E6 in 3 years? Is there such thing as making rank too soon?

Righteous man

Obviously a lesson well learned. Well done.

I was never promoted early, and looking back, that was for the best. I actually got a late E-3 to E-4 promotion. I was at Fort Carson in my unit, things were going well, I'd have made E-4 on time EASILY, then.... PCS orders came in, sending me to Korea just before my 26 month eligibility. And the unit I was in in Korea, although it was military intelligence and not a direct combat unit, those guys were all excited about being so close to North Korea and were way too hardcore for their own good. So someone like me, who was a bit too immature and laid back, didn't fit in well. I did my job well, but my interpersonal skills were below average to say the least. I was also not the type to spend every weekend in bars getting drunk, as were a lot of my co-workers. I ended up not making E-4 until 32 months, and even then it was only because it showed up on my monthly LES statement. They were all the "HOOAH HOOAH HOOAH" type, I was more like "Yeah, hooah, whatever".

Good post, Sweeny. Quick promotion is worn well when coupled with a sense of humility and gratitude.

PO2 Henry Kaczmarek - could not agree more. A new officer that wants to learn and excel quickly finds and latches on to some good NCOs... while maintaining that officer/enlisted relationship. It helps the NCOs out as well. They're mentors to everyone. They have an obligation to share what they have learned. This isn't necessary and often backfires with warrant officers - especially Marine ones. LOL. You don't really need to teach those folks anything.

I think Col Burroughs is right about case by case judgement. Some people have rabis some don't. If you do make rank fast you must have the good sense to figure out how to survive and learn from the best.

This is an example of getting rank fast. In the AF medical core and I think all the branches are the same, promote rapidly. My daughter joined the reserves, then went to medical school with the AF paying her way. She got promoted to Captain while in the reserves. We got to put the bars on. So reporting for active duty she had no idea how to act as an officer. She was lost just trying to process in! One airman seeing that she was up set tried to help her. She was saying "this is my first day!" First day at Kessler" he replied" "No !, my first day in the AF" . I told her the after my 21 years enlisted in the AF the best thing for her to so was find a mature E 5 and ask what she should do. I also told her to take care of her people. Everything seemed to work out ok for her.

Need to separate the eggheads and make statements

1SG George Truelove - Right on, 1SG! I believe that the Army made a huge mistake in eliminating the Specialist (E5 and up) ranks, and, they should bring them back. There are many enlisted who do not want to be a NCO!

MSG Donna Dewar - Good point, MSG. My Army was self-reliant, with very few "civilian" jobs. I believe that having many occupations filled with civilians will turn around some day and cripple the Services. We need the Draft, back!

SPC Edward Abney - I agree with MSG Dewar. I was a Spec-5 for 6 years because I did not want the responsibility of being an NCO. I loved my job repairing HAWK System equipment, getting my hands dirt was what I liked. When I made SSG most of that changed. I still got down and dirty but not near as much as I liked.

I was a kiddie cruiser in 1965 and the E-6 bosun mate was also a kiddie cruiser and was under 21 years old. The older lower rank petty officer tried to undermine his authority