Marine Rank Structure

Listed ranks pertaining to Foxtrot Platoon

Officer
[O-2] First Lieutenant(1stLt) - 1stLt is the next rank carried by officers. First Lieutenants are more experienced than Second Lieutenants and are therfore placed in more difficult positions such as leaders of specialized platoons or Executive Officers of a Company or a Staff Officer at the battalion level. Promotion to First Lieutenant is usually an automatic one.

[O-1] Second Lieutenant(2ndLt) - 2ndLt is the entry level rank for Officers in the Marine Corps having just completed their Officers training. Second Lieutenants are usually given a platoon to command with an experienced Staff or Gunnery Sergeant to assist them.

NCO
[E-7] Gunnery Sergeant(GySgt) - A Gunnery Sergeant is an experienced Staff NCO that work at levels between platoon and company. Gunnery Sergeants are usually put in charge of Reconnaissance Platoons or Weapons Platoons because of the needed experience. Otherwise they are staffed to jobs at a company level. Gunnery sergeants serving as platoon sergeants perform essentially the same duties as staff sergeant platoon sergeants, with the additional responsibility of supervising other staff non-commissioned officers

[E-6] Staff Sergeant(SSgt) - Staff Sergeant is a Platoon Sergeant and in some cases, squad level rank. Staff Sergeants are staff NCOs and act as leaders and advisers to Officers, most notably Platoon Leader Lieutenants. Staff Sergeants are also responsible for NCOs under them and making sure they do their jobs to lead the marines under their command. This rank is addressed as Staff Sergeant

[E-5] Sergeant(Sgt) - Sergeant is the standard rank for leaders of small units in the Marine Corps. In typical marine units they lead squads or elements and are responsible for the well being and discipline of the marines in their small units. Sergeants are proven NCOs and considered the backbone of the corps. They are addressed as Sergeant

Enlisted
[E-4] Corporal(Cpl) - Corporal is the entry rank for Non Commissioned Officers. Marines with this rank have been identified to possess leadership potential. Corporals lead an element or, more usually, act as Assistant Element Leaders.

[E-3] Lance Corporal(LCpl) - Lance Corporal is the senior most junior enlisted rank. This rank is given to longer serving and experienced Marines who have mastered their specialization. Marines must become a Lance Corporal to be considered for an NCO position and can act in an NCOs place if needed.

[E-2] Private First Class(Pfc) - Private First Class is a rank awarded to Pv2s by their unit command for standard dedicated service in the Marine Corps and passing Basic and Marine Combat Training.

[E-1] Private - Private is a recruit rank usually meant only for marines who are currently training. If marines go straight from basic training/MCT to a more advanced school like Reconnaissance, they will keep the rank until they are complete.