Posted on Jan 28, 2014
Should the Army bring back the Specialist titles?
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When I joined the Army we Specialist 4-6 (SP7 had just been discontinued). It provided those Soldiers who had technical expertise and experience the opportunity to progress and earn more pay. However they typically were not "green tab" leaders and were subordinate in rank to a "sergeant" of the same pay grade (SSG & SP6). I've often thought over the years that the Army deleted a program that brought added value to the organization by discontinuing these ranks, as not all Soldiers are not going to be good leaders but should have the opportunity to progress based on their occupational expertise.
Should the Army bring these ranks back?
Should the Army bring these ranks back?
Rank
Promotions
Specialist
Soldiers
SP6
Posted 12 y ago
Responses: 708
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keep the spec's on line. If they love their job, keep the asset. to many times we have looked back and said why did we do that.
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Yes, I addressed this with SMA Preston back in 2006. Bringing the Specialist Corps back is the ultimate solution to retention control, as well as allowing Senior Specialists the ability to reenlist if necessary. RCPs hurt a lot of chances of going straight back to AD.
The only soldiers that need to be NCOs are the ones in leadership positions, such as Team, Squad, Section, Platoon and so on.
The only soldiers that need to be NCOs are the ones in leadership positions, such as Team, Squad, Section, Platoon and so on.
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Just as Warrant Officers are technical experts in their field so was the Spec.4 ,5,6,and 7 which was the first specialist rack to be eliminated bring the tech specialist back
C Bradshaw (SFC Ret.)
C Bradshaw (SFC Ret.)
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The way the specialist grades were originally conceived they served a need and filled a hole that couldn't be filled by NCO's who were required to fill leadership roles. Sadly as the years passed the specialist was viewed by most commanders as just a different type of NCO and were assigned the same duties as a hard striper. As pointed out by the LTC(P) the up or out concept crushed the concept completely. When I was a private in 1965 one of the instructors at school was a corporal with 25 years in the service. He had never been demoted and had turned down promotions every time they were offered. He was an NCO with all the benefits but very little responsibility. He was happy and good at what he did. I never understood why people like that should be forced into positions they didn't want and possible couldn't succeed at and then lose their careers.
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I have to agree with bringing it back, I have an E-6 that needs not to be incharge of soldiers and is awful at NCO business but know his MOS and is very good. However, he continues to stay in trouble because his lack of ability to be a leader in terms of a NCO SSG. I have started with basics with this Soldier and he just doesn’t understand the importance of the job nor can he seem to grasp it, only leave the recourse of paper trail and removal by way of demotion.
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A guy can be a journeyman technician but a poor manager/leader don't push him into a position of failure, Let him follow his strengths.
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Absolutely. The expertise these soldiers bring is extremely valuable and should be rewarded for their expertise. Not all experts are good leaders and may not desire to be in leadership positions but are very much needed.
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I agree when I was promoted back in the day, I had to take a test an go informed of a board to ask questions about my MOS
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