In what order would you prescribe young service members conduct certain career progressing activities?

Agreed. Strive to excel in your current job assignment.......and good opportunities will start coming your way. That has to be the base from which you operate if you want to succeed.

SSgt Gary Andrews - We had a young man who wanted to get into a management role. He seemed to be qualified and could not understand why it was not happening. It was not happening because he felt the job he was in was beneath him and he did not perform well.

In my civilian career......I often saw people who expected promotions based on how long they had been there. They found out the hard way that it mattered more how you spent your time, not how long you sat around doing as little as possible.

Capt Porter Sir I agree with you. That is one of the first things people will notice. Get noticed and the rest will fall into place as time permits.

SGT Joseph Gunderson - I think the difference between officers and NCOs in this area is that 10 level soldiers do t think about this type of thing, they might not be sold on the Army yet. On the officer side, there are discernable legs of the career you focus on. As a LT it is leading a Platoon successfully, getting to Captain, and going to the advanced course. From there it is Company Command. Success as a Company Commander will be a harbinger of your odds for Major. You may have time left over for a nominative assignement, masters, or a cool guy job. Once you are a Major, it is trying to figure out how to get ILE (1yr) and two KD jobs (2yrs) jammed into 5 years before you get boarded for LTC and BN Command. Once you clear that hurdle it is successful BN Command, maybe a nominative job before the SSC and O6 boards.

I imagine each NCO rank presents similar challenges, but I think your first duty station is a phase, especially if it is CONUS. The next phase is your progress to Sergeant and WLC. Then ALC and SSG. Marks the end of points based promotion and the state change to central promotions. The next phase might be to SFC and SLC. The next phase might be to Master Sergeant/First Sergeant. Then it is the Sergeants Major Academy selection. I would say attending the USASMA is a phase by it self. From there it is the CSM/SGM selection board.

LTC Jason Mackay - I think that it also has something to do with the level of mentoring that enlisted soldiers actually get. Almost everything that I learned about the bigger picture of the military or what I needed in order to get ahead in my career I had to seek out and learn about by myself. I think that, because of the way our promotions work, enlisted soldiers are far more focused on their own progression.

SGT Joseph Gunderson - you are your own best career manager. I think as a junior soldier you may have to initiate a conversation with a senior NCO to let them know your intentions. Once that happens, I think mentorship will come a little more frequently.

COL Robert Grierson - agree Sir. Not sure the NCO ranks have the flexibility for nominative/broadening type assignment without risking the critical career development gates for either PME or key and developmental duty positions (SQD, NCOIC, section Chief, PSG, 1SG, Drill Sergeant, Recruiting, enlisted aide)....but that's the point of the card drill, do you have enough time without jamming yourself up.