How does an E6 have 6 service stripes?

I've known several SSGs with more than 10 years in service. There's a lot of reasons someone might not pick up SFC or further. Changing branches or switching between active and guard/reserve often causes a loss of rank, or he may have just not gone to the board again after E6. He also may have tried for 7 and got beaten out. No shame in a long term E6.

Any number of reasons.....maybe his mos didn't promote well, etc. It's not necessarily an indicator of a 'bad' soldier.

Hey PFC....when u rate SSG come talk to us....until then address your questions to the SPC who should be smoke'in u right now

Because he does, let his unit handle it, I'm sure his 1sg would make him correct his uniform, let NCO's do their job brah

True, I've seen some great leaders that set the example everyday but for some reason the centralized promotion board didn't select them. Doesn't make them any less of an NCO!

I will have 18 years in December. Lord will this next SFC board will be "the one!"...Lord willing. I think the new Masters degree will help. And if not, I will continue to better muself.Anyway it is possible for great NCOs not to be promoted to SFC.

This is just a guess- it would be a better guess if I could see his uniform up close. You will notice that he also has 8 overseas service bars (each one is supposed to represent 6 months in theater). If they are legitimate, he may have been deployed so much that he didn't do ALC when he should have. He was able to pin on SSG but the SFC board would not have selected him to advance because of it. Or... as others have mentioned, he might have been in an MOS that is slow to promote. If it took him a long time to make SGT, then he probably just doesn't have the requirements to make SFC. Self-development and professional development often make the difference between the group that is selected for promotion and those who retire as SSG. I saved the least likely scenario for last- he got in trouble somewhere along the line and was reduced which is what has taken him so long to climb back up the ladder. Good leadership is preceded by good followership. So, PFC O'Hara, find yourself a good mentor who knows his or her stuff and has made (or is making) the grade. Good luck.

Wow I just got my SSG I am in one of the slow MOS's and in the Army Guard there are lots that can play into not getting SSG right away.. My MOS is 92Y. Most 92Y jobs in the Guard are AGR well some people don't want to be AGR so it takes time to get a rank. All my years are good years just the Guard promotes people different then active duty and reserves it's not all about time in grade and time in service their has to be a slot for you to move into.

He's got 6 service stripes because of any reason listed.

- SFC isn't as easy to attain that most would like you to know
- MOS points are high, it happens a lot with non-combat MOSs
- Maybe he didn't do the SSDs...who knows
- He was demoted to PFC and made his climb back, I know some that had this happen, even know a SGT that WAS a SFC shortly after Desert Storm and retired a few years ago

Point is, there are factors that you'll learn about the longer you're in. Just know that that's his career path and yours is only starting. The Army is a beast that'll make a 30yr old look like he's on the verge of 60, sadly not exaggerating if you're in a combat MOS.

Maybe he had a break in service, does it really matter? He is serving his country which is more than 90 some percent