Joe question -- answered

[gryphonrhi]

For reasons I'm not going into at this junction (but hope you'll eventually like):  does anyone have any rough idea how long it would take, during Vietnam, for Joe to go from private to (a very green) lance corporal?  Me, I'm off to research how long it took to get done at Parris Island marine boot at that time period (San Diego for Joe, since he

Comments

[devohoneybee]

i don't know the main sequence, but i do know that sometimes things sped up from the usual in the case of a "field promotion."

[gryphonrhi]

::cheerful:: Raine found me an example from the time period of a guy who made PFC on graduation from boot and lance corporal on graduation from his first MOS training. Clearly, it can be done. WHEEE!

[essayel]

About five minutes if the lance corporal had his head blown off and Joe was the most competent man to take over his duties. But it wouldn't be ratified until the officers had a chance to consider it. At least that's how it works in the British army if they are up at the sharp end.

Hmmm - 2 promotions? In the Uk Lance Corporal[one stripe] is subordinate to Corporal so it would be one promotion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Corporal

[gryphonrhi]

Very true!! ::nodding:: Yeah, the problem here is that the marines do things a little differently over here. Usually, they get out of basic as a Private, not a Private First Class, which would be the first promotion, and then up to Lance Corporal is a second promotion. But during Vietnam, it turns out, the guys who showed promise in boot made PFC, and could make Lance Corporal after they finished their first specialty training, mostly *because* the war left them desperate for competent non-coms.

Thanks for the UK POV! It seems to match pretty closely.

[essayel]

All kinds of rules get bent when in action. :D makes things much much easier for writers.