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Private comes from the Latin word privus or perhaps privo that meant an individual
person and later an individual without (deprived of) an office. That certainly
describes a Private in our Army or Marine Corps. The term as a military rank
seems to come from the Sixteenth Century when individuals had the privilege of
enlisting or making private contracts to serve as private soldiers in military units.
Before the Sixteenth Century many armies were simply feudal levies in which the
feudal lords forced their serfs or subjects to serve.
In the U.S. Army, Private refers to the two lowest enlisted ranks, just below Private
First Class. The lowest rank (officially known as Private E-1 and sometimes
referred to as recruit) wears no uniform insignia, while the second (Private E-2)
wears the insignia shown here. Advancement to the higher version of private (with
insignia) is currently automatic after six months time in service, but may get
shortened to four months if given a waiver (but an automatic pay raise takes effect
after four months of service, even absent advancement to Private E-2, meaning
that the rank of Private E-1 has two separate pay grades).
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