 In 1951, the Enlisted pay grades were reversed, with the "1st grade" being the lowest enlisted grade and the "7th grade" being the highest.The Army rank of Sergeant Major was not restored until 1958, with the addition of the "super grades" of E8 (First Sergeant & Master Sergeant) and E9 (Sergeant Major).The rating (not rank) of specialist had the command responsibilities of either a private first class or private, but conveyed slightly higher pay depending on the specialty and skill.