Does the Air Force promote Airmen too fast?

Im my opinion, no. Whereas the general rule of thumb is: the average active-duty advancement time to Senior Airman (SrA) (E-4) is 3 years, your 'subjective' experience and use of the term 'Professional Airman' exposed a 'secundum quid' fallacy that undermines the need to extend the TIG promotion requirement for SrA beyond this 3 years, especially since the minimum Air Force enlistment period is 4 years, and the average Air Force wide active duty time for promotion to SSgt is 4-plus years.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but according the referenced article, 3 years appears to be the earliest reckoning a SrA may advance to SSgt (E-5) and promotion to SSgt requires 3 years TIS and 6 months TIG [as a SrA]. On an initial enlistment, this requirement leaves a year — or less — to acclimate to new NCO roles and responsibilities, and decide to re-enlist. In other words, fast-tracking to SSgt self-incentivizes aligment with the Air Force's ultimate personnel strategy to promote deserving Junior NCOs to Senior NCOs that demonstrate potential to satisfy future Air Force needs.

Background:

In the Air Force, SrA are in a transition period from a 5 skill-level journeyman Senior Airmen (SrA-E-4) to a 7 skill-level craftsman Junior NCOs (SSgt-E-5). The Air Force defines a should-be 'Professional Airman' that is worthy of being a SSgt as SrA that have: 1) developed supervisory and leadership skills through Professional Military Experience and individual study, 2) conducted themselves IAW established standards, 4) provided a positive influence and example for their subordinates and peers, and 4) presented an image of competence, integrity, and pride.

REF: http://www.military.com/air-force/enlisted-ranks.html#jr-enlisted-ranks

There's no chance unless tech school is 36 months? Sounds crazy.

This statement is not correct. An airman through the door as an E-1 doesn't make E-4 until 3 years TIS assuming he or she doesn't get promoted below the zone. Other branches promote much faster than Air Force. I've seen E-5s and 6s in Army and MC with far less time than the average for AF. This assumption is simply wrong.

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.

I attended a SNCO induction seminar back in '03 and one of the guest speakers was the PACAF/CCM CMSgt McKinley. A TSgt complained about the same thing, that the AF permitted to many to fast and most didn't have the experience to lead. Chief's response still sticks with me: "So what are you doing about it besides bitching and complaining? How many of these inexperienced and not ready NCO's have you taken under your wing and mentored until they were effective leaders?" The AF promotes to future potential.

I had all my schools and training requirements and had airman catching up and bypassing me in rank because they were in the commander's click (drinking buddies) and I wasn't.

I served in the AF Security Service 1954-1958. Korean war was winding down and AF was downsizing so rank in the surplus career fields were frozen. My career field was expanding as the USAFSS was formed in 1951 and was still recruiting and training a command that's core was still the old army air force that transited into the newly formed USAF. Despite that, it took me 3 years to make E-4 and E-5 was only available as an inducement for another 4 year enlistment. If the time in grade requirements for advancement has not changed, I assume that a person could advance rapidly if his command officer felt the candidate was exceptionally well qualified which would place him/her ahead of all qualified candidates on the promotion roster.

I think it's a double-edged sword. TIG at the junior enlisted is too fast. TIG at the junior NCO level can be so long it's demoralizing. It was for me. Almost made it seem like busting my ass wasn't worth it. Other people just waited it out (some not all). I got out at 8 because I saw the future (or more specifically, didn't see a future) and thought I could do better outside. While getting out was a mistake for many reasons, pay was not one of them.

Sounds like the original author is whining about his own slow promotion rates. If he was a squared away NCO he'd take his younger Airmen and provide them mentorship and leadership. I always encouraged my Airmen to study hard, save money, plan for the future, earn a college degree, and set them up for the next USAF step. From young Airmen to seasoned SNCOs, we can all learn from those above and below us, however, too many above us are the plugs in the system who block progress. Lead, follow, or get out of the way--this is how the AF is doing it; if you don't like it, get promoted and change it.

In my day as an Airman, we weren't promoted to Senior Airman until we hit our 3rd year mark (Sept 1989). By the time I had joined the Air Guard (Oct 1992) the AF/DOD had done away with Buck Sergeant. Although in that time period (and I guess even now) if a person had a minimum of an Assoc. Degree coming out of Basic they were promoted to Amn1st class (E-3). BUT I believe they wore that until the proper promotion time until SrA... again 3rd year. They just got the E-3 pay while the rest of us went through the "proper" TIS/TIG. I can't say anything about the current active duty setup. Air Guard is based on promotable slots in the shop/squadron. Most guaranteed slots were up to E-5, but you still had to accomplish the CDCs for PME and career field, etc. prior to a slot opening up. You just didn't have to test for a line number like the active side did/does.