Should PFCs stand at "Parade Rest" for a SPC?

In the MP Corps, while in garrison, we would have specialist that would be in charge of a sector and would have lower ranking that were they would be in charge of. They would stand at parade rest for the specialist for that duty.

I never really cared for it, but the soldiers did it. I was only a specialist for about 4 months before going to Iraq. Once I got there I was promoted to corporal in the first week I was there. The sham days ended there.

As a tanker, it's common for a Specialist to be a gunner. On a tank, at least in my regiment, the gunner was a position of authority. I don't think I ever stood at parade rest for specialist who was also a gunner but I was required to listen to his commands (within reason of course) and show him proper respect. I think that would be enough.

Seeing as how it's possible to enter the Army as a SPC, and seeing as how a SPC is NOT an NCO (whereas a CPL is), God forbid if me or one of my NCOs caught a SPC making privates stand at parade rest.

My SPCs exist to to a few things here: assist the NCOs in training (through the delegation of authority from the NCO), to become and remain fully proficient in their MOS, and to begin learning and exhibiting the leadership skills necessary for advancement.

Notice I said learning and exhibiting, not demanding the benefit that accompanies, the leadership skills. If High-Speed Command Master SPC can't properly handle the limited authority that his/her grade carries, what makes me, or any other member of the CoC or NCO support channel believe that he/she will carry him/herself in any manner becoming of an NCO after hitting the board?

I had this issue as a SPC, had a PV2 who thought he knew everything and my NCO put me in charge of him and another soldier in my section, no problem, the problem comes when the NCO gives you the position, but not the authority to back your position. as a specialist my NCO expected me to inspect rooms and walk through the barracks on weekends, if my NCO had any intent on sending me to the promotion board at the time, I wouldnt have thought much of it, but here I am a SPC with 18 months TIS. I performed my duties without question, but when I found a deficiency and tried to make a correction I got the "you're just a specialist" line time and time again. My NCO would not back me up on the issue and when it came time for barracks inspection it all fell back on me. what I am trying to say is that ranks are there for a reason, and though parade rest is extreme NCO's need to stand behind the rank system and back their "senior" lower enlisted guys.

It's, the, army

I realize the Corps is a little different (why is it I say that a lot on RP?).
And, Yes, I am aware of the Specialist /Corporal divide in the Army.

But having been an E-4 I would have thought it a little ridiculous to call an individual E-3 to attention or expect them to pop to just because I was talking to them.

Now, I did expect to have their attention but the POA just for a conversation, seems crazy to me.
But,  if there were some kind of infraction, especially one challenging the authority of the Rank might change the situation a little as one needs to do the correction and ensure they know they are being corrected and the issue is a little bit serious.  Or if we were preparing to Drill....

But E-3's popping to because an E-4 walks in the room?  I am somewhat incredulous at the question.

Frankly, even as an E-7 I put people at Parade Rest if I needed to, the rest of the time I expected them to be doing what they needed to as long as they could pay attention to me If I addressed them. I am a big believer in the "Rest" Command, unless folks just won't listen up moving up to "At Ease" if they are intent on having private comments while I'm talking, then we can tighten it up a little. And the great thing is, I still have another position of rest "Parade Rest" to work with before I have to go full on "Attention" and lock folks up. :)
In my own personal view of exercising authority - I always thought that you should exercise as little authority as you needed to do the job, then, when push comes to shove and you throw your weight around, the Troops know there's a problem and they need to tighten their own stuff up and crush whatever the situation is. But opinions vary.

If that SPC/E4 is in a leadership position such as a TML, by all means, that PVT - PFC needs to be in parade rest. This is also good also if the SPC is on a promotion path to SGT.

Well back in 1984, we were required to stand at parade rest for all Tabbed E-4 or newly Tabbed E-3, if you did not all hell would rain upon you. If the E-4 was not Tabbed then I feel lower enlisted personnel should not stand at parade rest for the E-4, they are just a regular JOE.

What is even more ridiculous than this, is when you have two specialists whining about who is 'more senior'. You know what is really, really ridiculous? When they put a junior enlisted Soldier in a leadership position and that individual decides that they no longer need to do any work. I chew my fellow junior enlisted Soldiers asses for this almost daily. I work just as hard as I require my Soldiers to work, heck, I am probably to easy on them....but that is my style.

