Chester W. Nimitz - Dates of Rank

Dates of Rank

  • Midshipman - January 1905
Ensign Lieutenant Junior Grade Lieutenant Lieutenant Commander Commander Captain
O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6
7 January 1907 Never Held 31 January 1910 29 August 1916 1 February 1918 2 June 1927
Commodore Rear Admiral Vice Admiral Admiral Fleet Admiral
O-7 O-8 O-9 O-10 O-11
Never Held 23 June 1938 Never Held 31 December 1941 19 December 1944
  • Commodore - no longer a rank in the United States Navy, was previously reserved for wartime use and was not in use at the time of Nimitz's promotion to Flag Rank. Currently, a Captain who is promoted to pay grade O-7 becomes a Rear Admiral (Lower Half) and uses the abbreviated rank designation RDML as opposed to RADM, which designates a Rear Admiral (Upper Half), O-8. During Admiral Nimitz's service, the only rank existing among these was Rear Admiral, without distinction between upper and lower half.
  • Fleet Admiral - rank made permanent in the United States Navy on 13 May 1946, a lifetime appointment.

At the time of Nimitz's promotion to Rear Admiral, the United States Navy did not maintain a one-star rank (Commodore). Nimitz was thus promoted directly from a Captain to a Rear Admiral. By Congressional Appointment, he skipped the rank of Vice Admiral and became an Admiral in December 1941.

Nimitz also never held the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade, as he was appointed a full Lieutenant after three years of service as an Ensign. For administrative reasons, Nimitz's naval record states that he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade and Lieutenant on the same day.

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