<p>I assure you that class distinction is in place. Having a few “corporal” billets as a youngster was awesome because I felt part of the company decision making process and didn’t feel the weight of the upper-class, senior enlisted, or company officer that much.</p>
<p>No that I’m a 2/c, a squad leader, and a member of battalion staff, more attention and expectation seems to be put on us. I find myself subservient to the 1/c, which is how it should be. Since I have to enforce policy that comes directly from the 1/c leadership in the company, the amount of rope given to us is shorter than expected.</p>
<p>In short, there is definitely a four class system. Firsties clearly run the show while the plebes are at the bottom, that is obvious to everyone.</p>
<p>The ambiguity or confusion seems to lie with the 2/c and 3/c. Youngsters are the least monitored class of all because they aren’t plebes and they hold low-profile billets in the company. Now, 2/c are squad leaders, platoon sergeants, training sergeants, admin chiefs, drill sergeants, technology liasons, battalion investigative officers, other battalion, regimental, and brigade positions, etc…you get the picture. 2/c are actually in charge of things but are limited in the ways that they can innovate or modify policy that is passed down.</p>