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I'm just confused here. How does a SSG have 6 service stripes, that would mean he has been in for 18 plus years since each stripe represents 3 years of service. Any ideas?
Thank you,
PFC O'Hara
Thank you,
PFC O'Hara
Posted in these groups: 
SSG
SSG
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 1181
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You have no idea what the SSG's service background is. Unless you are accusing him of stolen valor, you'd best give him the benefit of the doubt. I made E-6 pretty quickly in the Navy, but after a 7-year break in service I had to start over again as an E-2 in the Marine Corps. I retired as an E-6 in the Marine Corps, and I earned every one of my service strips.
(edit) Crap, I posted in a zombie thread again. I hate it when I do that. I'm just glad I'm not the one who revived it.
(edit) Crap, I posted in a zombie thread again. I hate it when I do that. I'm just glad I'm not the one who revived it.
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Sgt Wayne Horton
I was looking for one marine to make a comment, i always thought the performance ruled over time in
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Sometimes all you have to look at are his Overseas service stripes, all those deployments means you missed some NCO education courses. In the old days it meant you rode the rank roller coaster. The third time I was a SGT I had 4 service stripes. Before I retired I was a SGT x 3, a SSGx2 and an SFCx2 I managed to hold on to MSG/1SG until I retired 35 years later. It happens.
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Well, I am SSG in September I will add my 6th service bar, I also have 6 overseas service bars. My MOS is not promoting as fast as other occupations, therefore I will probably be a retiring SSG....it does not mean I am a POS, I have two Bronze Stars, Masters Degree, all the NCOES available for my rank, etc...I am missing an NCOER from 2007, which never made it to OMPF, and I believe it is the reason why my record does not stack up to other NCOs in my MOS....At the same time, I have many friends who are great NCOs in my MOS and they are also still SSGs with 17 plus years of service
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TSgt Andrew Harper
SSgt Ramos, have you contacted NPRC for your missing NCOER? Might as well give it a try. Take care Brother, Andy
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Easy in 1973 DMZ Korea, there were 2 E-6s that had 20+ years in service. How are you an E-6 with 20+ years in service, one of them told the squad. He was busted 6 times, something or another, fighting and for being drunk, he did always drink, Old Grand Dad".
He was a veteran of Vietnam, and he knew his shit, and one of the best squad leaders I had, the Lt listened to him, and he knew how to keep you alive.
He was a veteran of Vietnam, and he knew his shit, and one of the best squad leaders I had, the Lt listened to him, and he knew how to keep you alive.
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1LT William Clardy
Camp Hovey was my first assignment back in 1977, and I always counted myself lucky to have learned my craft under alumni from the Southeast Asia War Games. Sometimes a little crazy sounding, but most were very pragmatic.
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SGT Carl Blas
1LT William Clardy - Jungle expert school in 74, in the jungles of Panama, my platoon came up to a stream.
Sorry to say, the senior sergeant at the time was a panty ass E-6. The SF instructors words, not mine, they even gave him a nick name, "Sweetheart". Lol
Our new Lt. fresh out of West Point, and sure didn't know land navigation, and most times, that's to be expected.
So there we were stuck, with our fearless leaders wondering what to do to get across the wide stream. Some, said just cross the water, out of no where an old SF sergeant came out of the jungle, and had a chat with all of us.
He asked, what the hell is wrong, the Lt said they are trying to figure out how to cross the wide stream, and how deep the water is.
The SF sergeant then told us, Rule of Thumb, the depth is as deep as it's width, if the water made the width, then it will make the depth the same too.
Next question, How do we know if it's the wrong decision to do, Rule of Thumb, when in doubt, stop, don't do it, regroup, collect your resources, and carry on with your mission.
Sweetheart than asked, How do we cross the wild stream then, Rule of Thumb, with a dirty look by the SF sergeant and a loud voice, RECONE THE AREA FOR A CROSSING", then the SF sergeant disappeared into the jungle, and out of sight.
Up stream there was a tree that fell across the wide stream, and we found out that the stream had purana in the water, lucky us. Lol
Hours later, lost in the jungles, with our E-6 and new Lt, I told the Lt that we were lost, and we are at a location we were at 3 hours ago. The E-6 immediately said, How do you know, I pointed to the C-Rat can on the ground, and told him, that's my lunch, then everyone noticed.
I was the E-5 in the platoon, so the Lt asked me, Sargent Blas, can you get us out of the jungle, and to the Rally Point?
I said yes Sir, read the map, found a direction and headed out at 132 degrees, and in 12 minuets, we were on a main road.
And a unit 2 1/2 ton truck was passing by, so we hitched a ride to the Rally Point.
Got to the rally point, and we were the laughing stock of the company. Lol
Later, the Lt asked me, how did I know that there was a highway out in the jungle area. I told him, that I used to be the FDC for the 81mm mortars with the 2/508th inf., so land navigation became easy to me, by calling in fire support.
Also, I was the best land navigation person in the company, and every year, I was the compass guy for our company in the Land Navigation competition.
Taught the Lt how to read a map, and directions.
Oh, how did I know that there was a highway in the middle of the vast jungle area?
Well, I knew, we were somewhere in a certain area of the map, on the map was marked the starting point, and the rally point. So, I had a good reference of the general area, on the map, it showed the ocean coast line, down the coast, ran a highway.
All I had to do was, lay the map on the ground, reference the map to north, and shot a azimuth to the coast, and "WaLa", we were 12 minutes away from the highway.
