What is really the wisdom behind when you say "you create your own career"?

SSG (Join to see), great question. In my humble opinion, I think you can say it starts from the time you took the ASVAB. Did you take practice tests first to help prepare you for the real test so that you could achieve the best possible score in-order to obtain the best possible MOS that interested you. Everything after that is more or less in your hands. You have the choice to exceed all standards in PT, discipline, Military training, civilian education and the overall Soldier concept. One of my first Platoon SGT's once told me that you will get more out of the Army if you put more effort into the Army. You have to go beyond just making formations ontime, scoring a 250 on the APFT and just doing your job. You have to attempt to exceed the standards in all areas. Do more than your job. Volunteer for additional duties. Any tasks or duty position is not worth your time if you are not going to put total effort into it and make things better than how you found it. Attempt Soldier, NCO and Officer of the Year boards. Volunteer to being the UMO, UPL of SHARP/EEO NCO.....etc. Volunteer for color guard, attempt the SAMC or SGT Morales board. Try to take special assignments such as recruiting, Drill SGT, AIT Platoon SGT, Instructor/Writer or MOS and non-MOS specific broadening opportunities if possible. If you just want to coast and be average, then your career will be just that. It you want more out of your career, then it will take more effort.

Yeah I really don't know because I've done everything right and to the standard and it seems to get me nowhere. In the mean time others who are jacked up and sub standard reap the awards and get promoted. I don't get it. Somewhere along the line it seems the Army broke.

In my humble opinion it goes back to something an old SFC told me at my first duty station, he said "Lonnie, no matter how much anyone tells you they care about you, and they probably really will, you have to take care of yourself". He went on to tell me that meant taking the hard jobs, leadership jobs, extra jobs like Drill Sergeant-Recruiter-etc., stay within your grade unless opportunity dictates (and stay satisfied), take care of your Soldiers always, take care of yourself always (i.e. PT, school-back then the Army was a little different and he told me to take some time to better myself before I went out and enjoyed myself and that's what I did., etc.), stay humble (hardest part IMHO), stay grounded in your family (when it's all over, they are the ones left to deal with you). It meant to make sure that my records were perfect, and that I had the knowledge to know what perfect looked like as a SPC and after. It meant I knew WHAT were the right jobs. Most of my career was spent where the Army needed me, I asked to go to Drill Sgt School and they sent me. I asked to go to Airborne School and branch denied me, however with the intervention of my BC I made it to Fort Bragg. I tried to do that through the years, I think it worked for me as I succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. On top of what I've stated, the obvious is performing at your best in every job you are given. No matter what job or task you are given, it is you who determines how it is accomplished. My two cents.