I made E-7 at 19 years, and was in ANCOC with a soldier who made it in 7 years. What’s the youngest senior NCO anyone has known?

Wow, that rings a bell. Hope you are well Chief!

I agree wth the statement "The best tools..."in my 22 years of service I learned the most at my unit under good leaders. Unfortunately there were not many in CSS during my time and this hurt me considerably. I made E-6 in 6, which is almost unheard of in my MOS, out shining my peers, but then I stayed an E-6 for 8 years due to my lack of knowledge of how the senior promotions came and by being in Combat units where the NCO leaders were more focused on developing their own (career fields). Not to complain because once I realized the mistake, I went from E-6 to E-8 promotable in about 5 years. I turned down the promotion for the sake of my family. I retired launched another career and have been successful which I must attribute to my time in the Army...

MSG Scott McBride - "Our Army 2020 will need young but effective leaders." - this totally resonates with me. While i may be a civilian - I am also a scout master for boy scouts and we focus our troop on helping Boys become leaders. I teach a leadership course that stresses core leadership values. My eldest son ships to BCT this summer. He will enter as an E2 because he is an eagle scout. some of the leadership traits he shows are - he doesnt seek power rather he seeks to serve. When all of the older scouts, including our Sr. Patrol Leader, went on a hike - he was left behind in camp. and Although he was not a member of the Patrol Leadership Committee at the time, He was the only higher ranked older scout in camp. He ended up leading the younger boys most of the time while th older "leadership" team fooled around. He went on to be our troops best SPL. He lead our troop to first place at the last Camporee - not competeing with the older scouts who took first place - rather being Troop Guide to our youngest scouts, who under his instructions - took second. HEre is a picture of my then 15 year old son - Andrew, having heart to heart with the 1st yr patrol leader of the zombie hunters ( 11 years old)...As Sr. Patrol leader Andrew was guiding the first yr scouts through their first camporee - My son has a rather small MOS - so not sure if he will be able to rank up fast. Sometimes, our best leaders dont have strips on their sleeves. And as I tell my scouts - leadership from within the ranks through living the core values and exhibiting proper behavior - is just as important as being the "leader". I teach my scouts that every scout can lead.

I made SGT in less than 3 years, SSG in 6 years, SFC in 13 years and the rest is TBD. I go by always upfront, take care of everyone around me not by talk with actions everyday. I believe every NCOs job is to empower young youngers, let them work it out and be there when they need you.

1SG David Lopez well said and eloquently expressed. I agree whole-heartly with your last statement, "There is a life / career after the Army / Military."

Sometimes tho you have to start your own--I found it hard to work for civilians even tho I had become one myself.

First i worked on a civilian Police Dept where 95% were Armed Force veterans. After that contract Security and coworkers who were retired Military, an Armed Federal contract on an Air Force Base where My fellow Supervisors were all retired E8s and E9s from Army, Marines and Air Force. All My civilian jobs seem to have a touch of Military in them and I wore a uniform except when I rose in Management where I wore a suit instead.

Uniform on Friday, jacket and tie on Monday? When did you get your PhD, while in service, Sergeant Major Doctor Hatfield?

At the 511th-VII Corps in Augsburg, we had a Sergeant Major Ellison, who enjoyed being a sergeant, and giving his full name on the phone.

SSG William Wall - HA! That's a little ridiculous. I did go from uniform on Friday, but did have a week off, then into suit and tie. Always thought they needed those "Garanimals" for retired military so we'd know what shoes, pants, shirts, ties, and jackets went together. It took me years to figure all those different colors out! In the Army it was either dark/light green or BDUs. Not many options. Loved it!

I didn't earn my doctorate until 2009, so 15 years after I retired from the Army. I would never have used the title in the Army if I'd had it then. I only have it here because that's what I put for a title and the system added the Sergeant Major automatically, and I've never been able to figure out how to change it. It sounds pretty pretentious. When I finished the program, everyone at work and all my friends just called me "Doctor Dave" and that's pretty much what I go by now, in the classes I teach and with my friends. I tell people just to call me "Dave" but it always winds up "Doctor Dave." I just don't argue about it anymore.

You can always have fun with the "Doc" part of it, especially when they start listing symptoms. Respond: "Well it sounds like... (then reference some obscure fact from your post-grad education.)

The intel and security officer at Seneca Army Depot, Romulus, NY did that Friday-Monday thing. SeAD - one of many bases that closed behind me. Fliegerhorst Kaserne, Hanau, SeAD, Sheridan Kaserne/FS-Augsburg, Ft. Ord. I guess Ft. Leonard Wood is still doling out the punishment for BCT.

I just tell them I can't treat their ailments, but I can tell them why they feel like they have to express their ailments to someone and how they can deal with those problems to make their lives better. :-) I was there at the official closing ceremony for Augsburg - it was sad. I had been there a few times when it was an active FS and had been to the Oktoberfest in the field right across the street. A good friend of mine, CSM James P. McKenna, was a Battalion CSM at Augsburg before he came to us in the 513th at Ft. Monmouth. Good man!

Yeah, I lost Ft. Ord, Ft. Devens, Ft. Monmouth - they all closed up behind me. My old duty station in the Netherlands is still going, even though they've really changed everything, but it's all for the better. Stuttgart, Patch Barracks will never change, unfortunately.