Any advice for a career SPC with nothing to feel proud of?

Mon, 29 May 2023 23:40:57 -0400

I've served in the national guard for almost 10 years. I joined after college in attempt to be an officer, but I dropped out of OCS. I continued my service after being forced into my current MOS, which was quite small and has almost no opportunity for advancement. I'll be 33 when I ETS, and I've never been promoted as I came in as an E4. My unit never really supported me in anything. I was activated for about a year to work on the US/Mexican border, but it wasn't anything special. I don't feel proud of my service even though I am considered a "protected veteran" based on the campaign badge I received. I feel like a failure, especially compared to many service members who have E5 and higher at much younger ages than myself, or veterans who are my age who were E6 when they got out. I feel ashamed to mention my service to anyone, as they judge how little I did, how little I achieved. I don't even mention it on my resume because of how ashamed I feel about it. I joined the military to gain experience, to gain confidence, to achieve something, to make my life feel worthy. And the only thing the Army ever made me feel was inadequate for never achieving the same as my peers.

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made May 30 at 2023 12:09 AM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Tue, 30 May 2023 00:09:45 -0400

Are there any opportunities to switch MOS/billet or volunteer for a detail or anything? Basically anything to put you out there to shake things up and also to make you more visible to the command? Doing things isn’t enough. You have to be seen doing things to stick out.

You are serving honorably and that in itself is enough to let you hold your head high. Don’t be ashamed of your service

Response by SPC James Neidig made May 30 at 2023 1:35 AM

SPC James Neidig — Tue, 30 May 2023 01:35:06 -0400

Do Not Feel Ashamed Of Your Service ! You Are Serving Your Country , I Was A Sgt In The Guard And Took A Reduction To Spc To Go Active Duty At 38 , I Also Had 6 Years Active Duty In The Marines Prior To Going Guard, Have You Thought Of That Route ?
Another Option Is To Look Into Another Guard Unit With Different MOS Options, You May Have To Move To Be Closer To That Unit.
I Hope You Find A Solution To Your Situation And Not Be Disgruntled With Service In The Army !

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 30 at 2023 9:49 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 30 May 2023 09:49:56 -0400

It is not uncommon to feel like this. I have felt like this at times even though I have a very storied record of service. A lot of us still struggle with the thought we could have done more. When you are in the Guard and a low density MOS there really isn't much of a chance to excel compared to a lot of your peers. The best you can do is what you can do. What I mean is that you can't blame yourself for not being able to excel when there is not opportunity.

Now for the elephant in the room. When you dropped of OCS you set yourself back. You give up on a great opportunity. You should really look into going back. I read a lot of Friedrich Nietzsche. Suffering with a purpose is a good thing. Suffering with no purpose is dangerous. You need to try things that are hard. When you dropped out of OCS you set yourself back. You have to decide that you can do more by preparing yourself. You just don't wake up and find yourself as a success. When I was in the Guard I was able to go to Ranger and Pathfinder. In both courses I had to make sure I was ready. As an M-Day Soldier Ranger was very tough but I went prepared and I was successful. If you want to succeed you need a goal. You should go back to OCS and endure the challenges. When you look back you will appreciate it.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made May 30 at 2023 12:05 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 30 May 2023 12:05:15 -0400

Friend, here's my short response: own it.

Sure, there is an argument to be made that you weren't as high speed, low-drag as others, or as high speed as you personally could have been, but so what? You were medium-speed, some-drag. That still counts as service. You served. You did 10 years. No one can take that from you. Don't let them.

Along the same lines, you know what I say to the grunts who question my combat deployment because it was a typical, easy, POG tour? "Sorry your deployment sucked. Mine was great."

Long answer: I'm sending you a PM. I'd like to share with you some advice and maybe even a few resources, if that's alright. I think this question is very important for you and I have some wisdom to offer. I have been shown, by many mentors over many years, how the stereotypical vision of success in our military is often hollow and immature. There's a robust discussion to be had about what achievement really means for us Soldiers. Hint: rank has little to do with it!

Response by A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney made May 30 at 2023 12:47 PM

A1C Medrick "Rick" DeVaney — Tue, 30 May 2023 12:47:45 -0400

I Spot A Communications Issue Caused By A Lack Of Education.
Not That He Didn't Go To College, But Failed To Get An Education While There.
If Your Unit Never Supported You, My Money Says "They Had Good Reason".
I Don;t Know The Whole Story, But I'll Further Wager, "You Really Pixxed Off Somebody".
And Dropping Out Of O.C.S, Isn't Exactly A Favor In Your Direction.....
To Have Some Pride In Yourself, You Need To DO Something To BE Proud Of.
You Fell On Your Azz Time After Time. And You Think THEY Have A Problem...?
Perhaps You May Wish To Peak At My Bio... I'm What You Might Refer To
"A Successful 8th GRADE DROP OUT". I Enlisted In The USAF, ON My 17th Birthday.....
I Have NO Sympathy For You At All, Cauz' Ya Ain't Done Sh*t With Any Success;
Because, Obviously, You Haven't Tried Hard Enough Or You'd Have Succeeded By Now.
WTF's The Matter With You?: Poor Potty Training?......
.GROW UP And STOP Feeling Sorry For Yourself......
You CAN Be Successful, But Do You Really WANT To? ~ It Sure Doesn't Appear So.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 30 at 2023 2:39 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 30 May 2023 14:39:20 -0400

OK................ here I go.

You are in a position to make FULL BIRD COL and could have 15 years TIS before I enlisted myself and started from zero.

