Can I take an NCO Slot away from someone sitting in it?

2024-07-29T02:18:03-04:00

For context I am an E4 in the National Guard and have been MOSQ'd for over a year and completed BLC (Yeah I know it's not required for the promotion.) There is an E5 sitting in the E6 position who hasn't MOSQ'd in almost 2 years.

Is there anything I could reference for this? I was also recommended to file an IG complaint about this situation.

Response by SPC James Neidig made Jul 29 at 2024 2:49 AM

2024-07-29T02:49:48-04:00

Don’t Go To The IG They Are A Last Resort !
Use Your Chain Of Command First.
But I Can Tell You Most National Guard Units Suffer From The Good Old Boy Syndrome.
If You Have Not Established A Good Reputation As A Reliable Soldier And Get Along With Other Members Of Your Company You Will Not Win This Battle.
Yes You Can Fill A Slot Of An NCO IF Your COC Approves It.
I Was A E-4 Holding An E-6 Slot For About 10 Months In The Guard Until I Got Promoted To SGT .That Was Thanks To The Good Old System That Was Present In My Unit.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 29 at 2024 5:15 AM

2024-07-29T05:15:07-04:00

Why do you feel it's appropriate to boot a SGT out from a SSG Slot so you can go in it simple because you're DMOSQ? A little pretentious, don't you think? What you don't seem to realize is the Commander and 1SG are trying to align the unit positions based on personnel and rank availability. Another thing you may not realize is that the Commander js getting hit on Metrics for any and all Non-DMOSQ folks. Unless that SGT is an absolute shitbag, I'm not going to put a SPC in charge of him (or a whole squad) because of who is MOSQ and who isn't.

I mean, do you know the back story as to why the SGT hasn't been able to go to AIT yet?

But tell you what, before you have a sit down with your Platoon Leadership and Company Leadership over this, go ahead and call IG.

Response by SGM Jeff Mccloud made Jul 29 at 2024 9:14 PM

2024-07-29T21:14:22-04:00

Yes, you can (in the following scenario).
Looks like you are a 12T. Once you reach the top of the promotion list, you can promote into any vacant E5 12T position. If there are none, then you don't.
If, there is no one remaining on the E6 12T promotion list, and you are still first on the E5 12T promotion list, then you can promote to E5 in a valid E6 12T position, to include this one, since the SM is not DMOSQ.

If you are not already number 1 or 2 on the promotion list, I wouldn't waste time fretting about it. Maybe spend that time trying to mentor this E5, find out why he hasn't made it to MOS-T yet, and maybe help him get there.
Which makes your unit better, that's what NCOs do for a living, get an early start on it.

Response by Lt Col Timothy Cassidy-Curtis made Jul 30 at 2024 3:44 PM

2024-07-30T15:44:43-04:00

In some situations, personnel can be "double slotted." That means two people get put into one slot. Units do this in order to better align the personnel with the mission.

Don't worry about who is in the slot for which you are qualified. Ask about it anyway. If you are told "no way" then don't worry. You've been MOSQ'd and everybody will know it. Keep being excellent.

Response by SSG Roger Ayscue made Aug 1 at 2024 1:02 PM

2024-08-01T13:02:59-04:00

Specialist, I would ask you to step back, take a breath, and look at the way you addressed MSG Private RallyPoint Member. Not only is he a Senior Noncommissioned Officer, but he is also a leader in this forum who takes his time to reply to just about every enlisted Soldier who asks a question. I understand your frustration in looking for a path to advancement. I promise you that you will not advance referring to superiors in this manner.
It takes more than school qualifications to be a leader. The inability to express disagreement with a superior in a respectful manner is indicative of immaturity, and lack of readiness to assume a greater leadership position. You are an E4 and He is an E8. Lets say an E1 asked you a question and when you replied the E1 called you "High Speed"? You would loose your shit.
Perhaps, it was frustration that he did not give you an answer that you liked. Regardless, as an NCO you have to be able to bite your tongue and find your words carefully and respectfully. If you speak to your Chain of Command in this manner, this might be why you are not in a leadership position.

