In April of 1975, Dunham Army Hospital, Carlisle Barracks, USAWC, Carlisle, Penna, a SPC 9 administered a series of four inoculations to me prior to my attending Ranger School. I was surprised, as I had never seen anyone wearing that insignia before, and shocked that so senior a soldier was doing routine injections. I made a comment about his grade, & duties, receiving in response a post-Viet Nam Army downsizing horror story. This soldier had earned a PhD in Microbiology on an Army Scholarship, committing himself in return to six years of Active Duty as a major in the Chemical Corps. When the Army disbanded the Chemical Corps BEFORE his graduation, the program vanished & they had no other officer's slot for him. So he was enlisted, rather than commissioned, as a SPC9, in the Medical Service Corps, a far different way of serving his six year commitment than he'd been promised... He was more frustrated than angry, the money was the same he said, & lots less work, but he was missing research opportunities while marking time outside his profession.
Mike
22-Sep-2010 23:08
It was MY understanding that this rank and Specialist 8 existed only on paper, and no patches were ever made.
Guest
05-Sep-2006 15:59
It was my understanding NO Specia;ist nines were ever appointed
