Editing Private first class (section)

==United States==

===United States Army===

In the [[United States Army]], recruits usually enter service as a [[Private (rank)#United States Army|private]] in pay grade E-1. Private (E-2), designated by a single chevron, is typically an automatic promotion after six months of service. Private first class (E-3), equivalent to [[NATO]] grade OR-3, is designated by a single chevron with one arc or "rocker," and is more common among soldiers who have served in the U.S. Army for one year or more. Soldiers who have achieved an [[associate degree]] or its equivalent are entitled to enter the Army at this pay grade.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r601_210.pdf|title=Site Moved}}</ref> Advancement from private first class is to [[Specialist (rank)#United States Army|specialist]] (E-4); advancement to [[Corporal#United States Army|corporal]] (also at the E-4 pay grade) requires that the soldier also complete the [[Basic Leader Course]] (BLC), the first course of study in a [[Noncommissioned officer#United States|US Army noncommissioned officer]]'s professional development course.<ref name= venhuizen >[https://www.armytimes.com/2021/06/07/all-soldiers-must-now-serve-as-corporals-before-promotion-to-sergeant/ Harm Venhuizen (7 Jun 2021) All soldiers must now serve as corporals before promotion to sergeant]</ref> Thus, in order to qualify for leadership posts such as team leader, the soldier must have first served as a corporal; a team leader is nominally a sergeant (E-5).

The rank of private first class has existed since 1846<ref>{{Cite web|title = A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1875|url = https://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=llsl&fileName=009/llsl009.db&recNum=39|website = memory.loc.gov|access-date = 2016-02-18}}</ref> and, prior to 1919, its insignia consisted of the branch of service insignia without any arcs or chevrons. The Secretary of War approved "an arc of one bar" (i.e., a "rocker") under the branch of service or trade insignia for privates first class on 22 July 1919. From August 5, 1920, to May 28, 1968, the rank insignia for private first class was a single chevron, per War Department Circular No. 303. On May 28, 1968, the insignia was changed to its current form, consisting of a single chevron with one arc.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Rank_page/History_of_Enlisted_Ranks.htm |title=History of Enlisted Ranks |author=United States Army Institute of Heraldry |year=2006 |publisher=United States Army |access-date=December 31, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231145748/http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Rank_page/History_of_Enlisted_Ranks.htm |archive-date=December 31, 2006 }}</ref>

===United States Marine Corps===

In the [[United States Marine Corps]], the rank of private first class is the second lowest, just under [[Lance corporal#Marine Corps|lance corporal]] and just above [[Private (rank)|private]], equivalent to [[ranks and insignia of NATO armies enlisted|NATO grade]] OR-2, being pay grade E-2. It was established on July 1, 1918,<ref>40stat714</ref> to match the already existing Army rank, primarily because US Marine units were "often called upon to serve" with US Army organizations, such as in the [[American Expeditionary Force]] that served in Europe during [[World War I]] (e.g. 4th Marine Brigade of the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division). At the time the two ranks were directly equivalent. However, the USMC rank of PFC is one grade lower (E-2) than the similarly titled US Army rank.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/estimatessubmit00affagoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/estimatessubmit00affagoog/page/n266 240]|quote=secretary of the navy private first class 1918.|title=Hearings Before Committee on Naval Affairs of the House of Representatives, on Estimates Submitted by the Secretary of the Navy, 1918|first1=United States Congress House Committee on Naval|last1=Affairs|first2=Lemuel Phillips|last2=Padgett|date=1 January 1918|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>