| Alistair 2006-09-22, 6:55 pm |
|
Rick Smith wrote:
> "Alistair" <alistair@ld50macca.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:1158774662.910290.181790@d34g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
> [snip]
>
> Privates are E-1 through E-3. Specialists are E-4
> through E-7. It is probably true that the number of
> Specialists exceeds the number of Privates; but it is
> true that every Specialist was once a Private. At one
> point, the time-in-service requirement for E-4 was
> one year, thus Privates may reach their time-in-service
> prior to, or soon after, deployment overseas.
> Promotions during training and assignment in the US,
> may be why you don't notice Privates but do notice
> "that everyone is a 'specialist'".
I think you are right. However, the way that I first heard it was that
privates were demoralised by not being valued, so the term specialist
was dreamed up to make them feel.... special.
>
> There is Private (E-1 has no chevron and E-2 has a
> single chevron) and Private First Class (E-3 has a
> single chevron with an arc below the chevron).
>
> My experience (I served in the US Army more than
> thirty years ago and things change) was that a further
> distinction was made on the basis Military Occupational
> Specialty (MOS). Those enlisted soldiers trained in the
> combat arms: Infantry (small arms), Armor (tanks),
> Artillery (howitzers, missiles), etc., wore chevrons.
> Those trained for support of the combat arms: clerks,
> food service, supply, mechanics, technicians, etc., wore
> the "eagle device" of a Specialist.
>
> There are four ranks for Specialists, Specialist Four
> through Specialist Seven, corresponding to Corporal,
> Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, and Sergeant First Class,
> respectively.
>
> The insignia for a Specialist Four is the eagle device
> only. Specialist Five has a single arc above the device.
> Specialist Six has two arcs above and Specialist Seven
> has three arcs above.
>
> The insignia for Corporal is two chevrons, for Sergeant
> three chevrons, for Staff Sergeant one arc below three
> chevrons, and for Sergeant First Class two arcs below
> three chevrons.
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