E6 in 3 years? Is there such thing as making rank too soon?

wow that is fast. I was a grunt crew chief with 2 stripes letting a two star general know the plane could not fly that day or if it could. I went max limiits for E4 before being disabled line of duty in my 6th year. NCO books in hand. An oddity was, I started in air force before a big command change on refueling jets. I left off at thorough 5 level and written as SGT in my education record. Ended up with two AFSC for the same job. Everyone knew me as a Senior airman. My sister flew to E8 in her 30s... still enlisted today. That contrast just adds another strange line on my face. that big void called experience can only reveal a clown when push comes to shove.

I was selected E6 in four years and pinned it on in five. If you excel

Did he meet TIS requirements?

I felt like I was going through ranks quite fast. Joined the Army as an E-2 in May 2015. Promotion waiver to E-3 in January 2016. Promotion waiver to E-4 in December 2016. Alls quite in 2017. Promotion boards in February to early March 2018 (didn't pass). BLC mid-March to late April 2018 (graduated). More promotion boards after BLC. Still didn't pass. Could have made E-5 three years since I joined. Ended up getting out in October 2018. If the promotion board was MOS-specific, I likely would have been better prepared and more likely to stay in. Probably the same for most everyone else.

Yes and no. I've someone make to E-7 in 8 years and E-8 in 13 years. He was one of the very few that handled the quick promotions well. Most however did not. I've seen E-7s & E-8s with less than 12 years of service that couldn't even read a map! I got more out of E-4s than these two NCOs. It depends on the individuals.

I made E-5 in just under 3 years in the Vietnam Era. But in all honesty it was to entice me to re-up. It has been my position that officers are too young to command. I think it should be a requirement to serve in the Regulars for a minimum of 2 years before being allowed to be commissioned either through the Academy, ROTC, or OCS. This way, they have a taste of military life...have some discipline and maturity and possibly experienced something about leadership and what makes a good leader. These kids right out of high school, then enter the acadamies or ROTC really don't have a concept of the military. Look at what the acadamies have become...high drop out rates, and the swelled head of being a ring knocker.

There's no obvious answer to this question; some folks will be mature enough to handle the higher rank at an early age, some folks may never grow up enough to do so. This, btw, is just as true for officers as EMs. It's really up to the chain of command to assess a person's readiness for the next step up.

The short answer is yes, there is such a thing as making rank to soon (fast)! Speed is no substitute for experience, in fact the old adage speed kills is no truer than when it comes to making rank faster than amassing the experience to go with that rank. I have seen many Army NCOs make E-6 without really ever "leading" or taking care of soldiers. When the time comes and they are pushed into it they are completely out of their depth and it requires higher level support.

I think it depends on the circumstances and the individual in question. Fast-tracked promotions can be a good thing for individuals who are quick learners and are dedicated to being top-tier leaders. On the other hand, giving NCO stripes to individuals who still think and act like junior-enlisted will inevitably have disastrous results on the unit's morale and readiness.

I met a Staff Sergeant when I was stationed in Germany. I forgot when she was promoted, but I first met her in 1988. She went to ANOC, the same time I went to BNCOC, which was January-March 2000. There are different ways to look at that, but in SSG Taylor's case, no.