Technician fifth grade (abbreviated T/5 or Tec 5) was a rank of the United States Army from 1942 to 1948.[1] The rank was created to recognize enlisted soldiers with special technical skills, but who were not trained as combat leaders.[2][3]
History
The rank of technician fifth grade was authorized on 26 January 1942, per Executive Order No. 9041,[4] and was adopted by the Army effective 1 June 1942.[2] The rank insignia was finalized on 4 September 1942, adding a block "T" below the existing two chevrons.[1][5] Those who held the rank of T/5 were addressed as "corporal," the same as the corresponding non-commissioned officer at the same pay grade.[6]
Technicians represented a wide variety of soldiers with specialized technical skills, including medics, radio operators and repairmen, mail clerks, mechanics, cooks, musicians, and tank drivers.[7][8][9][10][11] Initially, the three technician ranks held non-commissioned officer status.[2] However, as technicians received no formal NCO leadership training or qualifications, their entrance into the NCO ranks resulted in organizational confusion, dilution of the NCO corps, and lowered morale among senior NCOs.[6] Consequently, the Army revoked NCO status from technicians in November 1943.[6]
The technician ranks were removed from the U.S. Army rank system on 1 August 1948,[2] though the concept was revived with the specialist ranks in 1955.[1][12]
^ abcFisher, Ernest F. (1994). Guardians of the Republic: A History of the Noncommissoned Officer Corps of the U.S. Army. New York: Ballantine. p. 260. ISBN0449909239.
