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

It really doesn't matter. She's in the Air Force band. She'll likely never be in a position to give an order that actually matters...

Thought I got a pretty good deal when I came in, should of been a musician!!! Think TSgt is a bit much, SrA would have sufficed.

I went through a guy in basic that was part of the singing sergeants group and made E-6 straight out of basic. Only reason they wouldn't let him wear his tech stripes at graduation is because he would have outranked our TI.

This isn't anything new. USAF Band members are required to be a TSgt or above. I don't know when this policy was started but I learned this in 2001 while TDY to the White House.

30-year retiree here with a music degree who spent a short time as a bands officer. This one's real simple folks: for the "premier bands" in all services, there is a level of music professionalism required that we simply won't get unless we hire it at E-6. Whether we SHOULD have premier bands that require that level may be subject to debate, but the fact that the level requires hiring at advanced grade is beyond reasonable debate by those aware of all of the relevant facts.

Thus is policy for all the services , this Tech SGTight have opted to join "Pershing Own" USArmy Band as an E-6 etc they are talented musicians and must audition etc , be able to read music in most cases depending on what they are trying out for. They are filling a need in a time honored corp with ability that most only dream of possessing period , it's the same way we recruit Doctors , nurses, lawyers pilots

I'm sure she deserved the rank a lot more then some Ssgt with 3 or 4 deployments away from his/her family who has been in for years and has their own airmen they are actual responsible for.

She's still a boot.

Choose your rate, choose your fate!!!

As long as they are not put in a position to be in charge of another MOS it is basically ceremonial and only for looks but the problem is it's still a real rank everyone else has to work for. In this case it's the age that people take issue with but think about this if someone in civilian life is a board certified surgeon and goes to OCS they are not coming in as a 2LT but no one will take issue because of the age and experience. In both cases neither earn the rank within the military but one has skills that are needed not only on the battlefield but everywhere else too and the other is strictly for ceremonies/entertainment. The band is in the military but only on the fringe so nothing to be concerned with as they are not in competition for anyone else's stripes.