What's the most unusual way you have seen someone receive notification of promotion?

When I was stationed in Alaska, I was told to report to my Commander's officer with my Flight Sergeant. On the drive over to the Commander, my Flight Sergeant told me I was under investigation in connection with some stolen equipment. When I walked into the Commander's office, there sat our First Sergeant, OPs officer and the various SNCO superintendents. My Commander asked if I knew why I was there, and I replied "Well, sort of, Sir". He then broke into a huge smile and slid the promotion paperwork out from under a stack of papers on his desk and said "Congratulations on your promotion to E-5!" He then said he was going to keep the charade about the stolen equipment going but thought I might faint. I called them a few names as they all laughed and congratulated me.

Sp4 I would haves to say myself, we were mounting up to do a first bloody sweep ( guess you could call any search and kill sweep bloody, always blood most of us would come out of the bush with blood on the fronts of our uniforms, they had a tendency to get that way). through the bush that would become Black Horse Base. My platoon leader walked up to C-24 the track I was back on C-24 and he (Platoon Leader) yelled up to me " Skinner your a Spec four now" and that was all he ever said to me about it.

In 1976 I was in Korea working as motor pool parts clerk since my MOS had been upgraded and I had not been trained yet. I was sitting at my desk going thru about 500 IBM punch cards for my quarterly inventory when my NCOIC walked in and tossed my collar rake on my desk and said "You've been promoted". I was in shock but at least I didn't have to go searching for an NCO shotgun to make parts runs anymore.

In 1976, the cut off score for me being E-6 was reached, just before leaving for Reforger. Since BG Dyke had been our Bde Cdr prior to his assignment as Dep Cdr of 8th ID, he wanted the honor of pinning our stripes on. There was also to be another 6 and one 5 promoted at that time. Their written orders came down, mine didn't. "Don't worry Sgt Fetty, we'll pin them and the paperwork will come down soon.". Sep... Oct... Nov... No orders. Change of Command in Company, Bn and Bde during that period... I'm still wearing SSG stripes with no orders.

One day I was called to the orderly room and the 1SG told me to Report to the Commanding Officer, in an official manner. This wasn't right, something had to be wrong. I went in, snappily reported, and was left at attention in front of the new CO. "Sgt Fetty, it's come to my attention that you have been impersonating a Staff Sergeant at least since my arrival here, and I won't accept this. Take them off" No room for explanation, just Take EM OFF!. I took them off and kinda tossed them onto his desk, more than a little angry that I wasn't given a chance to explain what was going on, and before I could get too much more upset, I heard from behind me ... "Attention to Orders, the following personnel...."

They had finally gotten even with me for some of the pranks that I was legendary for pulling and getting away with. But man, you talk about a relieved feeling....

In the spring of 1991, the day before the "official" list was released to unit commanders I happened to be presenting, as a TSgt, my unit's portion of the wing stand-up briefing at Lindsey Air Station, Germany. When finished, the wing CC commented that I had given a "pretty good MSgt brief". Surprised me to say the least. When I commented to him after the briefing was over that the list hadn't been officially released yet he said, "Trust me, but don't let your commander know that you know". Since this wing CC was not at all in my chain of command I felt pretty privileged that he would take the time to let me know about the promotion.

Ahh, yes, imagine if you will, walking across the local base auditorium stage to get your Community College of the AF degree (I already had a BA and MS so why not...) and getting your name butchered.. followed by an impolite pause and the words, he is the most recent selectee for Officers Training School... I don't remember walking off the stage... I report back to my Detachment and the CC just smiled and said "Gotcha"...

I was in a company formation and the 1SG was performing a full roll call. He called "Sergeant Hansen" and I didn't respond because there were a couple other hansens and they were both E-5 or higher and I assumed he meant them. He then looked directly at me and said "You are SERGEANT Grant Hansen, aren't you?".

More than a little surprised I replied, "Yes, 1SG!

Immediately following formation I went to the office, got my paperwork then went to supply and got a few new pin on ranks to replace my SPC rank.

A close second comes from when I was promoted from E-1 to E-2. Nobody told me anything. I got my paycheck and saw it was more than the previous month. Then I noticed the rank was E-2. I mentioned it to my Drill Sgt. and he said I must have been promoted and I should go get some rank for my collar.

In April 1949 I was a Recruit E-1 and somewhat of a disciplinary problem so when First Sergeant Skporniak called me to the Orderly room on a Friday afternoon and ordered me to report to Commanding Officer 2nd Lt. Sandrock at 0800 hours Monday morning I was concerned wondering what I had done now. When I asked !SG Skorniak for the reason of being required to report to the CO he told me I would find out Monday morning. I sweated bullets all weekend. That was probably the worst weekend thus far and by Monday morning I was a mess but I shaved and shined and reported to the Commanding Officer as ordered. I was shaking like a leaf by the time Lt Sandrock informed me I was promoted to Private E2.

Wow this the first time I've ever heard this, might happen but I think it's a rare occurrence

Me. I was working nights, (6p-6a), and the old sarge woke me out of a sound sleep about 10:30am. "Congrats Sinclair, you've been promoted to E-4." Thanks, ZZZZZ.