Is it legal for PFC to skip SPC and be promoted to CPL without P status (no promotion board experience)?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 20:54:07 -0400

Response by SSG Pete Fleming made Jun 1 at 2017 8:56 PM

SSG Pete Fleming — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 20:56:15 -0400

http://work.chron.com/soldiers-promoted-corporal-specialist-first-25874.html Hope this helps

Do Soldiers Get Promoted to Corporal or Specialist First?

Achieving the rank of corporal implies that you have proven yourself a junior leader. The opportunities to achieve the corporal rank are limited, but possible. The unit must have the need for a ...

Response by SGT Joseph Gunderson made Jun 1 at 2017 9:01 PM

SGT Joseph Gunderson — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 21:01:37 -0400

It is entirely possible to go from PFC straight to CPL. Really it just depends on the soldier, his or her proven performance, his senior leaders, and if they need an NCO

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 1 at 2017 10:22 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 22:22:56 -0400

SGT Private RallyPoint Member I have never done this, but from SPC to CPL is a lateral appointment and does not require a board. However, IMHO if you are wearing CPL you should be in a leadership position and acting as a SGT.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 1 at 2017 11:18 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 23:18:36 -0400

It is you command team only has to do a 4187 to pin that SM CPL but they would have had to put in a promotion to SPC and a 4187 at the same time so they just pinned the SM CPL. If it was from DA then if the SM leaves that unit and still not promoted they would then be a SPC again

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jun 2 at 2017 9:01 PM

CAPT Kevin B. — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 21:01:44 -0400

Policies change over time. Back in the day, I was and E-2 with an instant promotion to E-4. The policy then was if you graduated first in your class out of A School, instant E-4. The Catch-22 was the effective date was held in limbo to make sure you could do your 90 days in the scullery underway and then you were pinned and got back pay to the effective date. Trashed a couple sets of dungarees but making E-4 a year and a half early was nice. Still had to do all the E-4/5 technical courses to strike for E-5.

Response by COL Charles Williams made Jun 3 at 2017 1:14 AM

COL Charles Williams — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 01:14:11 -0400

Yes

Response by SFC John Hill made Jun 3 at 2017 9:52 AM

SFC John Hill — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 09:52:17 -0400

One is promoted to the rank of Specialist, it can be changed to Corporal, (they are both E-4), Commanding Officer is the Approving Authority (DA Form 4187). While not a hard or fast rule, in Combat Arms MOS's, often only promotable SPC/E4's were laterally promoted to Corporal.
Army Regulation 600–8–19 Enlisted Promotions and Reductions 18 December 2015

Response by SFC Richard Bennett made Jun 3 at 2017 7:20 PM

SFC Richard Bennett — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 19:20:21 -0400

Yes , I went to Shake and Bake School back in 1969 as an 11E. Many good memories. The training was good and the Instructors were Top Notch. The role playing as a student was most interesting, it gave us insight into problem solving while acting as Senior Enlisted and Officer ranks. The Army put major problems in our paths right after promotion to Sergeant and they were real . At Ft Riley ( 1/4 Cav under the Big Red One ) and serving as an acting SFC I had two problems in our barracks , one troop had attempted suicide and blew off the lower portion of his face. The other was a returning Vietnam Veteran who promised to kill me in front of the troops. It was an interesting eight weeks while we prepared to go to Vietnam. Again it was good training, The objective was to solve the problem at the lowest level. In Vietnam as a member of the 11ACR we had bigger problems.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 4 at 2017 2:26 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Jun 2017 02:26:38 -0400

probably

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 4 at 2017 9:58 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 Jun 2017 21:58:27 -0400

Yes, it's called being promoted to E4. Both SPC and CPL are E4s.

Response by Cpl Kyle Oberst made Nov 22 at 2017 6:12 PM

Cpl Kyle Oberst — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 18:12:43 -0500

All the CPL in my last unit were there just to do CQ.