We had a private E-2 in my unit disrespect and refuse to follow orders and my PSG instituted a rule of standing at parade rest for any one of higher rank than you. It was put into place to teach said SM a lesson but to me it has only turned into a joke amongsts those of lower rank and it embarrases the specialists because the get made fun of by the rest of the unit. As a caviat I believe standing at parade rest ruins comradeship and can hurt unit integrity. If I'm being addressed by someone in a position of authority who is currently using that authority of course I will show the proper respect by standing at parade rest. If I'm always at parade rest for you though. It makes any conversation awkward in my opinion.

You Dare Cross the E-4 Mafia?

Hell no... A Spc is not I am authority position, but at the same time a Spc can drop a Pvt. as long as they do the PT with them. Potato pototo

I never forced any PFCs to stand at parade rest to talk to me. However, I remember a 1SG telling a PFC he was supposed to do so and then yelling at me for not enforcing it.

So today i had a soldier that came up to saying i had to stand a parade rest for a specialist Team Leader and when i told them that in FM 7-21.13 chapter 4 it states NCO's was i wrong for pulling the FM on this team leader and PFC Yes or NO and why???

Specialists are not NCOs, therefore, PFCs only stand at parade rest before CPLs and above. I never stood at parade rest in front of any specialist while I was in nor I was required to.

I could understand where CW2 Evans is coming from. Authority by position, rather than rank. But overall I don't see how this would be helpful at all... You give the PFC a false sense of authority over his/her "subordinate."

I abstain from voting. I know what the reg says... but each unit is like its own microcosm. In some units, a SPC is just a troop that gets to be the not-NCOIC of a BS detail. In other units, a SPC is often times a team leader and many of them are just waiting on points in order to get promoted. I've been in units where you at least stood at ease for talking to anyone of a higher rank, and I've been in units where half the time when an officer wasn't around, Sergeants said "call me Joe".

I'm sure you've all seen (or been) that soldier that shows up to a unit and the guys who've been there for a while think "man this guy's a real hard-ass" because that person is adhering to standards that were stricter in another unit. My approach on showing up to a new unit has always been "Remember your bearing and when in doubt, stick to the reg. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut and try to blend in. Do what everyone else is doing."

OMG! Sounds like a bunch of horse hooey to me. I did my time in the Navy and got to be a very senior E6 before calling it quits. It sucks when you stand there in your dress blues and look down the line and see that besides the Master Chief of the Command and the Senior Chief, you are the only one with gold on your sleeve. Means all those Chiefs had less time in the Navy then I did. As we used to say "I have skivvies that have been in the Navy longer than you".

Ooops The old sailor with the sea stories is emerging. I never stood at parade rest for anybody lower than an officer unless we were in a formation and were called to attention or some such by at least a Chief.

I also rarely got on a junior person's case for slouching around. Unless that was the problem. And yet somehow, as the senior E6 on board, I was getting stuff done and getting the lazy ass other E6s in line. "Hey, buddy, I know a GREAT bilge that needs scrubbing with a toothbrush" :D

So I don't think enlisted stand at parade rest while talking to a senior enlisted. Gawd the power trips are too big already. Of course on a submarine it was very much "I know where you sleep" kind of atmosphere.

Okay, no sailor goes without a sea story. One day an E-2 was having a really shitty day. He was mess cranking (working in the galley as a slave) and the idiot senior cook was just on his case. I went in to just get a cup of bug juice and he started yelling at me about making a mess. (not) I just stood there and let him rant and rave. When he took a breath I asked "You feel better now?" I then had him continue with his duties with just the smallest discussion of respect for senior petty officers. Then a chief pulls me into the goat locker (Chief's lounge). He told me I would never make chief if I didn't yell and scream at people. Wow. Told him if he was an example of being a chief I didn't want to be one. At that time I was more qualified than him, had 2 more years in than him, and my division of Electricians was doing far better work than his bunch. I, to this day, don't know why I never made Chief. lol Oh and I had to put him on report for assault not long after that when he jammed a donut in a junior enlisted man's face and I was the duty chief. Broke my heart. But he got off with a slap on the wrist.

I recently attended a drill weekend and ran across this situation. Some of my junior enlisted Soldiers were debating back and forth what was right. I informed them what it states in the FM (doctrine) and that we don't have any unit specific policy or directives. My explanation seemed to make sense to these troops, however, I still received some inquisitive looks.