Re: US Army ground forces tech ranks, who got it among combat infantrymen? Did it mean extra pay? No command responsibility but more supervisory?
In the Infantry Rifle Company there was 1 T/3 (Technical Sergeant) each in the three Rifle Platoons and the Weapons Platoon HQ. He typically was the Communications Sergeant and supervised the radios and field telephones. There were two T/4 and four T/5. One T/4 was the Company Cook, one T/5 was the Company Armorer, one T/5 was the Assistant Cook, and the last two T/5 were the HQ Driver's. Yes, the reason for the rank was to give them a higher pay grade...they were paid like Corporals, Sergeants, and Staff Sergeants, but did not have the command authority, since they had technical tasks. Of course, in reality those distinctions frequently became blurred.
Bill Mauldin didn't think too highly of tech ranks, or the delusions of grandeur those ranks conferred on some soldiers who held them.
I talked to Mr. Sanford about this when we were working on the book. He agreed that they were not intended to exercise command, other than with men within their command group, but in actuality, there was little to difference to junior men. He said that they didn't go trying to throw their weight around, but when problems arose, all the men tended to look at the man with the most stripes on their arms, regardless of that little T.
