Regardless of military branch, which pay grade is most challenging to deal with?

As a Military Police Soldier, I can say without a doubt that FM/W (Family Member / Wife) wins this hands down! As all of my MP brothers and sisters will attest, 95% feel they are owed something, 40% feel they deserve the rights and privileges afford to their husband's rank, and 30% disregard the rights, responsibilities and privileges of others.

I would say anyone who is ROAD... Retired on active duty, those basically counting down the days till they are out and not giving 100% all the way through...

O-6's chasing a star.

SFC Mark Merino. This may be artifact of my specific generation, but I would say middle- aged senior male married military officers who felt we were in country for their personal entertainment . . . dinner, drinks, dancing too many nights. Warmest Regards, Sandy

Majors....... yes I was one of them. They have no authority, have puffed up attitudes, do only what the CO/CG tells them to, are not encouraged to have any ideas/initiative, and generally are miserable until they make LTC. Of course I was never like that (not) ....... I couldn't even stand myself.

SGT/E-5, The Dear Abby of the NCO Corp, Private Complain, Specialists Sham, SSG, and SFC expect Miracles and SGT is stuck in the middle, LOL

SFC Mark Merino, in my opinion it was E-7 in the Army, a lot of Seniors feel like their above the regulation and don't have to follow the regulation or listen to their subordinates concerns. It was always a hassle to communicate amongst the E-7 peer group. I spent 7 years and 8 months time in grade. It was a challenge for me in my opinion.

SFC Mark Merino, here's an unembellished true story for you. It was MAR83, and we were headed to the FRG for a "the Russians are coming!" exercise. We boarded a military charter stretch DC-8 (long narrow bodied fuselage) by unit. My unit boarded last, and therefore we went to the very back of the a/c. Back then, you could still smoke on airplanes and the back of the a/c was the smoking area, of course. I was the HHC CO and I was sitting with the Bn CO. He was a smoker, and when we reached altitude, the CO and about thirty others lit up and kept 'em going. I was a nonsmoker and after awhile, I could hardly see across the aisle for the smoke. I could no longer stand it, and went forward to hopefully find another seat.

I found one seat, in between two First Air Cav aviators (both WO1). These two were obviously quite young, and I was a 2nd year captain, with four years enlisted service to boot. They were spread out, with legs hanging over armrests, etc. I said, "I'm sitting in the smoking area, I'm a nonsmoker, and it's killing me. Do you mind if I sit between you?" They both just looked back at me with blank stares like I had three heads, didn't say a word and didn't make a move. I then changed my approach and said, "OK, here's the way it's going to be. Both of you move your legs and arms. I'm sitting right there." They immediately made way and I sat between them. Needless to say, none of us became buddies on that flight, but I thought they could have handled the situation much differently.

Ironically, there were two CW4s in HHC with me. They were both superstars. One in particular, was twenty years older, and became my good friend and mentor. In fact, I received much better counsel from him than I did the CO, XO or the S3. Although now deceased, I can still hear him saying, "Steve, you sure you want to do that?" I'd respond, "I don't know Tom, I'll think about it." I found that taking his advice was the right thing to do almost 100% of the time.
Considering the photo at the beginning of your discussion and the fact that you're Cav, I thought you might like the story!
Another 1LT Sandy Annala!
1LT L S

For me it was going from a Tank Platoon Sergeant to a Brigade Combat Team HHC 1SG. Hearding section E8's who has all been 1SG's already. Begging them for Joes to do work, and trying to maintain accountability. For the first six months all I heard from them was, "Hey First Sergeant, you need to _____________. When I moved to line company 1SG it was very simple, keep the Company Commander and the Battalion CSM happy.

The best rank I has was Platoon Sergeant. I had my four tanks, fourteen dudes, and a fresh butter bar to train. It was very fun and very rewarding.

For me it was the E-5 Sergeant. It was the most challenging position to deal with in others, and the most challenging to be.

It seemed that they were often over inflated, power hungry individuals who felt they had finally "Made it" and could suffer on to others as they had suffered themselves.

It was difficult AS an E-5 for me to try to maintain the discipline and authority an E-5 should have, within that culture. Especially when that is what was expected of me from above.

E-5's are not blunt instruments, and there is far more to teach a Soldier than PT and intimidation.