How does an E6 have 6 service stripes?

I know for a fact that an Army coworker was an E-7, but in order to take a federal position she wanted she had to take a cut in rank. 2 exactly. She was an E-5 by the end of it and would have to wait the mandatory time to get her stripes back. That's one way this kind of thing can happen.

I've seen plenty of Specialists retire from the Army National Guard with 20+ years.

Im a SSG and I have six service stripes. I have been in 18 years. Maybe a PFC in this "New Army" finds that unusual but the reality is lots of soldiers retire as E-6's. Has something to do with paragraphs and line #'s but hell, if your DSL's can pull a serious vacuum then you can expect to be have your CSM by the time you get your sixth service stripe......now go eat a Richard Private!

Personally if you can't do math there's something wrong with you 3 times 6 is 18 no matter what rank as some people stated you can make a grade twice or just be stagnant because you can't move up because others haven't moved up and there's no slots open so why you're stupid rant

You have no idea how many times he got to make E3. Not everyone's path is without steps backward.

He could have been prior service. Then returned to service accounting for the extra stripes.

When I was a 45B the points for e5 were 798, the only way for my most to really move up was to become a recruiter and get a meritorious promotion by earning your ring or Morrell award. I spent 8 years and still left a cpl. It sucks to be in an oversaturated field especially getting the shaft while having a 93 qt and 123 gt asvab and choosing an most because you love it. They promised me e6 within a year if I converted and I passed on being a 79R for personal reasons. USAREC Mafia at its finest. Bohica!

There are a lot of dead end MOSs. In my old MOS, there were only 7 or 8 E7s in the army. It was ridiculous. This is probably and example of that. Or perhaps he declined E7 for personal reasons.

This is a question being asked by someone who still gets rank automatically. Get some experience and check back with me in 5 years, if you're still serving.

My Uncle was SSG when he retired and he could not advance any further do to a medical waiver for an injury he sustained in an auto accident on the AUTOBahn in Germany and the reinjury of the same during a security sweep in Germany a few years later due to car bomb going off. The injury was severe enough he had to get a waiver to remain in until his retirement after 20 years 6 months in.