What Rank Was The Most Challenging But Rewarding?

SSgt/E-5 (during sequestration & furloughs) was the most challenging and rewarding. With positions being lost, the work was not scaled back, but placed on the employees left in the unit. Therefore, personnel were pushed to their limit. I served in 3 positions and assisted others in finding answers to issues along with providing pointers on newly assigned duties. I learned I had to choose my battles all while standing up for my people (since the person that would normally do it had not arrived yet —5 month delay). We all learned together and daily PT was mandatory for my flight to keep those stress levels down!

I'd say Private.

I found that the rank of Major was the most rewarding and did not serve enough time in grade. I had been rifted out as senior 03 in the promotion zone right before met and ended up with a "Passed Over" instead of not eligible. This happened four more times prior to selection and date of rank. I was recalled for active duty for desert storm and then deep selected for 05. I was cheated of the most wonderful rank. The Marines consider a major as a senior officer and treated me as such. I would go out on sortie and get immediate response from other units as driving with 9th Motor Transport. Everyone wanted me to go on the sortie run either as Road Master or just an assistant driver. Yes we were that short, but earned the respect of all the marines in the battalion and did not go unnoticed by the skipper, who commented that Majors still needed to be out with the troops.

Corporal. I was a Cpl for 6 years and never had it removed when changing units. 5 was just hard to make in MOS 52D Power Generation Equipment Repair I had 794 out of 798 when I finally got picked up. But as a Cpl I held slots from SGT to SFC. The day I made my buck was a big relief but I still found being anything from a squad leader to a Motor Sergeant as an E-4 was a big part of why I was made a PSG as a SSG over several SFC and not only succeeded at it but excelled at it. Anyone who whines about but what about the pay just doesn't get what being a Non-Commissioned Officer and leadership are about. I had several friends who just didn't get it but they knew that even though it didn't fit them I wore it like a glove. So from a Motor Sergeant for THE MASH unit 43rd SH(MA) to Assistant Motor Sgt of the 1/4 Avn Bn Apache Bn or Squad leader of a Ground Support Team at 183rd Main Bn Cpl was the most challenging and fulfilling rank I held

2 LT was the most challenging and rewarding for me. I got my SSG "rocker" while I was in OCS, and thought about quitting. I stuck with it, though. When I got commissioned, however, I had a hard time getting my head around it. It was not what I'd expected. Especially the response from other NCOs. I eventually managed to handle it.

Buck sgt when I was in the Army.

2LT, A Butter Bar is supposed to lead men, but in reality, they need to listen to their NCOs that know better. They need to learn to lead by listening! It is sometimes very difficult because you are told you must lead, but you don't even know what that means.

Buck Sargent, getting all your lower enlisted friends to acknowledge that you're now an NCO, that gives orders that they all have to follow.
But they all knew, I know my shit, and that's why I got the only E-5 slot open in battalion, the EIB as a PFC helped too.
"All the way, and then some"

Officer Candidate School Cadet - last class of AF OCS 1963

second class po (E5) the responsibility is upped but not the bennies. It's like middle management elsware.