Posted on Jun 12, 2017
SGT Joseph Gunderson
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I believe that most, if not all of us, are familiar with the old army enlisted rank structure where one could go their entire career without ever becoming an NCO, but still make it up through the paygrades. We all have known people who were great at their jobs but not fit to lead. Is there any benefit to bringing back such an enlisted rank structure?
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Responses: 246
Cpl Joe Voegtle
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I was a Marine and we never had the specialist ranks, an E4 Corpal was an NCO. If you have an E4 CPL and an E6 SPC6 who is in charge? An E6 is 2 grades higher and the senior person. I can't see a SPC6 taking orders from someone 2 grades lower.
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SSG Dan Mck
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Leadership is part of the job. The whole reason the Army did away with the senior specialist ranks was that you were (1) paying seniority for essentially entry level work, and (2) it was rewarding soldiers for avoiding responsibility
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CPT John Pagan
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Specialist grade E-5 thru E-9 are already non-existing and the Technical grades made more sense
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PO3 Jake Lucid
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I belive this would be practical. We have so many new tech related fields...lets face it...why push out techs and mechanics and so forth who arent the best or who desire to not be in a true leadership role. Some one great at thier job has to either accept areas where they are a leader....struggle in that area and fail as they arent natural leaders. The military mentorship of leaders is dreadful at best. Those whose aptitude for it are those who will continue up the ranks. Those who arent suddenly find themselves with a decision....go ply my trade in a civilian market and make better money or forgo any further advancement and forever be stagnant. All too often our soldiers and sailors...and....airmen..leave as they arent good leaders.
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SPC William Hasley
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If you’re a soldier: hell yes! In the Vietnam era lots of us were not interested in or were too “Short” to move up to a NCO level, but we surely deserved more than PFC wages for humping the boonies. Promotion to SP4 or SP5 helped with that problem. A few of my buds stayed in because they knew they could continue in a MOS they liked and, at some point, could make enough money to raise family. They wouldn’t have stayed in as an E-3.
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SP5 Howard Bartholf
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I'm not sure the Tech ranks are needed if you bring back the Specialist ranks
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SPC Larry Leon
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I remember sp5,6 and 7,s that were tough and they were leaders. I almost remember a sp8 or 9 in Germany at a NATO school and he was a strac soldier and he was a leader.
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SPC Larry Leon
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I remember spc 5,6 and sevens that were leaders they were tough and they made sure we looked and acted like soldiers.the same for warrant officers they were leaders they were tough but not like most commissioned officers my service was in Vietnam and Germany and in the Air Guard.
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SSgt Recruiter
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No, if they can't lead and progress through they ranks they should be forced out
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MSG John Melville
MSG John Melville
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And they are.
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SSG Brian Dean
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Knew a few old crusty career privates, ever needed something done right they were the ones to go to
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