Can I decline being promoted to Corporal?

YOu should be remove from the promotion list and denied the opportunity to attend any leadership school if you refuse to accept the responsibility of an NCO.

You made this post as “Sgt Josh H”. It seems you want the benefits of being an NCO without taking any of the responsibilities that come with the rank. As far as pay goes, both corporal and specialist are E4, so you are not being asked to do something you are not being paid for.

Smells like bitch in here.

Why would you DECLINE, apparently your Platoon Sgt and your Command see the your potential, by declining you leave yourself wide open for criticism and speculation, if you're not ready, let your Command know, but if it's because you won't be chums with your buddies then Think again, it's time to be a RESPONSIBLE soldier and lead your squad

You should be removed from the promotion list and denied leadership schools if you do not want to take the responsibility of a leader. It seems your motivation be promoted is more about money and not taking on any type of leadership responsibilities.

Sgt Josh H are you a sergeant or a specialist? If you have not been promoted why do you list your rank as sergeant in your post about declining lateral promotion to corporal?

You should bee removed from the promotion list and denied leaderships schools if you do not want to take the responsibility of a leader. From what you said you just want the money that comes with promotion, not the responsibility.

As a former Corporal, I’m puzzled by your question. Can you decline the 4187? Yes, should you? No. I wore these stripes with pride, training up young soldiers, being an effective NCO within my company. By doing so, I earned the respect of not only my squad, but other NCO’s and officers in the company and battalion. This is a great opportunity for you, don’t blow it! If you don’t want to pin the stripes, why did you go to the board?

I was an E-4 MM3 and qualified as a MM TOPWATCH which means I was incharge of the engine room on an aircraft carrier for 12 hours every day. That position is an E-5 and above position. There were E-5 and E-6 personnel that took the extra pay and chevron just NOT the extra responsibility. If you don't want the promotion without the $, you do NOT deserve the promotion and should remain a PFC forever.

I suppose you can, but do you want to be a SPC forever? Take the promotion or commit career suicide by refusing it.

Have things changed in the pay scale I thought corporals make the same as a SP/4 or have I been out too long lol

Honestly I think that the SPC rank has no purpose anymore. It is an outdated rank that started during WWII, and as they stopped promoting soldiers to SP7, SP6 and SP5 after the "Vietnam" era, the same must happen to the SPC (aka E-4 mafia). The rank is like a senior private, and has no resposabilities as corporals have. That action also will stop the controversial lateral appointment from SPC to CPL, and will stop the whining about the NCO responsibilties with the same pay as the SPC's.