The significance of the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) core functions and capabilities of SPHLs lies in the fact that laboratory testing is a common denominator for fulfillment of these and the majority of public health objectives, which are designed to be met by measurable indicators of goals.
1 Naval Termsthe commander in chief of a fleet. 2  Naval Terms, Militarya naval officer of the highest rank. 3  Naval Terms, Militarya naval officer of a high rank: the grades in the U.S. Navy are fleet admiral, admiral, vice-admiral, and rear admiral.
The rank of admiral (or full admiral, or four-star admiral) is the highest rank normally achievable in the U.S. Navy. It ranks above vice admiral (three-star admiral) and below fleet admiral (five-star admiral). There have been 262 four-star admirals in the history of the U.S. Navy. Of these, 221 achieved that rank while on active duty, 40 were promoted upon retirement in recognition of combat citations, and one was promoted posthumously.