Private first class - wikipedia Private first class For the Commonwealth equivalent, see lance corporal. This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. ( Learn how and when to remove these template messages ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( June 2012 ) This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. ( June 2012 ) Common military ranks in English Navies Armies Air forces Commissioned officers Admiral of the fleet Field marshal or General of the army Marshal of the air force Admiral General Air chief marshal Vice admiral Lieutenant general Air marshal Rear admiral Major general Air vice-marshal Commodore Brigadier or brigadier general Air commodore Captain Colonel Group captain Commander Lieutenant colonel Wing commander Lieutenant commander Major or Commandant Squadron leader Lieutenant Captain Flight lieutenant Lieutenant junior grade or sub-lieutenant Lieutenant or first lieutenant Flying officer Ensign or midshipman Second lieutenant Pilot officer Officer cadet Officer cadet Flight cadet Enlisted grades Warrant officer or chief petty officer Warrant officer or sergeant major Warrant officer Petty officer Sergeant Sergeant Leading seaman Corporal or bombardier Corporal Seaman Private or gunner or trooper Aircraftman or airman Talk View Private first class ( PFC ) is a military rank held by junior enlisted personnel. Contents 1 United States 1.1 United States Army 1.2 United States Marine Corps 2 France 3 Singapore 4 Vietnam 5 Philippines 6 See also 7 References United States United States Army U.S. Army private first class insignia U.S. Army private first class insignia ( 1956 - 1968 ) In the United States Army, recruits usually enter service as a private in pay grade E-1. Private ( E-2 ), designated by a single chevron, is typically an automatic promotion after six months of service. Private first class ( E-3 ), equivalent to NATO grade OR - 3, is designated by a single chevron and a rocker stripe and is more common among soldiers who have served in the U.S. Army for one year or more. Soldiers who have achieved an associate degree or its equivalent are entitled to enter the Army at this pay grade. Advancement from private first class is typically to specialist, although occasionally it may be to corporal. The rank of private first class has existed since 1846 and, prior to 1919, its insignia consisted of the branch of service insignia without any arcs or chevrons. The Secretary of War approved `` an arc of one bar '' ( i.e., a `` rocker '' ) under the branch of service or trade insignia for privates first class on 22 July 1919. From August 5, 1920 to May 28, 1968, the rank insignia for private first class was a single chevron, per War Department Circular No. 303. On May 28, 1968, the insignia was changed to its current form, consisting of a single chevron with one arc. United States Marine Corps U.S. Marine Corps private first class insignia. In the United States Marine Corps, the rank of Private First Class is the second lowest, just under Lance Corporal and just above Private, equivalent to NATO grade OR - 2, being pay grade E-2. It was established on June 3, 1916 to match the already existing Army rank, primarily because US Marine units were `` often called upon to serve '' with US Army organizations, such as in the American Expeditionary Force that served in Europe during World War I ( e.g. 4th Marine Brigade of the US Army 2nd Infantry Division ). At the time the two ranks were directly equivalent. However, since 1968 when the US Army redesignated the E-3 paygrade as PFC ( eliminating lance corporal ) and created two grades of Private ( PVT and PV2 ), the USMC rank of PFC is one grade lower ( E-2 ) than the similarly titled US Army rank. Enlistees that complete United States Marine Corps Recruit Training and had obtained the rank of Young Marine sergeant or above in the Young Marines, will graduate from USMC Recruit Training with the rank of PFC. France Soldat de première classe France has the rank of Soldat de première classe indicated with a single red chevron. Singapore The SAF Private First Class rank insignia. See also : Singapore Armed Forces ranks The rank of private first class ( PFC ) in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of private ( PTE ) and lance - corporal ( LCP ). Introduced in 1983, it is awarded to hardworking conscript citizen - soldiers who performed well in their National Service term. Privates first class ( 一 等 兵 ) wear a rank insignia of a single chevron pointing down. The PFC rank is rarely awarded nowadays by the SAF since 2010s. All private enlistees are eligible to be promoted directly to lance corporal should they meet the minimum qualifying requirements and work performance. Vietnam Vietnam People 's Army private first class insignia. In the Vietnam People 's Army, private first class ( Vietnamese : binh nhất ) is the highest junior enlisted rank. Private first class is below corporal and above private second class. Philippines The Philippine Army Private First Class rank insignia. The rank of private first class is similar to its original American counterpart. The insignia consist of a single chevron with a triangle below. The rank is also in use with the Philippine Marine Corps. See also Comparative military ranks Gefreiter U.S. Army enlisted rank insignia U.S. Marine Corps enlisted rank insignia U.S. uniformed services pay grades United States military pay References Jump up ^ `` Site Moved '' ( PDF ). Jump up ^ `` A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation : U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1875 ''. memory.loc.gov. Retrieved 2016 - 02 - 18. Jump up ^ United States Army Institute of Heraldry ( 2006 ). `` History of Enlisted Ranks ''. United States Army. Archived from the original on December 31, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2006. CS1 maint : Unfit url ( link ) Jump up ^ Affairs, United States Congress House Committee on Naval ; Padgett, Lemuel Phillips ( 1 January 1918 ). `` Hearings Before Committee on Naval Affairs of the House of Representatives, on Estimates Submitted by the Secretary of the Navy, 1918 ''. U.S. Government Printing Office -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ `` SAF Rank Insignias ''. United States enlisted ranks Pay grade → Branch of service ↓ E-1 E-2 E-3 E-4 E-5 E-6 E-7 E-8 E-9 Army PVT PV2 PFC SPC -- CPL SGT SSG SFC MSG -- 1SG SGM -- CSM -- SMA Marine Corps Pvt PFC LCpl Cpl Sgt SSgt GySgt MSgt -- 1stSgt MGySgt -- SgtMaj -- SgtMajMarCor Navy SR SA SN PO3 PO2 PO1 CPO SCPO -- CMDCS MCPO -- CMDCM -- FORCM, FLTCM -- MCPON Air Force AB Amn A1C SrA SSgt TSgt MSgt -- 1st Sgt SMSgt -- 1st Sgt CMSgt -- 1st Sgt -- CCM -- CMSAF Coast Guard SR SA SN PO3 PO2 PO1 CPO SCPO MCPO -- CMC -- Area CMC, CGRF - MC -- MCPOCG Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Private_first_class&oldid=810739725 '' Categories : Military ranks of Singapore Military ranks of the United States Army United States Marine Corps ranks United States military enlisted ranks Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Unfit url CS1 : Julian -- Gregorian uncertainty Articles needing additional references from June 2012 All articles needing additional references Articles lacking in - text citations from June 2012 All articles lacking in - text citations Articles with multiple maintenance issues All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2014 Articles containing Vietnamese - language text Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Hrvatski Italiano Polski Русский Simple English Slovenčina Svenska Українська 3 more Edit links This page was last edited on 17 November 2017, at 03 : 46. 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Question: what rank is private first class in the marines
Answer: second lowest, just under Lance Corporal and just above Private, equivalent to NATO grade OR-2, being pay grade E-2