Why does the US Army persist with the rank of SP4?

SSgt Former18thASMKadena83 Atkinson - I was 26T20. I left active duty after two years, because I got no respect, or cooperation to let me do my job. A lazy E-8 lifer who couldn't figure out how to schedule three people to provide seven day a week operation of an AFRTS TV station, so you worked two days, got three off, worked two more. The next week, you just worked the three days. This just used two of us, while the third did nothing . My MOS was Depot level, so I not only ran the station 50% of the time, I spent additional time keeping the station running. I averaged 140 hours, every two weeks yet that ass would volunteer me for additional duty on /my days off'.
I also had 'rank' try to tell me how to do my job, when they had never been to a TV station, let alone maintain one. The Base Information Officer informed me that I needed to 'polish the hand tools, and paint the inside of the tool cabinet'. I was to 'Keep the studio floor so shiny' that he could see his ugly face which wasn't allowed per our SOP.
I told him where to go when he tried to confiscate the equipment manuals which would only be issued 'if and when he deemed it necessary'. I told him that if he touched the, that I would break his fingernails all the way to his elbows, and ordered him to leave the restricted area which was off limits to everyone but the operator on duty. He called me a 'Insubordinate SOB', and called our General. He needed a mew ass when the General finished, and was told to stay out of my way.

I was SPC 5,and was offered SPC 6 to re-up in 1970; but I wanted to return to college and got a little 'early out'. With a BA, I had gotten a CAS (civilian acquired skill) MOS of 81E20, which they were going to uprate to E30, the section SFC said. Getting drafted (didn't have a bone spur until I was 75!) wasn't too lucky, but that assignment sure was! A lot of GI-draftees coughed up another enlistment year to get it, and still wound up in 'Nam.

In modern parlance, I guess sergeants are leaders, but... where were all the hard-five and above at our base Ft. Sam, when NCO roles were needed? I pulled Company CQ, Asst. Staff Duty NCO, Sgt of the Guard, and other mostly over-nite jobs numerous times in my six months as SPC-5. We were the pool of after-hours does and goers when all the officers and senior NCO's (and MFSS had a LOT!) were in the old rack!
What a bring down it was for the SPC-4's on guard duty when it was discovered that the Army had not bothered to equip SPC-5 Humble, J., with a GI driver's license! Those nights I was chauffeured! A little harder to catch a few winks, but... Only 55-years ago...

Spot on, Specialist Ford! There is a critical need for retention of technical talent in the Army, and, insisting that enlisted in these MOS must go through all the requirements to become a NCO to progress up the ladder is pushing these enlisted out of the Army and into the civilian sector. Bring back the Specialist ranks, ASAP!

SGT Robert Wager Correct you are. Hardest promotion to get is Corporal. Hardest tangible object for a Corporal to get...anyone....a unit coin. The Army and local leadership is the most stingy with those to things.

There was to much Old buddy things happening to get a promotion to E-5 for me.
If you didn't have the right NCO that liked you forget about being promoted.
So, I like the Air Force which my son is in, which you take a test to get promoted up to E-6. No board until after that.

Only two things I was proud of 'accomplishing' in the Army: easily qualifying as Expert on the M-14, and making SPC 5 in the minimum amount of time in grade/time in service. The money helped (still under $300/mo in 1970) but also I got to avoid the chow line at the EM Mess, and eat in the officers -- which had table cloths and sometimes flowers on the table! Funny, it's almost impossible to find 'subdued' SPC 5 rank patches now. So long ago... !

I totally disagree SFC! You don't seem to realize that you are messing with the E4 Mafia! Kidding aside, the Army should split off the war fighters, and the technicals, into two different lanes of rank progression. NCO's belong in combat organizations, Specialists in technical organizations. The Army is bleeding technical talent by forcing all to move up the NCO ladder.

I tested out of the Army's hardest Electronics school in 1972, while in Basic. I was told that no one had ever done it, and never would. I scored over 93%. I was assigned to a TV station at Ft. Greely, with two men who had gone through that school. They had no hands on experience, but I had seven years, at just 20 years old. One of the two was a useless alcoholic, while the other struggled to do actual troubleshooting. I'm still in contact with him, and he still thanks me for teaching him mre than the Army school, or any other job that he's had in thee 50 years.
I was taught 'Logical troubleshooting' starting at 13 years old. Quickly find the real problem, and fix it properly the first time. Avoid temporary fixes, whenever possible.
The Station Manager wanted me court martialed 'for destruction of Government property' after I built a replacement TV tuner for a piece of test equipment. The OEM part was NLA, and a custom built part would cost more than the equipment was worth. By the time the dust settled, I was promoted to SP4, at just 18 months. I've newer played nicely with fools.

SGT (Join to see) - Cpl. should be removed altogether or SP4 should be removed. If the goal is to be an NCO then keep Cpl.

SGT (Join to see) - I was on active duty in the early70’s when up-or-out was thrust on us. I personally knew an E-6 and an E-7 who loved their jobs and were exceptionally effective at it who left the Army becsuse they did not want the higher rank and responsibilities.

On Okinawa in X Army, my dad wore three over one rocker, plus a 'T', but when promoted after the Japanese surrender, his patch was changed to three over two rockers, but was called "Technical Sergeant" as a rank title. Neither of these was 'Staff' or 'Sergeant First Class". Though he was in the fighting, he was assigned to a HQ Company in the Signal Corps. He died in 1958 -- as a result of a pack-a-day habit on unfiltered Lucky Strikes he'd picked up on Okie -- so I can't ask him to decipher it. Still have his Ike Jacket.
Better question: why is a low private rank E-3 called 'First Class' but the aforementioned senior rank E-7 called 'First Class' also? Quirky! I've had to try to explain that to a lot of civilian types. And then there are the Navy rank/rating!!
I was told in 1969 that the Army had Spec 4's just because they didn't want too many Corporals! BTW, lots of SP5's in 'Nam had command roles in combat, and never got 'hard stripes.' I was offered 'hard five' at Ft. Sam if I'd be barracks sergeant, however. Too close to ETS!