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

It is what it is. On the music sid eof the military rank is diffrent. In the Navy band I whisk all come as E6 because most have degrees. Shoot I saw a Chief with 3 ribbons and I think six year so service if not less. Again it is because of the job and their requirement. If you want to have a high rank early go sing or play an instrument.

I went to NCOA with a band member who had been in almost 2 years. She freely admitted that she had no idea what everyone else did and was a bit overwhelmed over the experience there. We had a "WTH" moment but we were able to put her rank in a context of her duty. Some MOSs/AFSCs require a measure of experience to go along with rank. There are exceptions were people are fast burners and face it we've all dealt with someone with "just rank" and had no idea what they were doing, but she'd be playing and instrument/singing in a small group for her career. We'd never have to deal with her on the operational side so she was more of a interest story...but it makes me wonder, if promotions were set up like this for me, would I be Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps...or a double whammy and also pull off Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. Dreams.

Okay, so are you upset when a doctor off the street gets an automatic promotion to Captain or above? The first Defense Intelligence Agency Director was commissioned in the USAF as a 1 Star (Who also fathered AFOSI)... This is how the band is set up and most crest out at E-7, and many of these musicians have bachelors and masters degrees in their respective art.

I have a very good friend who is at the Great Lakes Navy Boot camp as we speak and will be an E6 at graduation this coming November.

A little about her: She has music degrees from John Hopkins and Carnegie Mellon. She also has played for the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Delaware Symphony Orchestra, and Richmond Symphony Orchestra. She also teaches music on the side.

In my opinion E-6 is a huge step down, but she wants to serve in the Navy.

I am very proud of her and plan on attending her graduation.

This is true for all special bands. I thought this was common knowledge.

Yes, members of AF band come in as a TSGT automatically.

Throughout my (now retired) career I have seen folks occasionally jump this way, based on scores, available competition, and PFE ratings. So she's good, knows what she's doing, caught a break or two. All good.

What a farce.

It has been this way since I enlisted in 1970. AF bands are an integral part of recruitment, morale, and public relations. I had to struggle to obtain my rank, but whenever I heared a tight and dynamic USAF band, I was just glad they sounded so damned good. They wouldn't be so good if they recruited musicians willing to play for an E-2's salary.

Some of the bands are handled similar to Dr's and Lawyers. While some bands are filled with Airmen from within the Air Force, others are filled by direct accessions of professional musicians similar to how Dr's and Lawyers are brought on. Only the musicians are not officers, but they get fast enlisted promotions to try to get their pay up to similar levels as other civilian musicians.

Most of the people reading this now are saying they want to get their pay up to that same level fast too!