To the question: If a soldier in the Army was given the rank of CORPORAL, is this a very honorable title? Is this something to be proud of?) asked by the author Buccaneer the best answer is As those who served say: “It’s better to have a fucking daughter than a corporal’s son.”
Answer from 2 answers[guru]
Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: If a soldier in the Army was given the rank of CORPORAL, is this a very honorable title? Is this something to be proud of?)
Answer from Michael[guru]
Better a daughter to be a prostitute than a son to be a corporal...
Answer from Malevolent vindictive[guru]
They used to say - “it’s better to have a prostitute’s daughter than a corporal’s son.”
Answer from Mans[guru]
Corporal (Gefreiter) (German Gefreiter, that is, exempt from some orders) is a military rank in the Russian army assigned to the senior and best soldiers, who replace them during the absence of squad commanders. In the German armies - a separate regular category of military personnel, as a rule, it includes long-term servicemen and junior specialists. It first appeared in Germany at the beginning of the 17th century. Corporals were selected from experienced and reliable soldiers to relieve guards, escort prisoners, and perform other duties that required trusted people. In Russia, the rank of corporal was introduced under Peter I, by the military regulations of 1716 in the infantry, cavalry and engineering troops. However, the title did not catch on and was no longer used at least since 1722. During the reign of Paul I, a roughly similar rank of private with senior salary was introduced, which after the accession of Alexander I was retained only for the guard, as an element of encouragement. Reintroduced during the military reform of 1826. In the artillery of the Russian army, the corporal corresponded to the bombardier, in the Cossack troops - the orderly. When there was a shortage of junior non-commissioned officers, corporals were appointed as squad commanders. At the beginning of the 20th century, the rank of corporal was present in the armies of Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary and other countries. In the armed forces of the USSR (and then Russia), corporal is a military rank with a status higher than private and lower than junior sergeant. In the Navy, he corresponds to the rank of senior sailor. Awarded for exemplary performance of official duties and exemplary military discipline. Indicated by one stripe on the shoulder straps. One of the most famous bearers of this title was Adolf Hitler
Answer from Merry Carousel[guru]
If a person receives a rank in the army, it is always good! The main thing is how he gets it!
Answer from User deleted[guru]
in such an army, to also receive a corporal in my opinion is just an insult... well, it would seem so to me...
Answer from Pier Mirchev[guru]
above private, I think it’s worth it.
Answer from E.S.[guru]
As they say: “Clean epaulets mean a clear conscience!”...better as a private or, at worst, a lieutenant...but that’s a very bad case...)
Answer from GRIBNIK[guru]
Any title is an achievement, even if it is small at first glance.
Answer from German Markelov[guru]
A stupid title in principle, but well done for what he deserves)
Answer from Vovchik Pasitiff[guru]
not demobilization - they will give you a sergeant, so everything is fine
Answer from Ildar Safin[newbie]
Certainly!!!
Answer from Elena Valentinova[newbie]
I am raising two sons alone - the eldest is now in the army - he was drafted in the fall after the 11th grade... he ended up in the national guard... My son is a real man, an athlete, he will never offend anyone, decent and responsible, he called on March 8 and he told me that he has now become a corporal, I am very proud of him! Thank God I don’t have a prostitute daughter! My son is not a commander’s henchman at all, and it was unpleasant for me to read about how this title is unworthy of a normal person.
The attitude towards this “intermediate” rank of junior command personnel in the Soviet army was contradictory - from disdainful to respectful. In the first years of the “rehabilitation” of corporals, which fell during the Great Patriotic War, the only badge on their shoulder straps was hung not for toadying to the higher command, but for specific merits.
Return of the "snot"
Until 1940, the “old regime” military ranks in the workers’ and peasants’ Red Army were in disgrace. Right before the war, this issue was reconsidered, and corporals reappeared in the Soviet troops. When shoulder straps took their rightful place in the uniform of Red Army personnel in 1943, corporal stripes (“snot”, as they were called in the troops) also appeared on them - one yellow transverse stripe per shoulder strap.
