Editing George Dewey (section)

==Dates of rank==
* [[Midshipman|Acting Midshipman]], United States Naval Academy: September 23, 1854
* [[Midshipman|Warranted Midshipman]]: June 11, 1858

In the mid to late-18th Century, the US Navy had three "ranks" of Midshipmen serving:  "acting midshipmen" who were active students at the US Naval Academy, "warranted midshipmen" who had completed most of their studies at the Academy and were serving at sea while holding line authority through a warrant of authority, and "passed midshipmen" who had completed all requirements for commissioning and held warranted line authority similar to ensigns of the modern US Navy.  In the era of the Civil War, it was a common practice for officers to serve as a "Master" with a warrant of authority until they were commissioned. It was also common for officers to be granted shipboard commissions based on the need to fill certain jobs or billets. Dewey was therefore made a lieutenant once he "signed on" with David Farragut. He never held the ranks of ensign or lieutenant (junior grade) as those ranks were not created until 1862 and 1883, respectively.<ref name="jcY3Y" /><ref name="YJzO7" /><ref name=":0" />  Nor was he appointed to the rank of vice admiral, there being no actively serving vice admirals in the US Navy at that time.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; width:100%; text-align:center;"
![[Passed midshipman|Passed Midshipman]]
![[Master (naval)|Master]]
![[Lieutenant (navy)|Lieutenant]]
![[Lieutenant commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]]
![[Commander (United States)|Commander]]
|-
!O-1
!O-2
!O-3
!O-4
!O-5
|-
| style="width:16%;"| [[File:USN Ensign rank insignia.jpg|100px]]
| style="width:16%;"| [[File:USN master rank insignia.jpg|100px]]
| style="width:16%;"| [[File:USN lt rank insignia.jpg|100px]]
| style="width:16%;"| [[File:USN lt com rank insignia.jpg|100px]]
| style="width:16%;"| [[File:USN com rank insignia.jpg|100px]]
|-
!January 19, 1861
!February 28, 1861 
!April 19, 1861
!March 3, 1865
!April 13, 1872
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; width:100%; text-align:center;"
![[Captain (United States O-6)|Captain]]
![[Commodore (United States)|Commodore]]
![[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear Admiral]]
![[Admiral (United States)|Admiral]]
![[Admiral of the Navy]]
|-
!O-6
!O-7
!O-8
!O-10
!Special Rank
|-
| style="width:16%;"| [[File:U.S. Navy captain rank insignia (1864-1866).png|border|100px]]
| style="width:16%;"| [[File:USN commodore rank insignia.jpg|100px]]
| style="width:16%;"| [[File:USN Rear Admiral rank insignia.jpg|100px]]
| style="width:16%;"| [[File:USN Admiral rank insignia.jpg|100px]]
| style="width:16%;"| [[File:US Admiral of Navy shoulderboard.svg|100px]]
|-
!September 27, 1884 <br>(Retroactive to July 28, 1884)
!February 28, 1896
!May 11, 1898
!March 8, 1899<ref name="rank">{{Cite web|title=Biography: George Dewey (26 December 1837 – 16 January 1917)|url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/research-guides/z-files/zb-files/zb-files-d/dewey-george.html#bio|access-date=October 31, 2020|website=[[Naval History and Heritage Command]]}}</ref>
!March 24, 1903<ref name="rank" /><br />(Retroactive to March 2, 1899)<ref name="rank" /> 
|}

[[File:Adm dewey 1913.png|frame|Dewey in special full dress uniform as Admiral of the Navy]]

Admiral Dewey's final rank was [[Admiral of the Navy]], making him the highest-ranking officer in the history of the United States Navy. He is the only person ever to hold this rank. Admiral of the Navy is equivalent to [[General of the Armies]]. General [[John J. Pershing]], US Army, was promoted to General of the Armies in 1919, Lieutenant General [[George Washington]], US Army, was posthumously promoted on the Retired List of the US Army to the rank of [[General of the Armies of the United States]], with an effective date of rank of July 4, 1776, and General [[Ulysses S. Grant]] also received a posthumous promotion on December 27, 2022.<ref>[https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/ulysses-s-grant-posthumously-promoted-general-of-the-armies-six-star/63-2dd14b5d-3324-4cfb-93b8-f5e2da8d9401 Ulysses S. Grant posthumously promoted to 'General of the Armies']</ref>
<ref name=":0" />

Admiral Dewey served a total of 62 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy.  This was just one year less than Admiral [[Hyman G. Rickover]].