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

A bachelor's degree can open many doors and a masters as well. But going through the ranks and to be called sergeant, I feel that a person needs to mature into that rank. NCOs are the backbone for the military.

Good for her. And good for the Air Force.

I really don't understand the purpose of musicians in the service. They spend their time putting on shows for civilians more than half the time anyways. They should be civilians themselves...and perhaps that would award them more pay anyhow. However, when I see an E6 musician making more money than an E1 in combat I have a problem with that.

So being in a band makes you more of a hero than stopping violent attackers on trains in France? At least that is how this can be interpreted due to the reward of stopping an attacker being met with a promotion.

After first seeing this story I was a little shocked and almost did not believe it. I have been out of the military for 10 years now. I do remember the challenges of promotions and some were selected at a faster pace than others. There is much more than meets the eye when determining a promotion. I will tell you this, in the civilian world it is who you know and how hard you are willing to work. It's about being dedicated to your professional career and achieving your goals. I have moved up the chain quickly since I was hired on with my current employer. I say if this girl has proven herself to out do others who have been in for 10-15 years, why not pay her what she is worth? Right? Why is it acceptable to promote someone based on seniority if they have no real skill for that position? Managers are not always the most senior people. I have seen kids straight out of college manage people in their career field that have been working for many years. It's about talent. I don't know this woman, but we should not judge from the outside looking in. She could be some kind of prodigy for all we know. I say congrats to her. Her parents should be proud. We should all view this as an opportunity to learn how a young Airman was able to prove her talents in order to move up in the ranks so quickly. She should be a mentor to those who wish to follow in her footsteps. In order to be a great leader, we must first understands what it means to be a great follower. She obviously listened to advice from her leadership and in return, she is now in a position to lead others. People are always going to jealous of what others have accomplished if they have been unsuccessful themselves. Take a look at yourself and find out what has held you back and do something positive to change your path. There is always a way, we just have to be willing to accept the challenges to get there.

It's no different then the medical field getting auto promoted through officer ranks for their medical degrees under direct comission.

Since I'm detailed as a army recruiter right now I can tell you if you pass the try outs for the all army band you get automatic E-6 Promotion 6 months after job training so yes it's possible in the Army

I don't know of anyone that served their country that would turn down a promotion. This is why she was handed the rank......https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGdWkl9M_TY

I see many a comment about how her rank doesn't matter because she is a band member and not "really" in the military. BULLSHIT!!! She is in the Air Force and not in Hollywood. If she wants that then she should go try out for Americas Got Talent or a similar show. There are rules about minimum time in grade and service that we all had to follow. She may be talented as a singer but that does not translate to the military. The Air Forces job is to shoot bad guys out of the sky and drop bombs on people and kill them. The Air Force does not exist to sing happy songs and hold hands and sing Spongebob songs. Let's not lose focus on the mission.

I have seen some pretty wicked answers both pro and con and can only say this.... Let me get my PopCorn !!!! Salt and butter anyone???