Commodore rank and the US Navy's rear admiral lower half

Should navies reestablish commodore as a formal rank?

Most navies already use commodore; the issue is whether the US Navy should prefer commodore to rear admiral lower half.

The US Navy and navies following its example use rear admiral lower half and upper half, while most navies retain commodore as a formal rank. A comparison with British brigadier and American brigadier general explains how the American titles place general or admiral in the names of all star ranks. That is offered as a possible reason for the distinction, without a firm judgment that either system is better. A final historical aside recalls British admirals of the red, white, and blue, with the yellow designation described as indicating retirement.