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	Private

Marine Corps Private First Class

E-2 Junior Enlisted, U.S. Marine Corps

(Next) E-3 LCpl
Lance Corporal

Marine Corps Ranks » Private First Class Rank • PFC Pay • PFC Rank History

History of the Marine Corps Private First Class Rank

A Private First Class is a Junior Enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at DoD paygrade E-2.

"Private" comes from the medieval "Private Soldier" who either volunteered or was conscripted to go to war, lead by a feudal lord or nobleman. The rank has been in use by the US Army and Marines since their inception.

Want to learn more? Read about the Marine Corps' Private First Class rank on Military-Ranks.org.

History of the Marine Corps

As far back as the Revolutionary War, Marines were known as Naval Infantry, and were assigned to ships to repel boarders, assault land-based targets, and discipline unruly Sailors. In WWI and WWII, Marines very successfully augmented Army units in war theaters throughout the world, with their most brutal and historic fighting on islands in the Pacific. In contrast with the Army, the Marines were not originally made to be self-sufficient to fight land wars for long periods of time. Doctors, Chaplains, and Medics who deploy with Marines are all Navy Sailors.