How does an E6 have 6 service stripes?

JSOC nobody above him has retired in his unit they are all about the same age 8 man team 24 man team. He was a spec 4. Team only needs one E-7. Operators don't really have job descriptions that are dependent on rank spec 4 becomes E-5 and that's it. JSOC is under the president not the secretary of the army. Some guys make rank other guys drag and only advance fast enough to make sure they can stay 20 years if your sniper makes NCO you got a problem he is no longer a sniper he is squad leader or topmost everyone in the unit needs to be NCO or wants to be.

It’s probably because he’s been in 18 years and one stripe represents three years of service...

MOS could play a major role in ones abilities to make the next higher rank in the branch of service. PFC do confuse time in service with rank and capacity to perform a task or MOS skill set. To be honest in the future high ranks will be even harder to obtain. So please do judge by the books cover.

Every MOS has a "hump" that it's nearly impossible to get over... I was a 31G (later 31J) Communication Chief. Every company had an E-5 31G, but there was only one E-6 slot per battalion-sized unit. I spent over six years on the quailfied list with a PQS of over 800 (max was 1000 in those days, don't know about now) and there wasn't a single E-5 promoted in that time.

Sure - he has worked in some very slow promotion MOS fields, or he got out and reenlisted losing a stripe or two, or he's been busted a time or two and lost a few stripes along the way. Several reasons I can think of. None of which are good but possible.

There is nothing to be confused about young PFC. I am one of thousands of SSG's that retired. I have been on 6 different deployments, 4 of them combat tours. The Army has changed a lot and I wasn't one of those "Kinder more Politically Correct" NCO"s that the Army was looking for now days so needless to say I was overlooked for promotion. But when they needed an NCO to get the job done, they knew who to go to. My morals, pride and honor mean much more to me than a stripe. Those who knew me worked with me know who I am and that I will never cave to appease their need. All I have to say and I'm proud to have done my service and I'd probably still be in the Army if they wanted and needed a NON-politically correct NCO and one that gets the job done.

Could also have prior enlistment before they handed out promotions like they are candy. Used to be really hard to make E-6, especially in specific rates.

I was in the military for 28 years and only made it to E-6. On Active Duty for 12 years I only got to E-5 because the promotion points were 999 for 71L.. In the National Guard I was still a 71L when we went to Iraq where I made E-6. Since we got back I became the NBC NCO for my unit then we all became 88M. Still only made it to E-6.

What does it matter. I knew a PFC that had 7 service stripes. Shit happens.

3 stripes above his lone rocker denotes his/her enlisted rank... three separate stripes on the right sleeve...one for every 3 years of service. Only displayed on the" class A" uniform.