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

A 19 year old being an E-6 is absurd! At the most this airman has 2 years in service. A Marine that makes E-6 in 6 years is almost unheard of and the ones that do do that are the usually older when they enlist there is certain maturity that should come with a SNCO

One of my friends is an E-5, 11 years TIS, has a wife and two kids, deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, never been in trouble and is getting forced out of the Marine Corps for not getting selected for E-6. Glad to see the Air Force holds people to the same standards as the rest of the Armed Forces.

I don't really have an issue with somebody getting a position so they are paid what they would get as a civilian with their skill set but the issue comes in when you have people who use that ring to get what they want and you have somebody brand new in the band with E 6 Authority stop bullying other enlisted troops around or below their rank in demanding special treatment because of their ring because they're new and don't understand what it means to earn anything that's when there's a problem with this

I really don't care what anyone's opinion is on this - and the argument "other musicians on the outside struggle to make ends meet so this is a great way for them to get exposure and still get decent pay" has absolutely zero merit.
The military does not exist to promote and create the next Billy Joel or Kanye West. We exist to put warheads on foreheads, regardless of branch.
As I have said many times - "There are service-members, and then there are civilians with rent to own uniforms with 5 dollar trinkets on their collars."
The only thing this article does is bolster and reinforce that statement.

I know how proud I was when I had been awarded Sgt. E-5, during my Army service. This is a slap in the face to those who worked ling & hard to receive the grade the "ole fashioned" way.

Not possible

I understand that a musician is a specialty the Air Force wants for morale, but rank is earned. CCT is a specialty the Air Force needs, but you don't see them joining in at TSgt. Now if the Air Force wanted to give them a signing bonus, reenlistment bonus, or even SDAP, fine. That how you entice someone to that career. NOT giving away something that everyone else has spent years trying to earn. This is disgusting and a slap in the for all Airmen that have earned that rank. An airmen can stop a terrorist attack on a train in a different country, risking his life, and get step promoted to SSgt. Earned with his blood. 19yr old can sing, TSgt.

I've only been in for 13 years, so what do I know.

Air force is a business like everything else I guess. Obviously rank and commitment are only viable in the real military jobs. This is embarrassing for all branches because all the branches do it.

This is BS!!!

When I was in most of us were still E4 at almost 10 years, so it is a huge slap in the face to us who sold our blood to put diapers on our children, but I have a different opinion on the whole rank structure, if I had my way, no one would become and officer unless he or she had served as enlisted for a certain time, if you are going to lead me, I want to know you absolutely walked in my shoes.