Can I decline being promoted to Corporal?

At the 20 year mark with 1-1/2 years as a Chief Petty Officer in the Coast Guard I knew when I was going to make CWO2 the decision was easy. It was about the $400 more a month in base pay and retirement numbers!

Do not turn down a promotion selection board. One reason is the money and the other is the selection board recognized your

Regards,
CWO4 USCG, Ret

Decline it. Then finish out your remaining enlistment, ETS as a SPC and walk away. You’re obviously not NCO material.

CPL's are NCO's. SP4's are not. Their expectations of you are valid. If I were on the board and you refused CPL, you wouldn't make SGT. Everything doesn't revolve around you, the Army has its needs. CPL is a rare rank, and a compliment.

If I can just get past the headgear...my advice is simple: never, ever decline an opportunity for advancement or responsibility. You should actually SEEK more responsibility. You should conduct yourself as if you're the next higher rank at all times. Demonstrate that you deserve what you're asking for. It will pay off more in the long run...that is, unless that's not your goal. Then disregard my statement. Also, unless you've made the correction since then, I highly encourage you to refer to 670-1 regarding your headgear.

I will not comment on your question as the Army must have sure changed in the last 50 years. When I was in the only CPL you saw was a SGT that got busted down as we were all SPC on the way up. But I do remember a real plus to being a CPL, you were considered an NCO and didn't have to pull KP or other duties that non NCOs had. As was pointed out by others being we lost so many to wounded and KIA I was a few ranks higher in responsibility at times, just part of being a team.

You want to be a NCO.... Now is the time to show them what your made of. It's time to step up to the plate.
I took ever school that was offered to when I was in. I was the only qualified Forward Observer on the ship as none of the other E4's or E5's want to spen a week with Marines and eat C rations.
OBTW - my ship did gun line duty in Vietnam.

You better stary in the Army brother, the civilian side is worse when it comes to adding responsibilities and duties to people WITHOUT promotion or add pay. You will encounter times when your boss/commander will expect you to manage, supervisor and/or direct without reward of any kind. Take pride in what you do and do it to the best of your ability.

This shows an amazing lack af maturity.
You don't want responsibility until you get paid for it?
Nope! That's a lie.
You don't want responsibility.
I would go to your commander and have them remove you from consideration (were I the CSM, like the first response), and recommend that you were non-rec'ed for the next year.
This is not just immature, it is ignorant. That is how the process works! Sometimes you get the school first, sometimes you don't! Tough s&%$. When you went up for promotion, this policy was known! The STEP program has been around for a while!

Also...check if you can just get promoted with a school reservation.
If you can't, suck it up and ask to walk on now.
If you can...either you didn't pay attention, or your unit is failing you. Act accordingly.

Of course you can decline but consider how this decision will affect how you are viewed. Do you want to be viewed as a person having no “esprit de corps”? Will seniors viewing you in this light affect your upcoming evaluations that can affect future promotion points?

You are coming across as someone who doesn’t want to accept responsibility in an organization that is about Duty and Responsibility. If you seriously don’t want to accept responsibility maybe Wall Street might be a better place to work.

Denying a promotion is, essentially, killing your carreer.