During the Great Patriotic War, a corporal was, first of all, an experienced fighter who had earned the right in the event of force majeure to command a squad or even a platoon instead of sergeants - a serviceman who had real authority among the soldiers and was fired upon in battles (which was important in war conditions). In the last directorial work of the famous Soviet cinematographer Leonid Bykov (1976) “Aty-Bati, the Soldiers Came”, in which the author plays the main role of Corporal Svyatkin, this feature of the title “corporal” is demonstrated especially eloquently.
In the Soviet army, a corporal could occupy certain military positions only with this rank - that is, receive the appropriate level of training for this. In a combat situation, this should be the commander who ensures the necessary work of the unit left without lower-level (non-commissioned) command staff. In the Soviet naval fleet, senior sailors corresponded to corporals. In the infantry, these were senior riflemen (machine gunners, grenade launchers; in the landing force, among motorized riflemen, marines, border guards and airborne troops - snipers). A corporal is an assistant squad commander who replaces him in the event of a combat loss. In the Soviet army, the title “corporal” was always accompanied by the official adjective “senior” - driver, guard dog leader (for border guards), radiotelephone operator (for signalmen), chemist, flamethrower (chemical troops), and so on. A company paramedic or medical instructor also had to wear at least one badge - these were conscripts who had a civilian medical school or technical school behind them.
The irony of the "suspended" status
A corporal is no longer a private, but not yet a junior sergeant. “It’s better to have a prostitute’s daughter than a corporal’s son” - this is an obscene proverb - the same age as “hazing”, the process of internal decomposition of the Soviet army, which began in the late 50s of the twentieth century, continued until the collapse of the USSR and, unfortunately, was inherited by the modern Russian army . Old-timers who, in the opinion of the command, had proven themselves to be positive, became corporals.
If this intermediate stage (before conferring the rank of “junior sergeant”) dragged on, the corporal increasingly became the target of jokes from his colleagues. Especially if the “snotty one” did not have authority among his comrades. And this often happened, since many soldiers in the Soviet army sought to curry favor and get the coveted badge at any cost, including by currying favor with the command of the unit. Hostility in the team towards the corporal was often provoked by elementary, often subconscious, envy - “this one was able to get “snot” for shoulder straps, but I didn’t, why am I worse?
In the public consciousness, a disdainful attitude towards the corporals of the Soviet army was not cultivated. Suffice it to recall the popular film “The Seven Brides of Corporal Zbruev” with Semyon Morozov in the title role. There, Corporal Kostya Zbruev appears on the cover of the magazine “Skillful Warrior”, Soviet girls are crazy about him, they bombard him with letters. Dembel Kostya selects seven applicants “for pure friendship” and goes to choose. More than once, a demobilized corporal, in his “search-love-research” adventures, finds a way to show army ingenuity and tries to get out of a difficult situation in an extraordinary, but dignified way - he is a Soviet corporal!
The attitude towards this “intermediate” rank of junior command personnel in the Soviet army was contradictory - from disdainful to respectful. In the first years of the “rehabilitation” of corporals, which fell during the Great Patriotic War, the only badge on their shoulder straps was hung not for toadying to the higher command, but for specific merits.
Return of the "snot"
Until 1940, the “old regime” military ranks in the workers’ and peasants’ Red Army were in disgrace. Right before the war, this issue was reconsidered, and corporals reappeared in the Soviet troops. When in 1943, shoulder straps took their rightful place in the uniform of Red Army personnel, corporal stripes (“snot”, as they were called in the troops) also appeared on them - one yellow transverse stripe per shoulder strap.
During the Great Patriotic War, a corporal was, first of all, an experienced fighter who had earned the right in the event of force majeure to command a squad or even a platoon instead of sergeants, a serviceman who had real authority among the soldiers and had been fired upon in battles (which was important in war conditions). In the last directorial work of the famous Soviet cinematographer Leonid Bykov (1976) “Aty-Bati, the Soldiers Came”, in which the author plays the main role of Corporal Svyatkin, this feature of the title “corporal” is demonstrated especially eloquently.
