I came across some photos of Elvis in his army days and that thought immediately came to mind when I saw the sham shields on his sleeves… I’m sure all the former E-4s here can appreciate the idea… [;)]
Could you please explain?
Bill
Explanation:E-4, at one point or another is probably the most common enlisted pay grade in the armed forces. You’re not a private anymore, but not yet an NCO in most cases. There is a running joke that the “E-4 Mafia” exists and is who actually runs the Army. They are assigned to do the majority of daily tasks/work. Or pass it on to the private’s and PFCs in the squad/team/detail/section/etc. to do while they “sham”, aka goof off. Elvis, being ”The King” and a Specialist 4 at the same time in the photo is a natural fit for the title. Just a bit of veteran humor.
Google E-4 Mafia for some examples.
Aka Spec4 or specialist 4th class or if you go to nco school Corporal.
LOL, though it makes me wonder what Basic was like for Private Pressley. Did he walk around with a target on his back or did the drills treat him like all the other troopys? Meaning that he still walked around with a target on his back. 
From what I have read, he requested to be treated like other draftees. He wanted to serve his term as a tanker and not in some special services PR spot. No matter what, because of who he was, I’m sure that he had something of a target in his back
Hello Stik!
When I first read your message I immediately thought: something like ex-PFC Wintergreen from Catch 22?
When I built my M48 many years ago, I painted the TC for it, looked at him and said: Dang, he looks just like Elvis!
Have a nice day
Paweł
An old co-worker of mine can confirm that. He served with Elvis in Germany in the late 50s. Said that Elvis would get right there, hip-deep in mud with the other guys when a tank would get stuck…didn’t want special treatment.
The US Army did away with the Technical Sergeants (aka Tech Sgts) and created the Specialist ranks of Specialist 4 to Specialist 9, called Spec 4, Spec 5…Spec 9 in ints place.
The rank (authority wise) fell between Private First Class (PFC/E3) and Corporal (CPL/E4). Specialists were not noncommissioned officers, but their technical expertise required higher level of pay than say, a cook.
Sometime in the 1980s, the Army did away with Spec 5 thru 9 and made them the corresponding sergeant rank. Spec 4 became just “Specialist”, but is still often called Spec 4.
The Spec 4 Mafia is the shammer’s club, Elvis was their king.
I was on active duty when the army converted Specialist 5 and above to hard stripes. One day all the cooks in the mess hall were Spec. 5’s, 6’s, and 7’s. The next day they were hard stripe NCO Sergeants, Staff Sergeants, and Sergeant 1st Class… talk about new sudden authority… lol. Technically a Corporal outranked a Specialist 7 until that day.
The man who taught me how to drive an M48A5 was a Spec/5 named Kenny. That’s all he wanted to be called. Vietnam veteran, super nice guy, didn’t want a leadership role; he just wanted to drive a tank. Back when you could do 20 years as a tank driver.
My F-I-L enlisted with nothing, no high school degree.
But he was a smart guy and he was sent to AAF mechanic school.
Ended up a Staff Seargent with five marks on the sleeve. Discharged 09/45.
Doubt he “shammed” much.
Thank you for the info.
Bill
You obviously don’t get the joke; perhaps you would have if you had served in the Army.
Here is a link so you can learn about the sense of humor those who have served acquired: https://www.wearethemighty.com/humor/lance-corporal-underground-rules/
Many moons ago when I was in the Air Force serving at a SAC bomber base, there was a story about a B-52 gunner who came out to the alert pad to visit his buddies as he was retiring that week as a Chief Master Sergeant E-9.
As usual when you’re having a good time, the alert klaxon sounded and everyone cleared the room except the Chief. He sat there just drinking his coffee.
The door opens and the Director of Operations comes in, an O-6. Full Colonel.
He does a double take and in full command voice, “CHIEF!!! WHY ARENT YOU OUT AT YOUR AIRPLANE?!?!?!?”
Chief thinks a minute, takes another sip of coffee, shrugs and replies “I didn’t feel like going, sir.”
Colonel walks out without another word.
Those rules are gold, especially the one about Blue Falcons.
My dad retired from the Air Force after 20+ years enlisted as a Senior Master Seargeant and his opinion was that they ran the base hands down.
Thanks for the E4 explanation. Thank you very much. Now excuse me it’s time for a peanut butter, bacon, and banana sandwich.
I’m trying. Sort of a Beetle Bailey thing.
Being labeled as a Blue Falcon is one of the worst things to happen to you.
Honestly, the rank of Specialist (E4) is either a terminal rank or a temporary rank. Our Army is an up or out organization; either you get promoted to the next rank or you get put out. Many soldiers do most of their entire 6 year enlistment as a Specialist before their enlistment expires.
The ranks of E1 thru E4 are based on time in service; stay in the number of months or years and you get the rank pinned on. But making Sergeant/E5 requires promotion points and vacancies (the Army needs you) in your specialty.
The average soldier enlists as an E1 and is an E2 by the time he gets through basic training. He may or may not be promoted to PFC/E3 during his AIT, but will definitely get promoted as soon as he gets to his first duty station.
Company commanders get a certain number of time in grade waivers each month or quarter (I forget which) that they can use to promote junior enlisted (E1-E4). So unless a new soldier is seen as a dirtbag, you use the waiver on your new privates and privates first class to promote them as soon as possible.
So many PFCs become Specialists within their first year of service. Then spend the rest of their time never working towards making sergeant.
But there are “high speed/low drag” Specialists that as soon as they make E4, they are already on track and working hard to make Sergeant/E5 in the minimum time, which I think was 3-4 years time in service back in the day.
So you’ll see Specialists with 4, 5 and 6 years in service and Sergeants with 3-4 years in. That’s the picture in the link with the cobra surround by the mongoose pack (mongeese? lol).