Posted on Sep 3, 2015
What is the difference between a Specialist and a Corporal in the Army? Inquiring Marine minds want to know.
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CPL
SPC
Rank
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SPC is a promotion to E4 without leadership ability. CPL is a promotion to E4 filling a team leader slot and showing leadership ability. They both get paid the same. SPC was my most favorite rank because I had no responsibility whatsoever.
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SPC Brian Stephens
I had responsibility. Even as a PFC, sergeants always looked at me to lead small things like details and so forth. But I always had a sergeant and never had my own section so no corporal stripes for me.
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SSG Matthew Hamrick
On the day I graduated Ranger school it was an automatic promotion to SPC. Within 6 months I made SGT. Those 6 months in a Ranger Bn meant I had responsibility for myself but nobody else. There is more to the story but I will keep it to myself because I am sure there are SPC still in the Ranger Regiment and would not appreciate me giving up their secrets.
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Difference is simply put on is an NCO one is not. E-1to E-3 has just come from boot a their AIT or MOS-Q training when they meet the promotion requirements to advance they make specialist E-4. The Spc. grade basically refers to the mos they specialized in that was mainly back when the army introduced the Spc rank and went from Spc 4 to Spc 8 they were not an NCO or in a leadership position.
They eventually went away from the spc5-8 and kept 4
They eventually went away from the spc5-8 and kept 4
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SSG Byron Hewett
Continued...... and CPL on up as you know are the MOS.
Spc is not an NCO but someone who specializes and can train to and become an NCO. CPL mainly use in the combat arms side of the army but is making a overall comeback throughout the army.
Spc is not an NCO but someone who specializes and can train to and become an NCO. CPL mainly use in the combat arms side of the army but is making a overall comeback throughout the army.
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An interesting story illustrates the difference. I went from Marine Recon to Army Special Forces. My first Army school was Jump School. I went as a Cpl. In jump school back then (and it may still be) you put your student number on your helmet. If you was an NCO, you also put an N in front of your number. Once during an in ranks inspection, the instructor looked over my uniform, when he got to my boots, he frowned. Then looked at my helmet, and said not good enough for an NCO, drop and give me 50. A Specialist would have passed.
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They are both E4 pay grades. A specialist is the highest junior enlisted. A corporal is a junior NCO. Usually corporal is a rank given out for specialist promotable or for a squared away specialist in a combat arms unit/MOS specialty.
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Technically the difference is level of responsibility. SPC tend to be the experienced lower enlisted that help teach the new privates. CPL is a junior NCO and tends to be a Team Leader or Squad Leader and has troops to lead and council. Actual answer is not much most corporals dont wanna step up and be an nco because they arent hetting the pay for it. And most specialist, with exceptions of course, are treated the same as corporals when it comes to expectations from the nco support channel
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Well on Fort Hood it just means I can use you to TC one of my vehicles being that you are considered an NCO. Other than that you are a kick ass specialist.
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Specialist is the norm and has been for year. The Corporal Rank disappeared in the Army for some time. Today, the Corporal in the Army, in my experience (I hate that saying), is only used when an E-4 is serving in a Team Leader or similar NCO (E-5) position.
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A corporal is a E 4 but is slightly higher then a specialist is its more of a command rank or one who works in a office as as Admin
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