<P> In the United States Marine Corps , the rank of Private First Class is the second lowest , just under Lance Corporal and just above Private , equivalent to NATO grade OR - 2 , being pay grade E-2 . It was established on June 3 , 1916 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 US Army 2nd Infantry Division ) . At the time the two ranks were directly equivalent . However , since 1968 when the US Army redesignated the E-3 paygrade as PFC ( eliminating lance corporal ) and created two grades of Private ( PVT and PV2 ) , the USMC rank of PFC is one grade lower ( E-2 ) than the similarly titled US Army rank . Enlistees that complete United States Marine Corps Recruit Training and had obtained the rank of Young Marine sergeant or above in the Young Marines , will graduate from USMC Recruit Training with the rank of PFC . </P>
<P> In the United States Marine Corps , the rank of Private First Class is the second lowest , just under Lance Corporal and just above Private , equivalent to NATO grade OR - 2 , being pay grade E-2 . It was established on June 3 , 1916 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 US Army 2nd Infantry Division ) . At the time the two ranks were directly equivalent . However , since 1968 when the US Army redesignated the E-3 paygrade as PFC ( eliminating lance corporal ) and created two grades of Private ( PVT and PV2 ) , the USMC rank of PFC is one grade lower ( E-2 ) than the similarly titled US Army rank . Enlistees that complete United States Marine Corps Recruit Training and had obtained the rank of Young Marine sergeant or above in the Young Marines , will graduate from USMC Recruit Training with the rank of PFC . </P>
what rank is private first class in the marines
what rank is private first class in the marines
second lowest , just under Lance Corporal and just above Private , equivalent to NATO grade OR - 2 , being pay grade E-2
second lowest , just under Lance Corporal and just above Private , equivalent to NATO grade OR - 2 , being pay grade E-2