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 !!!

I think the Navy is similar to the Coast Guard in this regard. You come out of basic as an E2. Once you reach your Duty station and get settled in, then you can get your course for E3, be it Seaman, Fireman, or Airman. By the time you have finished ity and your Practical Factors, then you pretty much have the 6 months in rank, and you get the promotion. After that, you are them moving into NCO ( E4 ). At this point you decide which Rate / MOS you want to strike for and then apply for the course ( or you can go to school which is a fast way up ). Once you start into the NCO advancements, it involves the Courses for each advancement, Time in Rate, Practical factors, and Sea Duty ( usually 1 year ). Once you have met those, there arte still the Servicewide exams. The highher you score on those the higher on the list you are. For instance, if you are #100 on the list and they are filling 101 billets, then you wil get the promotion, if you are 102 on the list, you won't until a billet opens. If your are way dpown the list, then you will have to take the Servicewide exmas again and hopefully score higher. Those in the Air Rates don't have the sea duty requirement as far as I know. I have see a slick sleeve Chief ( E7 under 4 ). He was an ET ( Electronics Technician ) which was a critical rate in the Coast Guard and the advancement was fast. We he shipped over and got his hash mark ( and was finally allowed in the4 CPO club ), he received a $12,000 Shipping over bonus. Mind you, this was in '66 and that was big money then. Now, as to the question, I think it depends on the individual. Some are very good at what they do and are good leaders, and i would say in those cases no. I had a Chief that was a BT. He made BT3 then went to work in the base Post Office. He had all of his Sea Duty requirements, and just kept taking the courses and I have no clue as to how he got past the practical factors and taking the Servicewide Exams and making the list. When he was finally transferred from the Post Office to the ship, he wasn't all that impressive. Most of the time if we had a problem, he was left out of the loop.

I made E-6 in 5 years 8 months. Fast tracking right? I wore E-6 for over 12 years before I made E-7. Nothing bad or wrong in my records. Sometime you just get stuck in the system. When I finally did make the E-7 list my sequence number was 2. I'm thinking well I should be pinned in a month or so. Yeah right, the list came out I think in July 2000. I didn't get promoted until March of 2001. More to the story but that is saved for another day. If you are one of those guys that can't make E-7 by the time you hit 13 years or whatever don't look to me for sympathy. My DS told me where I could find that. But I would do the same damn thing all over again knowing the conditions. No regrets.

Yes it’s possible. I know an E7 that made E7 in 6 years, I’m saying she’s an E7 because that’s all she is....not a Chief.

Yes. Making rank is more than technical expertise in the rate. There is a question of maturity and experience that grows in importance as you assume responsibility not just for yourself but for those assigned to you for leadership and guidance. I made E-5 in 3 years, and E-6 in 6, and although it was because of technical knowledge and skills, my leadership abilities were not always the best. Being younger than my peers pushed me to be friends with junior personnel, which made discipline enforcement difficult. Thankfully, it took me a few more years to make Chief, so I had time to learn those all important leadership skills.

In Vietnam I saw SSG E-6's made with 18 months in the Army.... In my unitat Coleman Barracks Mannheim Germany we had an E-7 Platoon Sgt SFC at the age of 24 and he had not been in combat, all his time was in Germany and stateside.... 1965 He was the best Platoon Sgt I ever had in 8 years but then 4 of those 8 I was a platoon Sgt at 21 in combat

CPL JIM JOHNSON made E4 IN 6 months before going to Vietnam in 03/70 offered E5 09/70 if I RE-Up one more tour Vietnam 69-71.

Fact is the following. I was in the US Navy during the 80's. I saw Phillipine immigrants promised asylum if they induct to the US Navy. The problem I have with this is they wore Petty Officer rates, and they had severe English language capabilities. These "Rocks" were not even in our country as US citizens long enough to graduate from Boot, ATD, or "A"school let alone make PO3 and above. We talk whether or not we skip through the ranks too fast. The "Old Salts" know what I am talking about. I am certain nothing has changed since then.

Graduated Basic with E-3, FC "A" school got me E-4 at 9 months in, an E-5 at 2.5 years. I moved up too fast and wasn't ready for it. They shoveled too much responsibility on me too quickly and it showed. Got out at 5 years.

I made SSG (E6) 11E30 in just 3 1/2yrs this was 1969. but this was due to the times as Nam was still going on. SFC(E7) 19J40C7 in 10yrs (1976) I could have made this earlier but one year DA changed the time in grade then the following year they changed time in service. I made MSG in 17yrs 19Z50D8 (1980). about 6 months prior to retiring I received a letter from the SMG academy my first thought at the time was I only had 3yrs on MSG. But I opted to retire. It sounds like we were in about the same boat in time.

I know a draftee who made Sgt E-5 in under 2 years because the Major was trying to get him to re-up. That same officer also went 9 month promoting no one else for 9 months. I was an E-4 drawing pro-pay so I think I was qualified with nearly 5 years service. Not always fair.