Posted on Aug 21, 2016
E6 in 3 years? Is there such thing as making rank too soon?
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My older brother was one of the youngest Chiefs in the Navy in the early 60s. He had a specialty that only one other guy had and was ready to muster out. They offered him 30 grand to re-up but he said if the Navy could arrange for him to take the Chiefs test, he would re-up. Pass or fail. They did and he passed!
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Time in grade should be a commanders decision based on the soldiers performance during the time in grade required for promotion. I made E-5 twice in 1945 and Colonel once in 1970.At age 94 I am blessed with good health and numerous opportunities to provide a free transition service to Military Engineers in transition or whoever comes my way. [login to see]
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COL Carl Jensen
I can never thank the WWII guys enough, you were my heroes as a kid. I attended a couple of WW II reunions as a teen. I met General Bolte at one, he encouraged me to go OCS when I graduated from college, since my school didn't have ROTC. I did manage to go OCS after I ended up drafted. I joined the active Reserves after I was discharged and they sent me through their program. The rest was a total of 31 yrs of mixed military adventure.
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SFC Luis Colon
Sir
Thank you for opening the path for future generations of Soldiers and leaders, I know I had opened a few doors also but not compared as WWII veterans did
Thank you for opening the path for future generations of Soldiers and leaders, I know I had opened a few doors also but not compared as WWII veterans did
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Maybe. I don't know for certain because I made rank way too late (not my fault). BUT, I've seen a number of enlisted soldiers who shouldn't have made rank as quickly as they did, nor were they ready for the duty positions they were given. But I assume they knew the right people because they didn't get reduced. And no one seemed to care that they kept failing, other than the troops they were letting down..
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I made E8 in 20 years, 1953-73, Started AGR in ‘73 as E8. In’76 took a reduction in rank W/O preg to E7, promoted back to E8 in ‘79 till I retired in November 30, 1993, when I bace 60 yrs old..
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Yes, you can be promoted to soon. I have been retired for over 30 years and things may have changed for example I though there was a set number of years of service to get promoted? again it may just be that things have changed in the 32 years that I have been retired. CSM Sweeney I commend you. SGM Ken Stanton
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All it comes down to is maturity level. As an Enlisted, I made E6 in 4 years as a 71L when the cut-off score was at 798 and then it took me forever to even make the E7 list (9 1/2 years) after I had already applied for OCS
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I worked with a guy in Germany who made E7 in under 7 years. I'm not sure what year he made E6 he made E6 right before I got there or right after I cant really remember. The man did well he joined in his late 30s and had a good head on his shoulders. He is now a LTC after becoming an officer shortly after making E7. He made the right connections after making runner up NCO of the year for the army one year we were together. He knew how to impress all the right people
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Honestly I think the military has to get away from letting anyone with a degree be an officer. I have seen in my career to many new officers that do not know how to lead but are given command just because they have a degree. The system is broken and it needs to be fixed. You should be given rank based on your abilities and your knowledge not just because you went to college. I’m pursuing a Doctorate degree right now as an enlisted Soldier and my knowledge base is far beyond most Officers in Command positions now. I think that there should be a career path once you make E-6 whether or not you want to go the officer route, enlisted or warrant. You should not be able to be an officer straight out of College. I think this is the militaries downfall. This has to change if we want to get back to being the worlds greatest military.
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1LT Timothy Kahn
I agree with you totally. If you review what I had written earlier, regarding RN’s in the military. I would like to mention again. If an ASN/licensed RN, right out of Boot Camp (actually from the day they enlist) are a Sgt/E-5! Yet a BSN/RN comes in at the rank of butter bar , 2Lt/0-1. Yet, while the Sgt. has two years of experience & most of the time, they are the ones who get the privilege of orienting (because it interferes with your ability to complete your duties NUMEROUS RN’s will hide so that they don’t get stuck with this task) the butter bar makes a screw up ori SHTF, the Sgt. will be responsible for it, being the proctor!! Then of course, he must call the butter ball as Lt., Sir, and Mamn (this is w why any ASN/RN should, at the least be a CWO!!) In the field of nursing, ALL RN’s TAKE THE SAME DAMN TEST TO GET THEIR RN LICENSE!!! That is why, I strongly believe that you are correct . In some fields, they May have different qualifications , so why does the military (who know this is a fact), continue to be asinine, they overlook the need to retain specially qualified MOS’s?? This is why ASN’s join, so they can get the veteran benefits that would pay for them to get their BSN & up to being Nurse Practitioner!! Of course they won’t have any commitments to the service!! When I was tdy to the 101st Airborne) for my @2 weeks) don’t be a hater, just months before I was sent to Ft. Bragg (82nd Airborne). I was detailed to the ICU. If you are in almost any field in Health care, if you don’t make E-7, NLT 4 years, you have a problem!! Plus , an additional problem is if you have a LPN (licensed practical nurse, who works under a RN & they go in as an E/4) and they are SSGT/ E-6, guess what, the LPN can just blow you off (per UCMJ). They will push the RN/Sgt. to see how much they can get away with!! Thus, I believe that it is possible that certain other MOS’s should be reviewed, and that the utilization of “CWO” should be utilized for retention of the men & women in the critical jobs!! Lastly, does everyone know that just 3-4 years ago, that the law changed?? AS FAR AS COMMISSIONED OFFICERS, WERE YOU AWARE THAT (BEFORE THE LAW CHANGED), YOU HAD A 5 YEAR PROBATION PERIOD?? MEANING THAT THE DIFFERENT SERVICES COULD DUMP YOU ANY TIME THEY WANT?! WITHOUT HAVING TO PROVIDE ANY REASON (TRUST ME, THEY WON’T, BECAUSE THAT CAN BE PROBLEMATIC & THE LAW STATES THAT DO NOT HAVE TOO!!) AS FAR AS THE CHANGING, YOUR PROBATIONARY PERIOD HAS CHANGED TO 6 YEARS OF THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD!!! I believe that this applies to Enlisted members also, but being on “contract”, they can easily cancel that at their discretion!! Therefore, they could use you to put your life on the line, and then to kick you out, if they want to downsize!! Feel free to contact me, if you need have any questions!!! Knowing this, instead of the day you would be handed a pink slip/ discharge orders!!!
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I made E6 in four year and could have made E7 in five or six but got out and went to College. My rate was critical and there were no problems so as long as the tests were passed and scores were high enough and marks were good enough there was no reason not to make E6 in four years. Fortunately I looked older than 23.
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