Question on US Army rank

[RittWitt]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure there were "Spec" 1-4 up until the late '80s or so, but I'm not sure of the exact date that was ended. My understanding is that they were given based on time in service and time in grade. I think it was supposed to reward soldiers with specific skill sets with additional pay in lieu of promoting them to the NCO corps, but I don't really know much beyond that.

[SGT Impaler]

And you can look all the way back into the "Technical Sergeants" of WWII, where the same distinction between those sergeants who had leadership responsibility and those that earned their stripes through time, experience, or other merits.

In the Vietnam era, there were the Specialist ranks over and above the E4 that remains today. Then, the E4 was the Spec 4, or Specialist 4, followed by an E5 version Specialist 5. The insignia took the "shield" design of the E4 Specialist and added a "rocker" stripe across the top. There were also Spec 6 and Spec 7s, with 2 and 3 rockers respectively.

I, for one, am glad they eliminated the Spec 5,6,7 grades, since given my MOS (job), I would be an E5 Specialist 5 instead of the E5 Sergeant I am today. Sergeant just has a much sexier ring to it!

Again, needlessly complicated yet recklessly over-simplified. My apologies!

[AOD_Morph]

not as sexy as 2nd lietenant
lol just kidding im only cadet

[MikeAP]

I think people are confusing the 'specialist' term with maybe something more along the lines of a Warrant Officer....did I just open a can of worms now? Haha.

And trust me, there is nothing sexy about being a 2nd LT. I'm a 2LT right now serving in Iraq.

[ArmyTanker120]

LOL ok I just got promoted to SPC June 1st, 2007 so I should be able to shine a little bit of light on the topic...well Corporal is just a lateral promotion from E-4 SPC. You can only become a Corporal if you pass the NCO E-5 SGT board. Then your Chain of Command will laterally promote you to the Junior NCO status. Well that's the way that they do it in the Armor Branch.

[MikeAP]

Spc,
Congrats on your promotion. Are you with 2nd ID, 1st Bde?

I'm 2ID, 3rd Bde Stryker. 1-14th CAV to be exact. Currently in Iraq.

[SNIPERxWOLFxGB]

New recruits into the United States Army that have earned a four-year degree enter at the rank of E-4 Specialist....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specialist_%28rank%29

[MikeAP]

Originally Posted by SNIPERxWOLFxGB

New recruits into the United States Army that have earned a four-year degree enter at the rank of E-4 Specialist....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specialist_%28rank%29

Thats ONE way to make specialist..BUt not the reason for the rank.

[ArmyTanker120]

Originally Posted by [R-CON]MikeAP

Spc,
Congrats on your promotion. Are you with 2nd ID, 1st Bde?

I'm 2ID, 3rd Bde Stryker. 1-14th CAV to be exact. Currently in Iraq.

Roger C. Co 2-9 Mech. INF ..... unfortunately I was hoping that on my first duty station I'd be with CAV, ACR, or an actual Armor unit but somehow I got stuck in a Mech. Infantry Unit. It's cool though because we still have tanks. BTW do u have the MGS or just the normal?

[MikeAP]

3rd Brigade didnt get the MGS. My Squadron (1/14) are all using the RV, but 4th Brigade are using the MGS. That thing is sweet.

As an officer I was crosstrained as both a tanker and scout, so there's a small piece of me thats got love for the heavy cav.

The MGS is defin a sweet ride, however there are a few saftey concerns that I wont discuss on a message board (classified info). Other than that its nice.

I like my RV.