How does an E6 have 6 service stripes?

FN Charlie Spivey - sounds like you’ve had more than your share of trouble.. I guess my only regret was such a large portion of the crew were sent. I had a very good career all but two units were Search and Rescue, those two were a lighthouse tour and 14 month isolated Loran tour in the Marshall Islands. I have made quite a few contacts with shipmates from most of my other units, but only you from CCC. Quite a few have crossed the Bar but I guess at our ages that’s to be expected. Here’s my email, I’ll send you the photos that I have of our time there. mrlaurenced @gmail.com

CWO4 Laurence Dykes - Most of my time was spent on the Half Moon (WHEC 378). I was sitting in the Smoking area in Basic. Some guy came walking in and asking if there was anyone from Richmond, Va. I said I was. He was from over in the next County. I was in Kilo 58 and he was in Lima 58. We had the same first three Serial Numbers and I had 291 for the last three and he had 294. Have no clue who 292 and 293 were. After I mutualed to Lewis, I was sent TDY to CG base Glouster, N.J. for a week of dealing with the effects of NBC warfare. Ran into him there. He tells me he is heading off to EN school. Well, I am out on a Boat call in August or September. The station calls and says to ask Spivey if he wants to go to EN school. I said yes because I thought I did. Anyway, get up there and run into him again. I remember when he Graduated, he got his orders to the Half Moon and that last thing he said was "See you on the Half Moon". Well, it was a 16-week school and I had completed either 8 or 9 weeks. My grades were good, but I wasn't into it. I finally told the instructor. To be honest, I wanted to strike Aerographers Mate. Anyway, they finally said okay and then proceeded to send me to the galley mess cooking. My class graduated and I was still there. Got out of there in February and went home for a short visit. Mt orders were to report to Commander 3rd Coast Guard District at Governor's Island, N.Y. for assignment. I am in the transient barracks and the scuttlebutt comes in that the half Moon had been ordered to Deploy to Vietnam. I say that I have a friend aboard her and I guess I should get over there while I am still here. Before I get over there, I am called to Personnel and they slap my orders down on the counter for me to sign ............... CGC Half Moon. He and I Worked together in the same Engine room. We did a lot of Liberties together and Goyt out and came home together. Stayed in Touch over the years. AO got him as well. Like me, Multiple Heart attacks and eventually, Bladder Cancer. He did have a Pace maker / Defibrillator implanted, which I don't. He crossed the bar on 1 Dec. '19. His daughter called me about 30 - 45 minutes afterwards. I don't know how I ran back into George Washburn, but we were in touch for a long time. He lived in Sandwich.

SMSgt Matthew Hoyer - Been along time since this post was made, but I figured it was revived and sent to me for a reason. As active Air Force until retirement, going on 20 years ago now, when I was in, E6 was something like 14 years TIS on average, and E7 was, again at that time, on average about 17 or 18 years TIS. The rate of promotion in the AF was a world and a way different than that of the Army.

I knew many who retired at E6, I retired at 20 with E7, right after the down turn of basic, with the whiners coming in with stress cards or what ever, should things get to tough for them....in basic. That and other reasons, I figured it would be better if I punched out.

PO1 William Van Syckle - AF is the same way. They promote to fill slots. However many slots are authorized for manning in a certain field are what is filled. So, the sometimes 7 or 8 available slots in a career field, they select the highest 7 or 8 scoring individuals, and that is that. Try again next year.

when I was in in the early 60's they didn't really rate any one until the Gulf of 'tonkin 1964

Thanks CSM. Your comment is spot on when it comes to and MOS. I was a Sp5, 91-G-20 in USAR back in the day and being promoted beyond E-6 at that time was a task. Re-upped as a Navy Corpsman since I had a prior Navy enlistment and found
advancement more open. No need to cast aspersions on someone without knowing their military history. Guy could have been like me with prior service or just in a dead end MOS.

I was in one of those MOS's. Hard to get promoted so I reclassed. Hundreds if not thousands retired as E-6 just in that mos

MSG (Join to see) i loved overseas duty. Had as many if not more overseas stripes as he has

No, not really.

SSG Randall P. - And he lost them when he was successfully court marshalled, reduced to E-1 rank, fined, and dishonorably discharged for desertion.

That not the same SSG. One is infantry, the other is not. I couldn't expand the first pic to see his area of expertise other than being a SSG with many service stripes.

SPC (Join to see) - A combat stripe is every six months in a combat zone. That is not an overseas award.