only practical benefit was to allow recipients to engrave a loftier title on their business cards and tombstones. The Act of Congress of February 23, 1942, enabled tombstone promotions to three- and four-star grades.