Should the Army bring back the Specialist titles?

From what I heard from my command, the Army is seriously considering bringing these back in the near future. Maybe it's RUMINT, maybe it's not.

Yes! As we would call them “hard stripes” or if you will “infantry stripes” because of the training, should always take precedence over a specialist rank “except in that specialist field” why, if it became necessary, would anybody think an E7 radar technician would be more capable and better suited to lead a group of soldiers than an infantry trained E5?

Yes, i know plenty of E4s that dont want to lead soldiers, but are extremely hard working a d knowledgeable in their MOS that end up getting out or forced out because they dont want to lead soldiers.

I joined the US Army when the specialist ratings went to Sp9. A lot of very technical jobs were spc ratings. I was a Sp5 Helicopter maintenance inspector who was promoted to SSG. Was reassigned in the same unit from maintenance to aeroscout platoon sgt. Then in another unit as a Huey platoon sgt. Life was rough for about two years until I found my backbone. I do believe that there is still a place for higher Sp ratings.

I agree also. I was a SP5 before I change MOS and went to hard strips. Not everyone is a leader, but may be really good at their specialty MOS. At least these individuals can advance within their fields and still be productive.

Nah. The army is already full of underachieving specialists. I'm not down with paying dudes more just because they've been shamming for 6-7 years. Up or out.

NO, There was an animosity between 'Hard' stripe and 'Soft' tail NCO's, we "specialists" were not "real" leaders ergo not an NCO, so when you have a Spec 6/7 in charge of a Med-Detachment or Med Platoon we were "Rodney Dangerfield"[I get no respect].

Oh! (A slow grown) Remember, they had The "T" ranks back in WW II? I have to admit 48 years ago, I was a Sergeant E-5, that was an over paid private (tank units, where very lucrative with rank). 1. I kept my nose clean 2. did my job: the operation of a tank battalion (my permanent job as BSDNCO) and always knew every system I was MOS Qualified in...once I had to show my Company CO (who was a bit critical of me), the difference between using a Head Spacing and Timing gage on a 50 Cal....right Calvin?!? Years later, in the National Guard; I could still, field strip that same weapon, and many others, with out any help, and still read a map and repair a track. Transferred to an NG Air Defense Unit, and my 1st Phase "SMOKED" the 2nd Phase during AT...right Raymond?!? (of course he wanted to bust me, any chance he got. I got promoted 20 years ago to E-5 at that point, and wasn't about to loose it to him.) Raymond was right about one thing: I hated drill and couldn't march troops!
At one point, during that Vietnam Era, I tried to convert my hard stripe to a Spec 5, but no go. Over the years, I heard my Marine Corps Buddies criticize The U. S. Army's Specialist System, but I knew many E-5 who did their job over 30 years (even some old WW IIs still hanging in there in The NG during the 80s), and still retired an a Sergeant E-5. Well, just an observation; leave this to the fellows with egg on their hats in G-1.

Honestly, I would like to see Specialist E-4 to go away. If anything, bring back the Technical Sergeant rank which was the precursor to Specialist that had the letter T under the NCO stripes. As a former Marine and Army Warrant Officer for over a decade, the Marines strive their non-rates (E-1 to E-3) to focus on leadership skills through correspondence and leader tasks and roles. Marines are fully prepped before pinning on the junior NCO rank of Corporal which Marine Corporals usually operate at the same level as an Army E-5/E-6. Regardless that our Army is bigger and due to push of soft MOSes as Cyber, we need our soldiers to be focused as leaders . You never know when every soldier a rifleman will come into play. Some roles as junior NCOs will require them to interact and engage senior leaders at various echelons and I do not see a SPEC5 to 9 to be the rank required for those roles. I despise the term "Sham Shield" and that last thing we need is more Specialist ranks falling under that umbrella. Just like the Air Force does not see the need for Warrant Officers, the US Army no longer needs the rank of Specialist. Soldiers should move from Private First Class to Corporal. This was talked about heavily the last decade and maybe someday, it will come into fruition.

In the late 60s, armor and armored cavalry units were chock full of SP/4s and SP/5s while Corporals were an unknown entity. When I served with 1st Squadron, 2nd Armored Cav. Regt (1/2ACR) in Germany, I was a SP/4 and later SP/5. As a SP/4, I was considered just a higher paid Private and got to do all the fun things that lower ranking enlisted types got to do - guard duty, CQ runner, KP, ash and trash detail, etc. When I got promoted to SP/5, I was allowed to continue to enjoy those little pleasures AND got added benefits commensurate to my new rank to whit - CQ, work detail leader (which alternated with being a worker bee on work details), commander of the relief (guard duty) on one tour and then being a guard on another tour. In other words SP/5s were considered "quasi-NCOs" who could be used as privates when convenient.
Because of this experience, being treated as a Private one day and expected to act like an an NCO the next, I am against bringing back the Specialist ranks especially SP/5. I can''t speak for Combat Support or Combat Service Support, but in Combat Arms, Specialist (E-4) should be the highest Specialist rank available. After that only hard stripes!