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Military Rank Structure: Army Enlisted Soldiers

By 1SG (Ret.) David Kucic

Real Estate Agent with Hawaii Military Realty, Inc.

July 04, 2007 03:59 PM

By: First Sergeant David J. Kucic, US Army Retired

Team Kucic Home Buying and Selling Team of Hawaii

While I am out in Hawaii whether I am on Schofield Barracks, Ft Shafter, Wheeler Army Airfield, Camp Smith or Tripler Army Medical Center, I hear and see the use of Army rank being used in an incorrect manner. I hope to use this post to educate people on the proper way to address the rank and to help in identifying each rank. The ranks that you see below are for United States Army Active Duty, Army Reservists and Army National Guardsmen stationed all over the world.

There are three different rank categories for Soldiers. Those three categories are: Officers, Warrant Officers and Enlisted.

I will start with the enlisted and will give the proper jidentification and the correct abbreviation for each. The ranks start at the lowest (Private) and go to the highest (Sergeant Major of the Army). The color of these images would be the actual color of the rank that is used on the Army Green Dress Uniform. These are not worn on the everyday field uniform.

Private (PVT) Private First Class (PFC) Specialist (SPC) Corporal (CPL)

Sergeant (SGT) Staff Sergeant (SSG) Sergeant First Class (SFC)

Master Sergeant (MSG) First Sergeant (1SG) Sergeant Major (SGM)

Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA)

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John Occhi

AZ Veteran Notary Services - Marana, AZ

Mobile Notary Public/Certified Loan Signing Agent

All right, from my days of E5 and E6 I always had hard stripes, but are you going to tell me they have done away with the Spc 5 and Spec 6 too?

I got out in 1981 with 10 years time in service as a SSG with 2 years time in grade and had already made the E7 list - probably about a 2 year wait at that time. I always thought I would have been a great Sergeant Major - but never did get the opportunity. If not, at least I would have liked to be a company First Sergeant - those were always the men who received the most respect - the way I remember it. (of course I can remember a couple who were worthless - but they never lasted long)

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR
Mission Grove Realty

Jul 05, 2007 06:09 PM

1SG (Ret.) David Kucic

Hawaii Military Realty, Inc. - Ewa Beach, HI

President and Owner

Darn, you really are old! The Army did away with the last of their SP5, SP6 and SP7 in 1985. They were all converted over to the equal ranks of E5, E6 and E7. I was only a PVT at that time but I believe they had to go to some sort of NCOES equal to the rank for which they were being crossed into (PLDC/PLC/PNCOC, BNCOC or ANCOC).

You had a lot of time invested at 10 years. Just think, you would have been retired for over 16 years already! The Army fixed the problem with the promotion lists. They now exhaust the complete list within 12 months or less so that Soldiers dont get put on the list and end up waiting 2 or 3 years to finally get pinned.

Two of my most rewarding jobs in my Army career were as a Battery First Sergeant in a Field Artillery Battalion serving in Iraq and spending 2 years at the Ft. Sill Field Artillery Training Center as a Drill Sergeant molding young men into warriors and teaching them loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. What could be better than that?

Jul 07, 2007 05:44 AM

1985 - man, so people are retiring today that never met a Spec5???So the cooks and clerks all have hard stripes? that's too funny.

Yeah, 16 years. I got out to save a marriage - it didn't work. She was such a ...well, never mind - that too is ancient history. It would be nice to get a check once a month and be able to hop on a Military transport and travel (you can still do that, can't you?)

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR
Mission Grove Real Estate

Jul 10, 2007 03:27 PM

Yup, the guys retiring now may not have ever met a SP5. Crazy huh? And yes, all of the clerks and cooks have hard stripes too!

Getting out to save a marriage was probably a good thing but too bad it did not work out for you. Hopefully it was for the best in the long run.

The monthly check is nice and I will get it forever as well as the medical for my wife, children and myself. Pretty nice gig this retirement is. Yes, I can still "hop" if I wanted to but beleive it or not, I have never done it. I have always been so crunched for time that I just couldnt take the time to sit on an airfield and wait for several days for a flight.

Have you ever hopped during your career?

Jul 10, 2007 07:54 PM

Military Rank Structure: Army Enlisted Soldiers

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1SG (Ret.) David Kucic

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