Navy Nominates Rear Adm. Andrew T. Miller for Promotion to Rear Admiral

Miller, who directs Plans and Operations for U.S. Naval Forces Europe and commands Submarine Group EIGHT in Naples, Italy, would advance to the Navy's two-star flag rank.

First Published: July 16, 2026, 12:39 PM ET

The Navy nominated Rear Adm. Andrew T. Miller for promotion to the two-star grade of rear admiral, the Department of War announced.

Miller currently serves as director of Plans and Operations for U.S. Naval Forces Europe – SIXTH Fleet, deputy commander of the SIXTH Fleet, and commander of Submarine Group EIGHT in Naples, Italy, according to war.gov. The nomination appeared in a batch of flag officer announcements dated July 16, 2026 at 4:16 PM ET. If confirmed, the appointment would move Miller from rear admiral (lower half), a one-star grade, to the full two-star rank.

A rear admiral (lower half) wears one star and sits at the entry tier of the Navy’s flag officer ranks, according to war.gov. The full rear admiral grade carries two stars and greater command authority. The promotion would formalize Miller’s standing among senior Navy leaders overseeing operations in Europe.

Miller’s current posting places him at the center of U.S. naval activity across the Mediterranean and the waters surrounding Europe. The SIXTH Fleet, headquartered in Naples, directs American maritime forces in that region. Submarine Group EIGHT oversees submarine operations in the same theater. The dual assignment ties Miller’s promotion to a command with strategic weight during a period of heightened attention to European security.

Flag officer promotions carry consequences beyond the individual. Each advancement shapes the leadership pipeline that fills the Navy’s most senior commands. Officers who reach the two-star grade become candidates for the vice admiral and admiral ranks that steer fleets and combatant commands. A nomination signals that Navy leadership views the officer as fit for broader responsibility.

The promotion would mean little in the daily life of the average American reader, who would notice no direct change. The nomination matters most to service members, defense planners, and allied navies that coordinate with U.S. forces in Europe. Taxpayers fund the salaries and commands these officers hold, and flag officer pay rises with each grade.

Has this happened before? Yes, this has happened before, and it happens on a regular schedule. The Navy submits flag officer nominations to the Senate in batches throughout the year, and the July 16 release listed multiple officers alongside Miller. Each nomination follows the same path from the service branch through the Department of War to the Senate.

The Senate will make the next decision on Miller’s promotion. The nomination must clear the Senate Armed Services Committee and then a floor vote before the appointment takes effect. A date for the confirmation vote has not been announced.

Military promotions have long moved through the Senate, and the process traces to the earliest years of the republic. The Constitution granted the Senate the power of advice and consent over officer appointments, and George Washington sent the first military nominations to that body in 1789, according to senate.gov. For more than two centuries, flag and general officer promotions have required a Senate vote, a check that has occasionally stalled entire slates of nominees during political disputes. The system endures because it binds the professional military to civilian oversight, the principle that shaped Miller’s nomination.