Posted on Mar 10, 2014
Should the requirements for corporal should be tweaked?
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I believe every promotable Specialist should be laterally promoted to Corporal. This is not as radical an idea as it seems. When a Soldier is recommended for, and selected to promotable status, their leadership is essentially saying, "You are ready to take on more responsibility, here are the tools (authority) to act in that role". It would send a clear message, especially to senior Specialists with more time and grade who are stagnating, that yes, you are not progressing as you should, and as a result, you will now take orders from this NCO. This will leave an impression on the promotable (Corporal) that yes, the promotion board is a big deal, and a necessary rite of passage. Another aspect that appeals to me is the added responsibility placed on the Corporal. If they cannot maintain their promotable status, not only do they lose it, but they also have the stigma of reverting to Specialist. I see no disadvantages to DA enacting this policy and think it would go a long way to instilling the pride and respect into the future leaders of the Army.
Posted 11 y ago
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I think CPL is the stepping stone to becoming an NCO and is a privilege not a right. In other words it is earned and not given. A stellar Soldier that wants to progress in the Army will stand out above is peers. The Soldiers I had when I was a 1SG would need to complete these three easy requirements; 1) be promotable 2) graduate of WLC 3) be in a Leadership position. Then I would discuss it with the CSM and give him my recommendation(s). This is how we grow new and improved NCO's.
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I agree that Corporal is a big deal. A Corporal is actually the first NCO rank. In the Infantry, a SPC who became a team leader pinned on CPL.
However, SPC is a rank leftover from the Vietnam era. There used to be SPC-5s, 6s, & 7s. Those ranks disappeared. Why not eliminate the SPC-4 rank also?
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SFC William Swartz Jr
We maintain the rank because not every E-4 is worthy of being an NCO, in tanks we only utilized that rank for gunners that had proven themselves, similar to what you stated for Infantry team leaders.
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I'm working in what I was told is an E-6 position. I have 3 soldiers under my authority, and I'm responsible for their job performance, fitness, motivation, wellfare, and finances. I've also been promotable since Feb 13. Several months, I did miss it by 2-10, while constantly increasing my score. But for the last 6-8 months, 68W has been at 798. I've actually asked for the rank of Cpl, but my command wont give it, because they're "Afraid I'll stop pushing for promotion" once I get stripes. Is this a common issue?
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