Response by CPT Phil Bronner made Nov 22 at 2017 6:26 PM

CPT Phil Bronner — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 18:26:24 -0500

I've been out for a long time...but CPL & SPC are the exact same pay grade...the only difference in what you wear on your sleeve would be your position in the TOE as to whether you are in a position of leadership/supervision over others or not. When I was in (68-71, active duty), I think we had specialists all the way up to E-7! These were usually office personnel, specialists in a skill, but, kinda like Warrant Officers, and some Commissioned Officers in the Navy and Air Force...having no "command" responsibility. (These "specialist" officers usually are retired at 0-4, since without command experience...that's as high as they get.)

Response by SP5 Peter Keane made Nov 22 at 2017 6:45 PM

SP5 Peter Keane — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 18:45:40 -0500

Although nearly all my responses on here are no longer valid, that CQ thing happened to me as a SP5 once a month minimum for my last 9 months. Oh, we didn't have any P. You either got promoted or you didn't.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 23 at 2017 9:52 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 09:52:19 -0500

I was medically separated as a SSG, after 13 years of service. I never attended a board...

I was promoted to SGT at Ft. Sill when I was instructing the BFIST commanders course, without any forewarning.

And I was promoted to SSG a short time later as a recruiter, for doing well at my job.

Both promotions were based off of my work ethic and performance.

Response by 1SG Richard DeBilzan made Nov 24 at 2017 1:44 AM

1SG Richard DeBilzan — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 01:44:19 -0500

CPL is a lateral appointment from SPC. Therefore the high-speed Soldier may be promoted in ceremony from PFC to CPL, but an Order to SPC and the appointment are both in his/her Personnel File.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 27 at 2017 8:45 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 20:45:45 -0500

Exactly, if there is an NCO position to be filled and you have a high speed E-3 about to make E-4 and they have the ability to carry out the task and responsibilities yes it can happen. Remember the Rank of Corporal is rewarded in two different ways. A lateral 4187 promotion through your Company command and Battalion or through DA

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Jun 17 at 2018 8:24 AM

SGM Bill Frazer — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 08:24:14 -0400

1. You need to study up on rank. 2. SPC or CPL are E4's , same pay. CPL is the junior NCO and has command authority as such. SPC does not unless assigned as a TL. If your unit has CPL slot in the MTO and wants to do so, they can- not a smart move in my world- cause if they screw the pooch as a CPL, the lateral transfer would be considered a promo bust.

Response by SPC John Decker made Nov 22 at 2018 5:30 PM

SPC John Decker — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 17:30:26 -0500

Unless the rank structure has changed since I got out, SPC and CPL are both E-4. Only the actual position held determines which one you wear.

Response by SSG Timothy Stevenson made Nov 22 at 2018 9:05 PM

SSG Timothy Stevenson — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 21:05:15 -0500

I did it for one of my soldiers in Iraq In 08.

Response by SFC Rick Rhodes made Dec 21 at 2018 2:14 PM

SFC Rick Rhodes — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 14:14:12 -0500

I have been out for a while (11 Years) but unless something changed a CPL was an E-4 and a PFC was an E-3 so if the position of CPL is allocated by the MTOE then it is perfectly legal and authorized to promote some one from E-3 to E-4 without a board. Promotion boards were designed starting at the with the E-4 to E-5 promotion because the allocated slots were centrally maintained and the board provided the means of promoting based on the points system and cutoff scores. Promotions below E-5 are maintained at the unit level. Again this was the old school way. Not sure how the new Army works.

Response by SGT Robert Cupp made Dec 21 at 2018 3:18 PM

SGT Robert Cupp — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 15:18:24 -0500

I think it depends on how bad they need nco’s in the job. I watched a pv2 get promoted to Spc before, now that was strange.

Response by SSG James Oliver Nathan Jr made May 19 at 2019 1:49 PM

SSG James Oliver Nathan Jr — Sun, 19 May 2019 13:49:48 -0400

yes I think so.