In the Soviet army, a corporal could occupy certain military positions only with this rank, that is, receive the appropriate level of training for this. In a combat situation, this should be the commander who ensures the necessary work of the unit left without lower-level (non-commissioned) command staff. In the Soviet naval fleet, senior sailors corresponded to corporals. In the infantry, these were senior riflemen (machine gunners, grenade launchers; in the landing force, among motorized riflemen, marines, border guards and airborne troops - snipers). A corporal is an assistant squad commander who replaces him in the event of a combat loss. In the Soviet army, the title “corporal” was always accompanied by the official adjective “senior” - driver, guard dog leader (for border guards), radiotelephone operator (for signalmen), chemist, flamethrower (chemical troops), and so on. A company paramedic or medical instructor also had to wear at least one badge - these were conscripts who had a civilian medical school or technical school behind them.
The irony of the "suspended" status
A corporal is no longer a private, but not yet a junior sergeant. “It’s better to have a prostitute’s daughter than a corporal’s son” - this is an obscene proverb that is the same age as “hazing”, the process of internal decay of the Soviet army, which began in the late 50s of the twentieth century and continued until the collapse of the USSR; unfortunately, it was inherited by the modern Russian army. Old-timers who, in the opinion of the command, had proven themselves to be positive, became corporals.
If this intermediate stage (before conferring the rank of “junior sergeant”) dragged on, the corporal increasingly became the target of jokes from his colleagues. Especially if the “snotty one” had no authority among his comrades. And this often happened, since many soldiers in the Soviet army sought to curry favor and get the coveted badge at any cost, including currying favor with the command of the unit. Hostility in the team towards the corporal was provoked by elementary, often subconscious, envy: “This one was able to get “snot” for shoulder straps, but I didn’t, why am I worse?
In the public consciousness, a disdainful attitude towards the corporals of the Soviet army was not cultivated. Suffice it to recall the popular film “The Seven Brides of Corporal Zbruev” with Semyon Morozov in the title role. There, Corporal Kostya Zbruev appears on the cover of the magazine “Skillful Warrior”, Soviet girls are crazy about him, they bombard him with letters. Dembel Kostya selects seven applicants “for pure friendship” and goes to the bride. More than once, a demobilized corporal, in his “search-love-research” adventures, finds a way to show army ingenuity and tries to get out of a difficult situation in an extraordinary, but dignified way - he is a Soviet corporal!
There are a certain number of ranks in the ranks of the armed forces, but there is a special rank of corporal, which causes mixed responses among military personnel. He is often disliked, but it is worth understanding the reason for this attitude towards him.
History of the title
The rank of corporal has been known since the 16th century, when it was first awarded to military personnel of some European countries. It was given to experienced and reliable soldiers who could be entrusted with some kind of assignment. Corporals were trusted to look after recruits, escort prisoners, and temporarily lead soldiers in place of absent sergeants.
Translated from German, “corporal” means “freed.” In this case, the soldier was relieved of some of the duties assigned to the rank and file, such as being sent to a detachment. If the holder of the rank performed well in the service, he had a chance to advance in it and become a sergeant.
The rank of corporal in the Russian army appeared during the time of Peter I. He was a lover of everything German, so it began to be listed among other ranks of the Russian army. It was in the troops of Peter I, known as the amusing ones, that the first corporals appeared. In terms of status, a serviceman was lower than a corporal, but at the same time higher than an ordinary soldier. A corporal in the tsarist army was equivalent to a modern sergeant. In the future it will be abolished and will return only under Paul I in the 18th century in 1798. In the tsarist army it was worn not by soldiers who had proven themselves in battle, but by military specialists. Such a specialist as a telegraph operator could be awarded this title.
