US Army squad leaders and fire teams

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - US Army squad leaders and fire teams

Posted: 1/16/2006 9:07:47 PM EDT

From what I've been able to find using google a rifle platoon is made up of 40 men and lead by a Lt and a First Sgt. The platoon is divided into 4 squads each of which is lead by a Staff Sgt. Each squad is divided into 2 fire teams which are lead by a Sgt.

My basic question is where do Corporals fit in in this structure ?

Please enlighten me if anything above is incorect.

Thanks

Posted: 1/16/2006 9:09:04 PM EDT

[#1]

First Sergeants are at the company level with the captain type.

Sergeant First Class does the platoon level leadership with the Lt.

Corporals fill in for the Sergeant squad leaders

Posted: 1/16/2006 9:22:26 PM EDT

[#2]

A CPL is an E-4 that finished PLDC and is an NCO, but does not have enough promotion points to make SGT.

1SG is an E-8 company level
SFC is an E-7 platoon level
SSG is an E-6 squad level (the most senior SSG or SGT is usually assigned to weapons squad)
SGT is an E-5 squad or team level
CPL is an E-4 squad or team level
SPC4 is E-4 (not an NCO as he did not complete PLDC) and will sometimes be a team leader (if the company does not have enough NCO's to fill the slots)

All of the above depends on manpower and promotion points. In the event of 2 people with the same rank, time in grade (promotion date) determines who is above whom.

Posted: 1/16/2006 9:24:26 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
A CPL is an E-4 that finished PLDC and is an NCO, but does not have enough promotion points to make SGT.

you dont have to go to PLDC to get corporal

Posted: 1/16/2006 9:27:06 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Quoted:
A CPL is an E-4 that finished PLDC and is an NCO, but does not have enough promotion points to make SGT.

you dont have to go to PLDC to get corporal

Roger. I've known plenty of CPL TLs who never went to pull dick.

Posted: 1/16/2006 9:30:21 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
A CPL is an E-4 that finished PLDC and is an NCO, but does not have enough promotion points to make SGT.

you dont have to go to PLDC to get corporal

Roger. I've known plenty of CPL TLs who never went to pull dick.

That's how my unit was when I was in (C-1/505 1991-1993). Don't know about other units or how it is now.

Posted: 1/16/2006 9:35:48 PM EDT

[#6]

SPC4 is E-4 (not an NCO as he did not complete PLDC)

This implies that graduation from PLDC means an automatic Cpl rank, which is false. Corporal is generally given to an E4 that is in a leadership position, and and is often a temporary thing. I was lucky, in that I had permanent orders for it. The downside of being a Corporal is that every time some fucked-up detail comes along that requires an NCOIC, everybody starts looking your way.

ETA: Unless things in the Army have changed since I was in (mid-late '80s).

Posted: 1/16/2006 9:36:24 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
That's how my unit was when I was in (C-1/505 1991-1993). Don't know about other units or how it is now.

Of course, all the CPLs I've known were only NCOs as long as they were assigned to the unit. Once they went elsewhere, they were back to being SPCs.

I'm sure, like you mentioned, different units have different standards.

Posted: 1/16/2006 9:47:14 PM EDT

[#8]

When we mobilized we had a number of E-4's in team leader psoitions that either lacked time in service/grade to make E-5 or lacked promotion points.

Those that demonstrated the potential to make good E-5's were laterally rpomoted to corporal.

Posted: 1/16/2006 10:31:07 PM EDT

[#9]

Corporal, at least in the US Army, I don't know about the Marines, is no longer a rank of any great significance. European armies have corporals doing the job of E-6 sergeants. Basically, with so many sergeant ranks in the US army, corporal as a functional rank is pretty much redundant, except for the special cases listed above. (Doing an E-5 job without meeting certain promotion requirements)

NTM

Posted: 1/17/2006 8:15:48 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Quoted:
A CPL is an E-4 that finished PLDC and is an NCO, but does not have enough promotion points to make SGT.

you dont have to go to PLDC to get corporal

+1-I got permanently frocked as CPL, and I was in a non-combat arms unit (MI), and never went to PLDC due to our base in Germany closing.

Posted: 1/17/2006 8:31:45 AM EDT

[#11]

In the Marines, it's often the Corporals who are fire team leaders and squad leaders. LCPLs are often fireteam leaders as well. Rank is what you make of it, and Marine leadership has tried (to debatable success) to stress NCO accountability.

My opinion is that the rank is still given too freely.

Quoted:
Corporal, at least in the US Army, I don't know about the Marines, is no longer a rank of any great significance. European armies have corporals doing the job of E-6 sergeants. Basically, with so many sergeant ranks in the US army, corporal as a functional rank is pretty much redundant, except for the special cases listed above. (Doing an E-5 job without meeting certain promotion requirements)

NTM

Posted: 1/17/2006 8:35:27 AM EDT

[#12]

Shit, nowadays, you dont even have to go to PLDC to become E-5. But its recommended cuz you need it for E-6.

And its no longer "PLDC"....Its some gay shit like "Warrior Warfare Class" or something like that.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - US Army squad leaders and fire teams

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