Does the Air Force promote Airmen too fast?

IMO promotions for some come to fast. If you are a test taker you can make rank quickly but have not learned how to be an effective NCO. For the record, I am very much old school (1966-1991, retired MSgt). I saw many young people get promoted before they were ready to assume the duties of an NCO and especially SNCO status. Most eventually grew into the position with another SNCO providing mentorship along the way. Some never made it. As always, it depends on the person.

There are 3 secrets to successful promotion testing:
1) study: Study (READ) your PFE materials. The answers to test questions come just about word for word out of there.
2) Study: STUDY ALL of your SKT materials. Just because you're good at YOUR job, it doesn't mean you know all there is to know about ALL of the job.
3) STUDY: Study your TEST when you take it. Get a feel for how the questions are asked and where the questions seem to concentrate.
It took me a few years to break the "code" but I shot up through the ranks after that. People get promoted quickly in all the services. They learn to lead from those who mentor them. Be a mentor, share your experience (good and bad)...they'll learn from it.

So what happens when everyone breaks the code and promotes extremely early at the same time all the experienced mentors retire? I'll tell you...they don't get the training and experience they need to preform the duties required. This has a systematic effect on the younger generations looking to them for guidance and receiving horrible advice. This is the current status of our Air Force but how do we correct this? I say we stop giving away E3 for signing up 6 yrs, it's not necessary anymore. We also should bring back time in grade points because they matter! We should also get rid of this "up or out" mentality. If someone is comfortable being a SrA or SSgt for 20 yrs let them do it!!! We need skilled technicians and not everyone is cut out to be a leader. These changes might help get us back on track. Rant over.

CMSgt Mickey Wright - Sorry Chief I didn't see where the person was complaining about not getting promoted but by the lack of experience to be a higher position. I already posted about the years I was so I'll let you look at that. However I remember some people who got promoted quickly who where book smart, but when it came to applying it they couldn't and they really caused a lot harm.
Also has it changed on how many can can get promoted. When I was in, it depended on field you were in. I was in field at the time where there where no pipe line students rank started at E-4, however for the first 5 years I was in that filed one had to get almost ace the test to get promoted ( due to the time in grade, Time in service, awards and decs. and of course performance reports.) Also truly disagree with you, there are those due know the material yet have a hard time taking test.
Since getting out decades ago, went to college, found out I was ADHD, back then it was not talked about much. Bottom line, I learn how control my ADHD and take test, to the point I even kept a I was on the honors list.

MAJ (Join to see) - in my experience even when we are given a leadership position, CPL is more of a show rank than anything meaningful, they still get treated as a specialist by their superiors and hung out to dry like an NCO when they mess up.

Too true sir, too true

Think I was an E-4 for ever. Back when it had E-4 Senior Airman and E-4 Sgt. One was non-NCO the other was NCO

Used to be the slowest, but not sure if that's the case anymore. While many complain about fast promotions, no one is talking about why these promotions are possible. We must have some serious retention problems in the mid-NCO ranks for 50+ percent to get promoted every year. If we don't fix this problem, the trend will continue.

He said graduating tech school as an E1

Fun story, coming from Shaw as a CE guy 7 years they put forced air ventilation at Shaw, and that thing is constantly broke. If you have not been there in recent years, they have really been transforming Sumter and the base has undergone huge developments IMO, minus the flight line area.

Best post I seen on the subject.

Sounds like the Navy except for the fund part. Duty stations and manning didn't matter. I had jobs that could have been done by someone four paygrades below mine and assignments that were normally filled by commissioned officers.

You cant really compare the ANG/Reserve side to AD as far as promotions go. The promotion system is different and has to be due to the nature of the beast. The ANG is even different from the Reserves. When I was in the ANG, we never did EPR's, so promotions were more based on meeting minimum qualifications and if they liked you. On the Reserve side, its a matter of open slots. Its fairly easy to get promoted up to SSgt. After that, people tend to stay where they are at and open positions are hard to find. At the SNCO level, its much tougher due to the lack of positions.

Thanks for providing a thoughtful, logical, well thought out and supported answer. I love me some SMSgts. I hope you make chief sir.

Great info put out on this. Having never been in the ANG I cannot speak to how they work...it is a very different beast. I can speak to the TR and IMA side having spent time in both components of the ARC.
Keep in mind in addition to TIG requirements PME requirements are still in place for ARC. So you may be a TSgt in a MSgt billet, but if you don't have NCOA completed you won't be promoted. Overages can be authorized to promote one grade above the authorized grade. As for the billets, in my experience it is like applying for a job. Unlike AD who tests and/or boards for promotion, if a position opens in the ARC you submit a resume and possibly go through an interview...depends on the hiring authority. Once selected promotion can happen very quickly.

yea I saw my spelling error after I posted it, but could not figure out how to edit

I corrected it for you TSgt (Join to see)!

MSgt (Join to see) - thanks

I retired from the AF in 96 and those were my observations as well. The counterpoint is that it appeared to be a lot more difficult to lose rank in the AF as well when compared with other services. However times have changed and per at least one comment here promotions may have been "accelerated" by combat losses and attrition. I noted casualty lists from Iraq and Afghanistan included many Ssgts, TSgts and MSgts. Napolean recognized the inestimable value of his NCOs and this had to be a concern for the military.