Posted on Aug 20, 2016
Is a Lance Corporal (USMC) essentially the same as the Specialist rank in the Army?
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SPC
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Does the Army have an underground, fightclub style network of crafty fuckers that can make just about anything happen, without it being "officially" done? ANYTHING. The LanceCriminal Network is a thing of ours, not sure if the Army has a similar system in place.
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An e-3 is a lance corporal which is the last rank before NCO. After E-3 we have CPL which is an e-4 and the first NCO rank sir.
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A Lance Corporal in the USMC is an E3, the equal of a Private First Class in the Army or an Airman First Class in The Air Force, all are E3s The Army specialist Grade of SP4 is an E4 and a Corporal in the USMC or Army is also an E4 and an NCO in the USAF an E4 is a Senior Airman and not an NCO.
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SSgt Terry P.
LCpl Gerry Townsend That surprises me.When going through basic in the Marines,we were required to know all the ranks of all branches.
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LCpl Gerry Townsend
Tonight (5Feb2019) is exactly 61 years since I started Basic and ranks have changed. There is a lot of water under the bridge since I got out and the Army is the least of my worries. L/Cpl didn't exist when I went in. There were only 7 Enlisted pay grades. In fact, even the the NCO sword has changed it was a Staff NCO sword when I was in.
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CPT Aaron Kletzing The last time I attended a graduation at MCRD San Diego, there were a few Lance Corporals within the graduates. Does the Army now graduate Specialists from Basic?
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SGT Tim Soyars
When I went through Basic/AIT, if someone have four years of JROTC, they came in as an E-3 or E-4, depending on how screwed they were by their recruiter and Personnel. I had three years and came in as E-2.
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CPL (Join to see)
Times have certainly changed and now you only need to years of JROTC and do some future soldier training and pass a pt test for your E3.
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MAJ Don Bigger
CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025 I know I'm getting older, and things change over time. When I graduated USMC boot (MCRD, 1970), the best you could hope for was to graduate as a PFC. I made it as Company (Series) Honor Grad, as did the top 10% out of each platoon. I never knew anyone graduating with a promotion to LCPL during that time. But, again, there's a lot I don't know. Or recall :)
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I would equate it to between army pfc and specialist, is a specialist considered a NCO? If so it is not tge same as LCPL in Marines.
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I would say no, an E-4 is still an E-4, an E-3 is not an E-4. IMHO I would like to see the Army transition SPC to CPL once the SPC has completed & passed his board for SGT. THis gives them a time to transition to being an NCO.
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