After the revolution, the rank of corporal was abolished as a relic of tsarism. They forgot about him for some time. It was only reintroduced in 1924. During the Patriotic War since 1940, only military personnel undergoing military courses could receive the title. In 1943, it was soldiers of this rank who were assigned to lead a platoon instead of a sergeant. Such fighters were respected among their colleagues and were fired upon in battle.
In the navy, a corporal is equivalent to a senior sailor. In Soviet times, a positive attitude was formed towards this army rank, thanks to feature films that were released on screens.
Subsequently, the corporal was assigned a status higher than that of a private, but at the same time lower than a junior sergeant. Currently, the title is awarded to long-serving privates who can train new recruits in accordance with the regulations. They remain the same soldiers, but with greater powers.
Often the rank of corporal is assigned to medical personnel, because they initially have knowledge higher than that of ordinary privates. As a rule, this rank is assigned to soldiers who are senior in their position, this can be a driver, radio operator and other positions.
In the Russian army, a corporal can be obtained by serving in the following positions:
- Shooter (grenade launcher, sniper, machine gunner), group commander.
- Sanitation instructor. The position is available mainly in the ground forces.
- A counselor who works with service dogs, he must be the senior in the squad. The position is present in the border troops.
- Senior telephone operator or radio operator. This position is available in the Signal Corps.
- Senior driver or mechanic - driver.
- Senior chemist. The position is common in chemical defense troops.
- Gunner. The position is present in the artillery troops.
- Operator - gunner. There is such a position in the tank forces.
Why don't people like this rank in the army?
Is the corporal a private or a sergeant? Neither one nor the other, this is no longer a simple private, but at the same time, not a sergeant either. As is known, in the ranks of the armed forces of the Soviet army there was an ambiguous attitude towards this rank. The same attitude still exists in the ranks of the Russian armed forces. There are well-known proverbs and sayings on this matter. Their general meaning boils down to the fact that it is better to wear clean shoulder straps than to be a corporal.
There are several reasons for this attitude towards this army rank:
- A soldier holding this rank is assigned additional responsibilities, without any special privileges. They ask him more, but usually there are no special rewards for this.
- Adolf Hitler had this rank; he took part in the First World War in this rank. For this reason, the Soviet army did not like corporals.
- Singling out or encouraging someone from the general mass of soldiers does not always have a positive effect on the soldier who received this rank. There is banal envy among the soldiers. It is believed that it is assigned to the commander's favorites.
- During the First World War, soldiers with the rank of corporal were placed in the first rank. Therefore, most often they were the first to die. Therefore, no parent wanted their son to bear this title. Based on this, the well-known saying about the son - the corporal - was born.
- A corporal is the same soldier, but senior in rank. Few people want to obey him, hence the attitude towards him is not entirely positive.
To receive the rank of corporal, it is not necessary to hold a position, according to the staff list in the unit, this rank is assigned to a private as an incentive and can be received by any soldier who has earned it in some way. To receive the rank, you need to prove yourself in drill training or show zeal for service, for which such a rank can be awarded.
But sometimes corporals are assigned by commanders to those whom they treat especially well. The army, as you know, does not like upstarts, hence the hostility to this type of promotion. Sometimes a soldier who has received this rank, without much pleasure, attaches insignia to his shoulder straps so as not to stand out from the rest. But during inspections, all insignia must be on shoulder straps in accordance with the rank.
Shoulder straps and insignia
The shoulder straps of a soldier who has this rank are distinguished by the fact that they have an insignia on them. A corporal wears shoulder straps with one stripe, while a junior sergeant has two such stripes. When receiving a rank, there is a need to properly attach the strip to the shoulder straps.
Nowadays, shoulder straps on field uniforms are no longer sewn on. Shoulder straps and false shoulder straps are already present on the soldier's uniform; it is only necessary to correctly position the insignia on the shoulder strap.
The stripes are strips of gray or protective color. The dress uniform must have golden stripes; they must be positioned so that their corner is at the top. The corporal's strip is 5 mm wide. The distance of the stripes from the edge of the corporal's shoulder straps should be 45 millimeters.
