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

I made E-6 in July '73 after enlisting in early December '69. I was selected from the secondary zone for E-7 and spent 14 months on the list. I was a promotable E-6 throughout OCS hoping I'd make it before graduation. We were commissioned on 22 February '79. Right after the ceremony, our 1st Sgt. handed me orders promoting me to E-7. Only one problem: The effective date was 1 March with a DOR of 28 February! Oh, well . . .

Oh, yeah, I also made major below the zone . . .

As I Read All These Successes Of Gaining Rank Rapidly, I Have To Give Out A Chuckle Because I Was In The Strategic Air Command (SAC), Where Rank Was Supposed To Be Issued By Abilities..... Although I Tested Out Through E-5, And Held Positions As Such; I Remained, For About 3 Years, As An E-3 .... And EXACTLY My ONLY Reason For Not Reenlisting.
No Rank, No Money, No More!

I made E-4 in a year and a half (USMC-Viet Nam). The old salts thought it was the end of the world! Guess they forgot the speed of light promotions in WWII. As most have mentioned, it depends on the individual.

I made E5 in 18 months. Was 23 and did just fine. Was promoted on the battlefield in Vietnam. Was RA in 1967 and retired as a MSG after 27 years of service.

When I PCSd to Ft Bliss in 2010, when they stood 2-5 up, there was a SPC who was among the first, within a few months he was at the board, within the year he went to the board again for his 6. He had just been in for 3 years, but due to circumstances, and the need for NCOs caused him to have those opportunities. He ended up being pretty good, I didn’t put rank him so I didn’t see him from that perspective, but he didn’t get into trouble and he was awarded a few times so there’s that.

You made Chief in how long? I made E-3, 3 times. I had college, loved San Miguel and the LBFM’s. I had to go to OCS to keep rank. Have you thought about crossing over to Warrant? (Used to be an E-7 could cross over to WO-1). More pay, more respect and it takes ONE day to have full benefits. Do you have a degree? What is your rate? You don’t see anchors on many people under 30. Look into Warrant Officer. A Chief runs the boat, a WO scares Chiefs.

I literally LOL'd at this. I think you need some time on if you want to be taken seriously, but I've seen both sides of it in and out of the military. I was in a very stagnant MOS (3051 Supply Warehouse Clerk) and you couldn't get promoted if you killed somebody. I was a Corporal checking in PFC's to my battalion and checking them out as Sergeants and Corporals while I was still a Corporal. I did not possess the dedication to be a DI and I had zero desire to work 80 to 100 hours a week as a recruiter on a maybe, so I got out. This was 1992 and for me was a good decision.

Now in the Police world we have the same elemental issue. There are nowhere near as many ranks in most police departments as there are in the military, but there are ranks. Usually you begin as a Recruit, or where it is permitted, you can be hired as an Officer or Deputy. Then, typically it is Corporal or Detective (although in some agencies, including mine, Detective is a position and not a rank) then Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain. The differences in upper command level ranks are vast, but Assistant Chief or Major or Deputy Chief, with an oak leaf in gold or silver and so on. Only very large agencies typically have multiple levels of command ranks, but I am keeping this in general terms.

I have seen a number of people who make Sergeant in 4 years and Lieutenant in 6 or 8. This is almost invariably a recipe for incompetence. You simply would not have the time to develop your skillset, and broaden your experience in 8 years to a point where you can do a good job as a lieutenant. But of course, that is usually responded to with derisive comments that I should "do better on the tests" or "work harder" or some other sour grapes reference that puts it all on me. I am a Sergeant. I like being a Sergeant. If I could make anywhere near the money as an Officer, I would still BE an Officer. Simply put: There's no substitute for experience. There is a reason it normally takes 30 or 40 years to train a 4 star General.

It was just sad. At the end of Vietnam we got a chief aboard with no experience except boot camp and a couple C schools. I don't know what the program was but he got E-6 straight out of boot due to an electronics degree and made E-7 by the time of his first deployment. Imagine having all that recent knowledge and being put in a job of supervision over a crew of competent self-starting technicians. He mostly just followed us around and looked over our shoulders as we fixed comm and radar equipment. I don't remember him ever giving orders or instructions. I don't remember him having social connections. He didn't "hang" with us in port. A sad ghost with no way to get loose.

I had the option of making E-5 after being in for only 3 years (initially joined as an E-2 with college credit). I felt rushed, but had already made my decision to discharge after my active contract ended. Still sent to BLC in their hope of me changing my mind and staying in. I asked for more time before I started being serious about the board. Was told, "No."

Some times getting rank can be too soon. I say this as 1967 I was in Vietnam I had made E 3 in just about 7 + months. As new guys came into our Battalion CBMU301 we were getting a lot of I P O's The Navy's Instant Petty Officer program. most were coming straight from boot camp to Vietnam as E 5's. These guys were raw & knew less than most of us that had a year or more in service. IF I had known of this program before I enlisted in 1966 I was told My background in construction would have let me join as no less than an E 5 maybe even as an E 6. My father was a brick Layer & a Contractor. I was around & worked construction since I was 15 yrs old. At 17 I was in the labors union & either union steward or foreman on almost every job site until I joined the Navy & then again after I was discharged. I can tell you if I had made E 6 I would have found someway to stay in for 20 or even 30 if I was alive that long! I felt sorry for most IPO's but not on payday !!!