A few people have harked on me because I had no desire to rise in the ranks during my time in the Army. I can completely understand why they wanted me to, but I didn’t feel it was worth the time or energy for me. As a specialist in the Army, I could still set an example, especially with the situation I was in.
I already knew even before enlisting the Army wasn’t for me.
From Specialist in the Army to Corporal
When I got selected for the United States Army Recruiting Command, after living the life of a recruiter for a few months, I no longer wanted to be in the Army. Being a Corporal (a lateral “promotion” from Specialist) in recruiting wasn’t any different than being a Sergeant.
When I got recalled back into the Army, the Army Reserve unit I was in had way more Non-Commissioned Officers than junior enlisted soldiers. I didn’t want to be there, so I didn’t see the point in spending the energy to be a Sergeant. There were already way too many cooks in the kitchen.
Some soldiers enjoyed bearing the “sham shield.” Trust me, I didn’t keep it for that. I actually like to work.
What Is a Corporal Exactly?
A corporal is a rank generally for those who like the power. I’ve known a few corporals who didn’t care for the rank and it didn’t change how they operated, but that isn’t always the case.
Basically, you get a Sergeant’s job with the Specialist’s pay.
I guess Specialists in the Army aren’t cool enough to be in Recruiting, so every Specialist that gets a recruiting tour is given a Corporal rank. The only thing I liked about it was that “Corporal Corcoran” kind of sounded cool.
When I ETS’d (End of Term of Service, a.k.a. get out of the military), all of my paperwork stated I was a Specialist. I figured I was finished with the rank.
When I was called back into the Army, I wore my Specialist rank, but when others found out I had been a Corporal when I was a recruiter, I was informed that I needed to be wearing the Corporal rank. I didn’t know any better, so I wore it.
After a while, I just got sick of it. There was no reason for me to wear the rank. I found some contact on the Army’s website to get for sure clarification on my Corporal rank.
I received a response letting me know I shouldn’t be wearing the rank since it was a lateral promotion. The Corporal was removed from my uniform. Many NCO’s asked me why. I showed them the email and told them I was right all along, and that was the end of it.
So Why Didn’t I Go for Sergeant?
Originally, I had only signed up for four years. I could have attained Sergeant, but I simply didn’t care for it. After my first deployment, I was Department of the Army selected for recruiting, something I didn’t want to do. I’m not a salesman and I don’t generally care what people do with their lives, and I couldn’t force myself to care as much as they wanted me to.
So, I couldn’t wait to get out and move on with my life. The hours in recruiting were already stressful enough. I didn’t want to add more on to what I didn’t even want to keep doing anyways. The pay bump wasn’t worth it to me.
After I was recalled back into the Army, I could have went for Sergeant then as well, but for me, worrying about promotion boards when you’re in a warzone is about as nonsensical as worrying about Physical Fitness tests. As I stated earlier, there were more non-commissioned officers than Specialist and below. There were more leaders, and it made no sense to add on to that.
At the time, I wasn’t interested in being any type of leader either. I had zero plans on making the Army a career. From age 12, I just wanted to serve what I felt was my duty and move on with my life. I remember hearing at some point that 4 years was the service term in the early days of America.
As the Army needs good leaders, the Army also needs good followers. Good followers are hard to come by as well. It’s how we’re raised I suppose.
The Chicken Hawk’s Perspective on Staying a Specialist In the Army
Like stated earlier, I do get some push back as to why I had no desire to move up the ranks. No one, not even Chicken Hawks, have really pressed me on the issue. I just didn’t want to do it.
But ultimately, I get way more praise for just being a veteran than I do for my rank, my MOS, or anything else related. I know plenty of soldiers who were dirt bags that will get the same, or even better, treatment. It’s not the soldiers’ fault.
It’s the Chicken Hawk’s fault for taking in the government military propaganda.
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