How do you get promoted from specialist to corporal?

Corporals achieve the rank after spending time in the grade of Specialist and then graduating from the Basic Leader Course (BLC), upon graduation from which they are given a team to lead. The reason that Corporal is a more rare rank in the Army derives from the needs of individual Army units.

Is a specialist the same as a corporal?

See, corporal is an enlisted level-4 rank, equal in pay to a specialist. This is a holdover from back in the day when the Army had two enlisted rank structures that ran side-by-side. There were specialists-4, specialists-5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.

Is a specialist higher than a corporal?

In practice, the corporal outranks a specialist and will be treated as an NCO by the soldiers below him or her. The specialist is still an E-4 level expert at his or her MOS. That’s why a specialist is also known as a “sham shield” — all the responsibility of a private grade with all the pay of a corporal.

Can a specialist become a sergeant?

Previously, specialists were promoted straight to sergeant in most cases, skipping the corporal rank. “This is a change in culture,” Sgt. Maj. Kenyatta Gaskins, directorate of Military Personnel Management sergeant major, said in a statement.

Do specialists have authority?

Specialist grades paralleled the corresponding grades of non-commissioned officer (E-4 through E-7) only in terms of pay. The specialist grades, although they outranked the enlisted grades (E-1 to E-3), were outranked by all non-commissioned officers (E-4 to E-9) and lacked the authority conferred on an NCO.

Is a specialist a junior NCO?

Specialist (SPC) is considered one of the junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army. Ranked above private first class (E-3) and holding the same pay grade as the corporal, the specialist is not considered an NCO.

Can you get promoted from specialist?

Beginning July 1, all Soldiers with the rank of specialist who have been recommended for advancement by a promotion board and completed the Basic Leader Course, or BLC, will be laterally promoted to corporal, a junior NCO.

Is the Army getting rid of specialist?

Current corporals will need to qualify for promotion and complete BLC or else they will be reassigned as specialists. The new policy, originally announced in early June and put in place Thursday, is the most dramatic overhaul of how enlisted promotions work since the Army implemented NCO evaluation reports in 2016.

Can a PFC go to BLC?

e. Private First Class: As of 1 May 2014, PFCs are no longer authorized to attend BLC.

Can I join the Army as a corporal?

E-4 Corporal – U.S. Army Ranks

Recruits who enlist in the Army with a four-year Bachelor’s Degree, or desired civilian skills and experiences, may be entitled to enter the Army as a Specialist. Corporal is the 5th rank in the United States Army , ranking above Specialist and directly below Sergeant.

How do you rank up specialist?

SPECIALIST (SPC)

A specialist can manage other lower-ranked enlisted Soldiers. A Soldier can be promoted to this rank after serving a minimum of two years and attending a training class. Recruits with a four-year degree may enter Basic Combat Training as a specialist.

Can a SGT date a CPL?

In a significant change to AR 600-20, paragraph 4-14c, now codifies the customary prohibition of personal or intimate relationships between NCOs (corporal through command sergeant major) and junior enlisted service members (private through specialist).

Is corporal a good rank?

A corporal is expected to fill a leadership role and has a higher rank than a specialist, even though both receive E-4 pay. In the Marine Corps, a master gunnery sergeant and a sergeant major are both E-9s, but the sergeant major has the higher rank.

How long can you be a specialist in the Army?

The RCP for corporals and specialists will go from 10 years to eight years of service. Promotable Soldiers in the grade of E-4 will be allowed to stay up to 12 years. For the past three years, they have been allowed up to 15 years of service.

What is a specialist 5 in the Army?

Specialist 5, abbreviated SPC, rank is a junior-enlisted rank and ranks above Private First Class and below Corporal. Specialists have managerial skills and duties and must complete leadership and officer course.

What is a specialist in US Army?

An army specialist is a junior enlisted rank in the U.S. Army and is equivalent in pay to a corporal. The rank of specialist is an E-4 position that typically involves basic management duties as well as commanding lower-ranked soldiers.

Is corporal an officer?

Corporal is the first non-commissioned officer rank, and the lowest rank officially empowered to issue a lawful command. Corporals can lead troops if they have the formal qualifications to be promoted to master corporal but have not been promoted yet.

Is Cpl an NCO?

Corporals are formally recognized as noncommissioned officers but retain the same E-4 pay grade as specialists. As a junior NCO, a corporal also takes on leadership duties for a small unit, like a fire team.

What is the highest specialist rank in the Army?

Specialist is the 4th rank in the United States Army , ranking above Private First Class and directly below Corporal. A specialist is an Enlisted Soldier at DoD paygrade E-4, with a starting monthly pay of $2,393.

E-4 Specialist – U.S. Army Ranks.
ClassEnlisted Soldier
Basic Pay$2,393/mo

How do you address a specialist in the Army?

Privates (E1 and E2) and privates first class (E3) are addressed as ‘Private (last name)’, specialists as ‘Specialist (last name)’, corporals as ‘Corporal (last name)’, and sergeants, staff sergeants, sergeants first class, and master sergeants all as ‘Sergeant (last name).

How much does a SPC make a year?

Army Specialist Basic Pay Table for 2022
Years ExperienceMonthly Basic PayYearly Basic Pay
Starting Pay$2,393.40 / mo$28,720.80 / yr
Over 2 years$2,515.80 / mo$30,189.60 / yr
Over 3 years$2,652.00 / mo$31,824.00 / yr
Over 4 years$2,786.70 / mo$33,440.40 / yr

Is the specialist rank going away?

Since all other grades of specialists were obsolete, the rank is now just called “specialist.” In essence, the rank holds the same meaning as it did in the 1920s — except now it’s more of a holdover rank before most E-4s make sergeant.