The strap on the shoulder strap should be positioned as follows:
- Take a shoulder strap and a strip of the appropriate size. Mark the location of the strip.
- Unbend the legs of the stripes and see where they will be directed.
- Use a pencil to mark where the strip will be located.
- Using an awl, carefully make a hole in the place of the shoulder strap.
- Insert the straightened legs of the strip into the prepared hole and bend it.
- Make sure that the strip is securely fastened to the surface of the shoulder strap.
Whatever the attitude towards this military rank, we can conclude that this insignia is given to soldiers who are responsible and have proven themselves well in service. How to treat this rank depends both on the soldier himself and on the leadership of the unit, and a negative connotation is given to it by fans of soldier’s humor, which is often not related to reality.
What is a corporal: definition, first mention
Our glorious army, and other world armies, have adopted a lot from the Germans. The title "corporal" is no exception here. It was first assigned to proven and experienced soldiers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland back in the 16th century. Junior commanders needed people they could rely on and trust with tasks requiring responsibility. Corporals supervised the convoy of prisoners, carried out guard duties, patronized recruits, and could temporarily replace sergeants.
The meaning of the word "corporal" in German is "freed", which is written as Gefreiter. The fact is that corporals were entitled to exemption from some soldier's duties. Meanwhile, the bearer of this title remained a soldier. If the corporal served regularly, he had a real chance of becoming a sergeant when a higher position was vacated.
The appearance of the rank in the Russian army
Peter I loved everything German. It was in Peter's amusing regiments that we first had corporals. However, the importance of this title was lower than what we know today. These soldiers were simply free from some of the required attire, literally corresponding to the German word for "liberated". In fact, until 1716, the corporal was a “lanspasad”, this rank most closely corresponded to today’s.
After the adoption of Peter the Great’s army regulations, the corporal began to correspond to the “senior soldier,” that is, he was lower than a corporal, but higher than a private. The position was introduced for infantry, cavalry, and from 1720 for the marine corps and was equivalent to corporal. In artillery this rank corresponded to bombardiers. But soon corporals disappeared from the Russian army and appeared only in the 18th century under Paul I.
How the rank became established in the Russian army
The rank corresponding to corporal appeared again in 1798. Such soldiers were called privates of senior salary and were lower in rank than junior non-commissioned officers (junior sergeants today). Senior pay for privates was abolished after the accession of Emperor Alexander I to the throne.
In 1826, the rank was finally introduced into the army of the Russian Empire. Now senior soldiers are literally called corporals. The position is being introduced only in infantry and cavalry units. Artillerymen, for example, were already considered superior to ordinary infantrymen. Only in 1884 would the rank of bombardier be introduced in the artillery, which would correspond to the infantry corporal. In the Cossack troops, the rank corresponded to the order.
It is interesting that in the tsarist army the title of “corporal” was worn mainly not by experienced and distinguished soldiers, as in Soviet times, but by army specialists. These were those soldiers who had a military specialty, such as a telegraph operator, but could not be promoted to non-commissioned officers. At this time, corporals were often brought in to fill the positions of junior officers when there was a shortage of personnel.
With the advent of Soviet power, the new army leadership decided that the corporal was a relic of tsarist times, and the position was abolished. However, no new analogue was introduced, and the title reappeared only in 1924. The division into categories was approved - a flight commander appeared, which generally corresponded to the corporal. But in 1935, the position of “flight commander” was abolished, as personal military ranks were introduced.
The rank of corporal was introduced in the Soviet army only in 1940. Until 1943, corporals included those undergoing sergeant courses, as well as junior specialists. At the same time, the position was finally established that corporal is a military rank that is lower than a junior sergeant, but higher than an ordinary soldier.
By and large, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, nothing changed with the position of “corporal.” Since late Soviet times and in the Russian period, a corporal is a soldier rewarded for performing service properly. As a rule, commanders assign rank to long-serving privates, which gives them the opportunity to use the letter of the regulations when training new recruits.
