In today's modern military, would there be any benefit to an enlisted structure similar to that of the past?

Definitely. This comes about as the military wants to give up Warrant Officers. I’ve seen some physicians that were horrible leaders but great physicians. Due to promised rank up through O6 they are forced into leadership positions and it’s the reason many of them leave the service. Because they know if they take that O6 position it will force them into some type of command.

Yes, I think the Air Force would benefit greatly from such a system, but i believe it should stop at E-7. You do not want to drink the cool aid and be Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force or SMA, fine, but you'll retire as an E-7. Set it up so that you can make the choice at E-4,5,6 or 7 but once it's done, you're done.

Most in the rank of SP5 or SP6 were in supervisory billets, anyway.

No. end of game.

I loved being a SP5, but then I was a medic. My last position before my retirement in the old system was a SP6, but then I was a truck driver/mechanic. While doing office cleaning while in zero week for 91B school, cleaned an office someone's desk had 2 nameplates one for SGM and the other for SP9!, but that was Ft Sam Houston. So many people and so many stories of jerks that needed to be SP9s rather than SGMs.

Dod civian might be a better fit for the army than a SP5.

I see management issues. I have a bunch of E6 or E7 but no leaders? I was in when the spec 5 and above went away. I did not like it then because you had two dudes with equal pay and not equal responsibility. It can be managed but I think my vote is no. I have issues with any E-6 thru E-9 not required the same standards. PT standards are my biggest issue. everyone should have the same standard.

BTW, what is the point of having the most senior specialist chevrons if there is no authority behind them? The way the author describes this (I’m a Marine so this is not something I’m used to) a corporal could tell the senior specialist to go pound sand and it would be perfectly OK.

Sounds to me like an endorsement of having two distinct Army branches. The “fighting” branch and the “specialty” branch.

I would much prefer to see the 'specialist' brought back Made Spec 5 in Aviation