I suggest taking the ETS and jumping to the USAR ASAP. A peer of mine just made CPT after 9 years as 1LT, but he came from the NG, so I get it.

The Army is a very low bar in life. The pathways from E1-E7 and W1-W4 and O1-O5 are basically very straight forward. I'm not saying it's "easy", but it is right there for us to reach out and grab.

Having a degree is literally the most complicated part of the process, and it checks the biggest hurdle for most folks. Now, there are physical and mental challenges of various pathways that are harder in the army, but none of them burn up 4 years of focus, time, and financial resources.

************
Story time:
When I was in AIT there was a SPC reclass in my class. He changed MOS's to stay in and reenlist. Later, I crossed paths with him again when I was kin Korea for my Annual Training. He was still a SPC, and I was a 2LT.

So between that time where he and I separated from AIT graduation I was an Intel SPC, was turned down for my first direct commission packet, then promoted to SGT (now 2+ years TIS), then applied for direct commission again, was shortly deployed thereafter for 9 months, selected for direct commission at the end of my deployment, took 6 months for the commission to finalize, transferred to the Quartermaster Branch, and then sent to Korea for my first Annual Training as a new 2LT, and stumbled upon the guy as we changed shifts during the exercise.

SPC in my eyes is the rank everyone can camp out at and just coast if they want. I've never felt poorly about SPC's, being a PFC or lower when one ETS's raises my eyebrow. If all you want is the job, then that's fine.

So if you want to camp out at SPC then that's fine. Perform to the pay check. That's how I delt with arrogant NCO's that loved outranking me with all my education and age.

SPC is kind of a protected rank depending on how you look at it. Once one is an NCO things get tracked and iPerm'd in NCOERs. E1-E4 is a rank one can literally go up and down in and then decide to get one's act together and your history doesn't really follow you.

SPC is really an under appreciated rank :-)

The flag that's flown on veterans day is the same flag flown for the E4 that scrambles eggs in the DFAC as it is the Navy Seal that put a bullet in Bin Ladin's head.

For the outsiders simply wearing the uniform is what many day dream of. Of course little do they know of the nonsense that comes with it.

***********
But I'm really holding back what I want to lay into.

You have a degree.
You've been activated.
You've been in 10 years.

Come on man, fill out the forms, packets, etc..., stay green medically and physically. SFC and LTC pathways are right there in front of you.

************
The turn over in the Army is so high don't expect the system to do anything for you once you are out of TRADOC. That is all the system wants (qualified minions to do tasks and keep the machine moving forward). It doesn't care if you never advance beyond that. It lays out the bread crumbs, but you still have to pick them up.

Response by SGM Jeff Mccloud made May 30 at 2023 6:09 PM

SGM Jeff Mccloud — Tue, 30 May 2023 18:09:41 -0400

First, you serve so you are one up on 99.96% of Americans who don't serve today, and 93% of all Americans who never served at all. You did, and still do.

You're in a tough MOS for Guard. I am in a large state and we only have 9 total jobs for 15E:
5 x E4
2 X E5
1 x E6
1 X E7
That's not a formula for career advancement, it's a formula to stagnate.
It's just not smart to stay in an MOS like that, unless you love the MOS and don't care about career advancement (still not smart, but folks like what they like).
My state has over 380 E4s with 5 to 21 years in grade today, and in every MOS that is easy to promote in, it happens.

The guy that came in and made E5 ahead of you did not screw you out of promotion, he just had more points.
If you were to reclass and promote, you wouldn't be screwing someone out of promotion, you just have more points.
So, assuming you already have DLC1 complete, and maybe BLC, get your DL classes, IWQ and PT points maxed out, and reclass to an MOS that you state has hundreds of. And as soon as you promote, get DLC2 and ALC done immediately so that you are fully eligible again as soon as you hit time in grade.
Or go back to OCS.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 31 at 2023 12:20 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 31 May 2023 00:20:47 -0400

My two cents: I first joined the USAR in 1993 as a PV1 with the MOS of 91B (68W). I went all the way to SPC in 1995 and then went Active Duty in 1996 as a 12B. I spent the next 2.5 years not getting promoted. I reclassed back to Medic and went to Germany. I ETS'd in 2003 as a SPC. 5.5 years later (late 2008), I rejoined the USAR as a 68S (Preventive Medicine). I was able to keep my SPC. I went from SPC to MSG in about 14 years. You are in a low density MOS fighting for extremely limited slots within your State.

Your COAs as I see them:
1) Go Active Duty with a different MOS. One that you are highly interested in and has great movement for promotions.
2) Look to other States to see what they have available in your MOS and submit an IST (Interstate Transfer). The downside to this is that you could end up still stagnate.
3) Go to the Reserves, as our promotions are not limited by the State we are in. Again, pick an MOS that you are interested in and has good/great promotion rates. The caveat to this COA is that promotions are based on where slots are available and how far you're willing to travel for Battle Assembly. For example, let's say you're in a unit with NO SGT slots (for whatever MOS), but let's say there is a Reserve unit 100 miles away from your HOR that has an open SGT slot (for what ever MOS), but you are only willing to travel 75 miles. You will NOT see a promotion. The downside to this is travel expenses. You would need to pay for your travel, but you can be reimbursed up to $500.00 from the IDT funds. Personally, for each promotion, going to SGT all the way to MSG, I always put 3000 miles willing to travel on my mileage preference form.

IMHO, I recommend either going Reserves or going Active Duty.