Is it possible to get promoted this quickly in the Air Force? Is this typical for band members?

Not possible.

It is possible with ROTC and college credits earned in high school. My biggest issue with it is the pay she gets for that when battle troops are barely able to feed their families because they can't get promoted past E3 or Spec4 and there needs to be a limit on how long they can be in an unimportant MOS. Plenty of people in the military can play band instruments. It definitely shouldn't be a career.

Boot

It is not that easy to make rank in the Air Force but for band member that represent the services i.e Air Force band, navy band and army band located in Washington, D.C. They are awarded E6 upon the completion of basic training these people will send the rest of their career in dc and will not move to any other assignment. Air Force also has regional bands and those band members will go through all 9 ranks just as any other service member

No! When I was in it was nearly impossible to get a below the zone promotion. The pay raise must have been huge for a 19 year old. Not fair.

NO. And no, it shouldn't be.

Wow! Massive, idiotic, horrifically bad decision! There is absolutely no excuse for her possessing that tank.

This is not a typo. The Air Force has 5 Air National Guard bands and 10 active duty bands. Out of those 10 active duty bands, 8 of them are "regional bands" and have typical promotion cycles. But...the other 2 are "premiere bands" (the Washington DC band, and the AF academy band). Some of their members are recruited from the regional bands but some very highly talented individuals audition straight into a premiere band and yes, the premiere bands start you at E-6. Don't feel bad. The USMC "president's own" (their counterpart premiere band) aren't even real Marines because they are EXEMPT FROM BOOT CAMP so basically headhunted civilians from professional orchestras wearing Marine uniforms. Neither one of these situations are as unethical as "Tops in Blue", because they are touring the world as "musicians" when they were actually recruited, trained, and paid to do other jobs in the Air Force.

Yes, most musicians start out as an NCO. I know this because I was going to be one when I joined. This is actually normal. The AF justifies it first foremost because our number one responsibility is the AF image. Secondly, the additional duties they are required to do that we hand off to other people (I.e. UDM, RA, supply, etc..).

Also, their initial rank is based off of their audition and slots needed - sort of like guard or reserve slots.

Coming from a junior enlisted I hope that when the time comes for her to lead troops she has the skill set as well. Congrats.