Response by SFC Francisco Rosario made May 19 at 2019 2:40 PM

SFC Francisco Rosario — Sun, 19 May 2019 14:40:01 -0400

I can tell you that it is legal. I was one who was promoted to CPL from PFC, however my BN was over strength for CPL at the time. I was a CPL for about a month and then told that i would become a SPC. But since the promotion to CPL was approved at the Department of the Army (DA) level they had to revert me back to CPL. I was also told that if i was to PCS at that time, i would do so as a CPL. The only way i go back to being a SPC is if my chain of command requested that i be reverted back with the final approval coming from DA.

Response by CPT Robert Boshears made Dec 7 at 2019 7:04 PM

CPT Robert Boshears — Sat, 07 Dec 2019 19:04:34 -0500

What is this about a P? A Corporal is a leadership position... an NCO, a SP-4 is not a leadership position (in most cases, see Allen Lynch). It used to be a SP5 or 6 had to follow a Corporals “recommendations”. I had a P after CPT, and I took it off. An O3E sounded better

Response by SFC Joseph Lumpkins made Dec 24 at 2019 1:11 PM

SFC Joseph Lumpkins — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 13:11:45 -0500

I guess the question is what is the difference going from PFC to SPC?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 24 at 2019 1:47 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 13:47:44 -0500

It is possible but also depends on the unit mote. For example, we promoted pfc’s to cpl to put in leadership positions to give them experience since we were at the time auto promoting sgts to ssg. It was up to the commander to decide. I only promoted 1 while in command that way. We also had one we laterally promoted to cpl. It is rare in non-combat mos’ but can be done.

Response by SN Mike Duffy made Dec 24 at 2019 3:01 PM

SN Mike Duffy — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 15:01:49 -0500

I know a guy.
He picked up Pvt after he made Sgt. Got sent to the fleet. New Co made him Cpl about 30 minutes after he shoved a Lcpl against the bulkhead for talking crap.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 24 at 2019 3:42 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 15:42:38 -0500

Very interesting. I always wanted to promote a Soldier to Corporal but was never authorized one as a company or battalion commander. I look forward to seeing my son attain this grade, as I never got to be one in my early career. I seem to recall, when I was an enlisted Sailor, E3 personnel occasionally being double promoted to E5, on spot, by an O6 Captain.

Response by SGT Robert Payne made Dec 24 at 2019 9:01 PM

SGT Robert Payne — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 21:01:14 -0500

I went from PFC to Cpl and went into a team leaders position. Not sure if the regulations changed since the 80's though

Response by CPT Michael McGinty made Dec 27 at 2019 8:41 PM

CPT Michael McGinty — Fri, 27 Dec 2019 20:41:31 -0500

When I was enlisted in 1972 I went from E-2 to E-4 at the end of AIT because I was in the top half of the class . At that time I had only been in the Army 8 months.

Response by SSG Brian MacBain made Dec 28 at 2019 1:41 AM

SSG Brian MacBain — Sat, 28 Dec 2019 01:41:56 -0500

I understand that this post is 2yrs old, but come on SGT Demian Shevchuk. SPC and CPL are the same rank (E4) but the difference is one (CPL) is considered a Jr NCO and in a leadership billet that has soldiers working for him or her. Also agreed about the MTO&E. Now, I am not saying SPC's can't be in a leadership position. I have been in a leadership role with the rank of SPC when I was an E-4, but not CPL due to the fact it was not in the MTO&E (Intelligence unit). There is no board for promotion from E3 to E4. You should known that since you were an E5 when you posted this.

Response by SSG Harry Outcalt made Mar 26 at 2021 12:06 PM

SSG Harry Outcalt — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 12:06:01 -0400

E 4 and below do not require promotion board even if one those ranks qualify as a Nco .

Response by MAJ Ronnie Reams made Jan 5 at 2022 2:01 PM

MAJ Ronnie Reams — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 14:01:05 -0500

When I was EM the only non-acting CPLs were busted SGTs, FA gunners and some MPs. So if MOS calls for CPL at E-4, you could go from PFC to CPL.