After the war, Suzuki was promoted to captain (naval) on 28 September 1907 and commanded the destroyer Akashi (1908), followed by the cruiser  (1909), battleship  (1911) and cruiser  (1912). Promoted to rear admiral on 23 May 1913 and assigned to command the Maizuru Naval District. Suzuki became Vice Minister of the Navy from 1914 to 1917, during World War I.  Promoted to vice admiral on 1 June 1917, he brought the cruisers  and  to San Francisco in early 1918 with 1,000 cadets, and was received by United States Navy Rear admiral (United States) William Fullam. The Japanese cruisers then proceeded to South America.  After stints as Commandant of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, Commander of the IJN 2nd Fleet, then the IJN 3rd Fleet, then Kure Naval District, he became a full admiral on 3 August 1923. Suzuki became Commander in Chief of Combined Fleet in 1924.  After serving as Chief of Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff from 15 April 1925 to 22 January 1929, he retired and accepted the position as Privy Councillor and Chamberlain of Japan from 1929 to 1936.
Question: How many years did he serve as Vice Minister of the Navy?
Answer: 3