Some say, how come you guys didn't hear any traffic going by, I grew up in the jungle at home on Guam, and in the jungle, sound doesn't travel far, so as overhead light, and wind, unless you climb a tree to hear things.
In the the picture, Panama, there is a medic with us, can you see him, look between the two MP's standing that were attached with us line doggies. The picture was taken in the afternoon, jungle canopy keeps the day light out.
Sorry to say, the senior sergeant at the time was a panty ass E-6. The SF instructors words, not mine, they even gave him a nick name, "Sweetheart". Lol
Our new Lt. fresh out of West Point, and sure didn't know land navigation, and most times, that's to be expected.
So there we were stuck, with our fearless leaders wondering what to do to get across the wide stream. Some, said just cross the water, out of no where an old SF sergeant came out of the jungle, and had a chat with all of us.
He asked, what the hell is wrong, the Lt said they are trying to figure out how to cross the wide stream, and how deep the water is.
The SF sergeant then told us, Rule of Thumb, the depth is as deep as it's width, if the water made the width, then it will make the depth the same too.
Next question, How do we know if it's the wrong decision to do, Rule of Thumb, when in doubt, stop, don't do it, regroup, collect your resources, and carry on with your mission.
Sweetheart than asked, How do we cross the wild stream then, Rule of Thumb, with a dirty look by the SF sergeant and a loud voice, RECONE THE AREA FOR A CROSSING", then the SF sergeant disappeared into the jungle, and out of sight.
Up stream there was a tree that fell across the wide stream, and we found out that the stream had purana in the water, lucky us. Lol
Hours later, lost in the jungles, with our E-6 and new Lt, I told the Lt that we were lost, and we are at a location we were at 3 hours ago. The E-6 immediately said, How do you know, I pointed to the C-Rat can on the ground, and told him, that's my lunch, then everyone noticed.
I was the E-5 in the platoon, so the Lt asked me, Sargent Blas, can you get us out of the jungle, and to the Rally Point?
I said yes Sir, read the map, found a direction and headed out at 132 degrees, and in 12 minuets, we were on a main road.
And a unit 2 1/2 ton truck was passing by, so we hitched a ride to the Rally Point.
Got to the rally point, and we were the laughing stock of the company. Lol
Later, the Lt asked me, how did I know that there was a highway out in the jungle area. I told him, that I used to be the FDC for the 81mm mortars with the 2/508th inf., so land navigation became easy to me, by calling in fire support.
Also, I was the best land navigation person in the company, and every year, I was the compass guy for our company in the Land Navigation competition.
Taught the Lt how to read a map, and directions.
Oh, how did I know that there was a highway in the middle of the vast jungle area?
Well, I knew, we were somewhere in a certain area of the map, on the map was marked the starting point, and the rally point. So, I had a good reference of the general area, on the map, it showed the ocean coast line, down the coast, ran a highway.
All I had to do was, lay the map on the ground, reference the map to north, and shot a azimuth to the coast, and "WaLa", we were 12 minutes away from the highway.
Some say, how come you guys didn't hear any traffic going by, I grew up in the jungle at home on Guam, and in the jungle, sound doesn't travel far, so as overhead light, and wind, unless you climb a tree to hear things.
In the the picture, Panama, there is a medic with us, can you see him, look between the two MP's standing that were attached with us line doggies. The picture was taken in the afternoon, jungle canopy keeps the day light out.
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SGT Carl Blas
SGT James Murphy - Came through Camp Casey Repo Depo when I got in country, spent Chrismas day 1972 there, waiting to be assiggned to the DMZ 1-31 Inf 2nd Infantry.
In the picture is was Christmas day at TDC, no parka then, still wasn't issued one yet. It started snowing, so I went outside, I had never experenced snow before. Lol
In the picture is was Christmas day at TDC, no parka then, still wasn't issued one yet. It started snowing, so I went outside, I had never experenced snow before. Lol
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Probably in one of those MOS where the only way to see your SFC is if someone dies or retires. 18 year SSG is rather common, since they can reenlist for indefinite
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SFC William Farrell
And in the Navy SGT (Join to see) its extremely common. Since I worked on the navy base, Ive seen untold members retire as an E6 with 20 or more years of service.
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SGT Sean O'Hara Re-up a few times, step on your dxxk a few times and you will be soon there, if you didn't step too hard!
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Service Stripe = 3 years. RCP for SSG = 20. 6x3=18
He either was a SFC at one point and got demoted OR is a 20 year SSG
He either was a SFC at one point and got demoted OR is a 20 year SSG
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It's simple...he's been in eighteen+ years. The Retention Control Point or RCP for a SSG used to be 24 years and now is set at 20 years in service. There is nothing wrong with that. Rank in the Army can be misleading as you don't know from looking at them three things....their experience, their MOS and their career history. Just because he has 18 years and is "just a SSG" doesn't make him a POS. What if he holds an MOS like 74D or almost any 92 series? These MOS typically have extremely high, if not maxed out, cutoff scores for promotion to SGT and SSG. What that translates to is how many positions in those ranks will be needed versus other MOSs such as 11-14 series where promotion points are a lot lower as more of them are needed. Usually in these low density MOSs there are fewer positions in the senior NCO ranks as well. I have known SFCs in these MOSs that have the knowledge and capability of a CSM/SGM but are competing for less than 20 MSG positions Army-wide. The fact that this SSG has 18+ years of service should speak for itself, as that is no easy feat regardless of MOS.
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