Corporals continue to exist not only in Russia, but also in the armed forces of the CIS countries. In the Soviet and Russian armies, the title “corporal”, by analogy with the tsarist army, is given to military specialists. These could be grenade launchers, machine gunners, snipers, drivers, dog handlers, telephone operators. Among medical specialists, the rank is often given to a paramedic, in artillery to a gunner, and in the chemical forces to a chemist or flamethrower. That is, these soldiers initially have special knowledge, unlike their ordinary colleagues.
There are not so many such facts about corporals. Maybe because a corporal is, essentially, a private who honestly pulls the soldier’s burden along with everyone else. Perhaps the most famous of the people who bore this title was Adolf Hitler. He was awarded back in 1914, when he served in the artillery. It is worth noting that Adolf fought honestly and bravely in the First World War, and was even wounded. Hitler remained a corporal until his inglorious end. The problem is that the corporal made strategic decisions and yelled at the marshals, calling them mediocrities and cowards.
Corporals became heroes of many films. The most famous of them is perhaps “The Seven Brides of Corporal Zbruev.” Of course, we need to remember “Aty-Bati, the soldiers were marching,” where the corporal played by Leonid Bykov plays a key role in the film and is shown exclusively from the positive side. During the war, corporals were indeed often experienced soldiers. Marshal Malenkov began his career from this position; at least one corporal hoisted the Victory Banner over the Reichstag.
Attitude to rank in the army
In the Soviet army, the position was treated ambiguously, to put it mildly. The Russian armed forces have also preserved this tradition. Everyone knows the expressions that it is better to have a daughter of easy virtue than a son-corporal, or “clean shoulder straps - a clear conscience.” Why did the corporal deserve such disrespect for himself?
There are several reasons:
- The corporal seems to be the senior in rank, but remains a soldier, so you don’t want to obey him at all (especially if you don’t have much authority in the team).
- Senior soldiers constantly force their colleagues to do some kind of work - hence the negativism and slander.
- Soldiers consider corporals to be the favorites of their commanders, and they are not liked in any team.
- Banal envy.
Most often this negativity is without any basis. Corporal is a necessary and useful rank. As noted above, during the war the corporals were indeed respected and listened to. It is no coincidence that directors who fought in the war show people with this title from the positive side. Much depends on the commander, who must be aware of who he promotes to corporal, whether he will cope with the position, whether the soldiers will respect him.
A corporal is no longer a private, but not yet a junior sergeant. “It’s better to have a prostitute’s daughter than a corporal’s son” - this is an obscene proverb - the same age as “hazing”, the process of internal decomposition of the Soviet army, which began in the late 50s of the twentieth century, continued until the collapse of the USSR and, unfortunately, was inherited by the modern Russian army . Old-timers who, in the opinion of the command, had proven themselves to be positive, became corporals.
If this intermediate stage (before conferring the rank of “junior sergeant”) dragged on, the corporal increasingly became the target of jokes from his colleagues. Especially if the “snotty one” did not have authority among his comrades. And this often happened, since many soldiers in the Soviet army sought to curry favor and get the coveted badge at any cost, including by currying favor with the command of the unit. Hostility in the team towards the corporal was often provoked by elementary, often subconscious, envy - “this one was able to get “snot” for shoulder straps, but I didn’t, why am I worse?
In the public consciousness, a disdainful attitude towards the corporals of the Soviet army was not cultivated. Suffice it to recall the popular film “The Seven Brides of Corporal Zbruev” with Semyon Morozov in the title role. There, Corporal Kostya Zbruev appears on the cover of the magazine “Skillful Warrior”, Soviet girls are crazy about him, they bombard him with letters. Dembel Kostya selects seven applicants “for pure friendship” and goes to choose. More than once, a demobilized corporal, in his “search-love-research” adventures, finds a way to show army ingenuity and tries to get out of a difficult situation in an extraordinary, but dignified way - he is a Soviet corporal!