Response by SPC Jared Robbins made Feb 3 at 2025 5:48 PM

2025-02-03T17:48:58-05:00

SPC Parke, did you really just call a MSG “high speed”, and then razz him for not picking up what you failed to specify? You might be MOSQd, but you’re lacking a key trait in leadership- HUMILITY.

Response by Sgt Luis Bonilla made Jun 4 at 2025 2:55 PM

2025-06-04T14:55:11-04:00

Quit your crying shut up and do your job your turn will come in the mean time respect and honor those who have become before you

Response by SFC Erin Barnett made Jul 4 at 2025 5:30 PM

2025-07-04T17:30:18-04:00

Do you really think your command is going to put an E4P in an E6 slot? I don't see it happening. Odds are that if the E5 gets removed, there is a E5P sitting somewhere in your state there will get the slot. Does your TO&E go from E4 to E6 with no E5 position? If it does, you will need to change units when an E5 becomes available.

Response by SFC Lee Lane made Jul 6 at 2025 9:52 AM

2025-07-06T09:52:05-04:00

I have no idea why this just showed up on my feed, yet I am very curious how this all turned out. Please enlighten me, did the whining help? Did being disrespectful to the MSG help? Did you file the complaint?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 8 at 2025 1:17 AM

2025-07-08T01:17:44-04:00

11 months late to this party. How did this turn out for you? I’m not National Guard but normally you get promoted out of your current unit when you become an NCO.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 5 at 2025 5:35 AM

2025-08-05T05:35:40-04:00

You know SPC, you seem to have a unusual and total lack of humility. Who says there aren't very god reason(s) to have that E5 in that slot, and for that matter, is it possible you haven't told us part of YOUR story? I can't help but think there's a heck of alot about YOU we don't know. What I know already and has already been asked is why exactly do you feel you should be able to "jump" a whole rank/paygrade simply due to your (probably complete) inability to explain to yourself how your "rival" could be where he is w/o DMOSQ. Me thinks thou doth protest too much, and I wholheartedly agree that you should do a couple years AD to "reframe" your views on this subject. I can tell you for a fact that those who whine about every "little" thing don't make it very far very fast. Just one person's opinion. Good luck with your methods.

Response by SSG James Mielke made Oct 11 at 2025 5:35 PM

2025-10-11T17:35:07-04:00

Okay, High Speed. SPC4, MOSQ, BLC.
Regardless of what limb of the Army tree you are swinging on, two things always matter, Time-in-service and Time-in-grade. As you are not in an Active unit, Time-in-unit also plays into advancement/promotion in AR & NG units because AR and NG members are often in those units for years if not decades. If you are not a good fit, why would they risk unit cohesion? It shouldn't matter, but it does. How much it matters depends on the leadership of the unit.
Other things to consider; has the E5 been through BLC? BLC does not carry the weight in NG units that it does in AR or AD units. Has he been through ALC and just waiting on points for E6? What is his experience? It would seem likely that he has more experience than you do and with that, the Unit's command has more trust in the dependable E5 rather than an upstart E4.

Then there is the matter of the attitude you displayed to an E8.
If you've been stomping your feet around the Armory, openly talking smack about a striped NCO just so you can feel better about yourself; unless the E5 is utterly incompetent, you can probably kiss your chance of bouncing that E5 out of that slot, goodbye.

Response by PFC Aaron Cox made Oct 31 at 2025 4:48 AM

2025-10-31T04:48:32-04:00

Those of us in the lower ranks really have three major jobs. Do what we are told. Stay out of trouble. Not make problems for the people above us. Other than that. It's up to the upper ranks to figure out. Hopefully, they can accomplish this without screwing the junior ranks.

Response by SFC Bryan May made Nov 24 at 2025 11:21 AM

2025-11-24T11:21:17-05:00

First off your in the National Guard where as getting promoted to a NCO takes years. Even if you are MOS’Q. That doesn’t mean squat these day. It only means your qualify for your duty position. Now if you have over 10 years in the Guard that’s a different story. As others have mentioned you needs schools to get the promotion points.