How does an E6 have 6 service stripes?

The most common rank to retire at on the enlisted side is staff sergeant. That's why. My MOS was 94A and at one point I believe there was only about 300 of us total in the army. Which meant there was little to no chance of gettimg past SFC, and getting SFC itself was usually something that would ripple through all of our shops as it was so rare for a 94A to get picked up for SFC. There is alot more to the army and how you make rank. If you think all it is is time, you will be unhappy when you stop getting promoted. Maybe ask the NCO your curious about, he may educate you on some things.

This can be the result of numerous things I know lots of SSGs that retire as such rank, what iam wondering is why a PFC with one day in the army asking such things about any NCO? If this kind of questions are circulating in the army among privates there needs to be some retraining via sweat! If privates think like this at home how would they think about NCOs on the battlefield?

I might as well chime in myself.
I currently am a E5P with 17 years waiting on my orders to promote. In general my promotion points are generally at 798. And because my points are so high, 798 points are hard to achieve unless you get Hawkeye on the range, and get 300 on your Physical Test, and almost need a Doctoral education. So if you see anybody with high service strips. Think of their points first. Or maybe also they had a break in service. I have fellow NCOs that first started off either as Navy, Airforce, even in the Marine corp. Took a few years off in between the different service branches. There are many different reasons why a NCO will have 6 or even 7 service strips and be only a E6. Because after 8 years out you start over at E1, unless you are lucky and come back as E4.

Stripes are Gold, in the Navy that means all served under good conduct and never busted down or article 15s etc. Not sure if the other branches are the same way or not.

I made E-6 when I had 6 years of service so I only had 1 service stripe. I went from E-1 to E-6 in 6 years and people thought I was out of uniform all the time due to that single service stripe. The point is that we don't know the story of others so why are we judging them? As it has been stated already, most NCOs retire as an E-6.

FYI, I was medically retired as an E-6 with just under 8 years of service.

It's not uncommon, I just got my E7 after 18 years.

Multiple reasons for this. National Guard time, Reserve Time, Break in Service. Injuries on the battlefield. At any rate a SSG with 18 years of service probably has combat boots that have more time in combat chow halls than you do in service.

And? Only so many slots for E7, not enough for every E6, not enough for even the "good" ones, however you want to slice and dice "good"

In my MOS, medic I was in an air ambulance unit and th highest NCO rank was SSG.
Depending on MOS and unit assigned one may have a good long service honorably served and retire as a SSG

WOW,
It amazes me how a no time in grade PFC judging a NCO who has Honorablely served for more than 18 years. I retired with over 22 years. Multiple overseas tours, Combat and Hardship tours. As CSM StCyr pointed out, many MOS's can be extremely competitive and difficult to reach E7. Especially if your always deployed (2003-2018) in the Global War on Terror. He had atleast 4 years combat if I'm reading that correctly. I had proudly served with many NCOs who retired as E6/E7 with 20+ years in. Majority of them were SME in there field. Try walking a mile in a mans shoes before you judge him/her. Realize your Army of today was not His/Her Army of the past. Times change and so does the military. Honor them and learn their story. One day you might read about them later.
Sincerely a tired Sapper.