![]() They perform administrative tasks or act as deputies for their superior officer. Non-Commissioned Officers serve as either staff personnel or sub-unit leaders. However, Specialists are now next promoted to Sergeant rather than Corporal. It is now used as a placeholder rank (now just called “Specialist” or SPC) between the ranks of PFC and Sergeant for personnel that were not promotable to Corporal. Specialist 4 was retained from 1985 onwards. ![]() The grade of Specialist 7 was eliminated in 1978 and the grades of Specialist 5 and Specialist 6 were eliminated in 1985. A small number of Specialist 8s were authorized in 1958, but they were transitioned to becoming NCOs instead. It was believed that using the NCO ranks of Master Sergeant (E-8) and Sergeant Major (E-9) would be more effective. Insignia were created and approved but no appointments were made. The “super grades” of Specialist 8 (SP/8) and Specialist 9 (SP/9) existed from 1958 to 1965. The projected Specialists 8 and 9 would have had an MOS level of 5. Specialists 4 had an MOS level of 2, Specialists 5 had an MOS level of 2 or 3, and Specialists 6 and 7 had an MOS level of 4. Specialists’ pay grades indicated their level of training and education in their MOS rather than seniority. However, some support and service MOSs are Specialist only in the lower paygrades and don’t have junior NCO grades they translate to the next NCO grade instead. Specialists who get promoted to NCO rank (regardless of pay grade) usually become Corporals until they attend NCO training courses. Senior grades (SP/5 to SP/7) are indicated by 1 to 3 rockers (nicknamed “bird umbrellas”) over the upper arc of the Specialist patch rather than chevrons. The Specialist 4 patch resembles the space between an NCO’s chevrons and rockers and is embossed with the General Service branch insignia of a spread eagle. Specialist insignia is an inversion of regular NCO insignia to prevent confusion. Specialists outranked Privates but were subordinate to Non-Commissioned-, Warrant-, and Commissioned Officers. They replaced the Technician grades from World War Two. Specialists were Enlisted personnel who had passed courses of specialized training. The rank of Private First Class then received the insignia of a chevron over a rocker. The rank of Private did not get insignia until May 1968 when it received the single chevron formerly worn by Privates First Class. Privates who had voluntarily enlisted were promoted to PFC upon being assigned to a combat tour in Vietnam so they wouldn’t be outranked by draftees. (This would be after they had competed bootcamp and while they were attending Advanced Training for their MOS). Private Recruits were usually promoted to Private after four months. They have no authority over other soldiers.
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