Should enlisted lose a rank when switching branches/jobs?

Negative, Sir. I assembled my packet to go back regular army, but when the recruiter confirmed that I could lose rank, I said, "But I have so little to begin with!" Going back to AD as a PFC with eleven years in? No way.Simply to avoid the inevitable questions,like, "What did YOU do wrong?"

I don't feel that they should lose rank, but there should be an MOS/branch transition course to get them up to speed on their new position. They would then be carried as non MOSQ until they attend their MOS course as any other member. I would think that logically it should take them longer to make the next rank when compared to a fully MOSQ SM with the same TIG. We have a lot of that in RI between the AFNG & ANG mostly A->AF. 2 of my former soldiers did it and neither lost rank in the process.

The only time of heard of losing rank is Os transferring from IRR back to NG/USAR status and that was only if they were out long enough and were not branch qualified before going IRR.

Officers loose a grade as well....

Wouldn't that all depend on how many promotion points they had prior to switching branches? If not then it definitely should. Also as MAJ Robert Petrarca stated it is also whether they are MOSQ or not.

Like so many things in life: It depends (on many individual specifics). Any such Branch, Status, or MOS Transfers should be subject to:
1) Serviceman's Personal File
2) A Review Board of the potential recipient
3) Repeat ASVAB & skill aptitude testing.