Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Your rank in the military?

Failed the physical. Eyesight, hearing and weird feet.

Thanks to you all who did serve.

I know a woman who was in the same situation. She opted to retire as an O-6 and seems satisfied with her choice. That said, getting promoted to flag rank is a special achievement in any military organization and not one to be taken lightly.

O-3 in the Army. Did five years. 13A Seems like a long time ago and time really flies.

CTI3 - E4 Third Class Petty Officer, tho I picked up 2nd Class as I was getting out, just never got to put it on.

Definitely. When she was asked by the 2 star she works for if she was interested in a star, she said no. I told her to go in there and rescind that no and think about it. I know she is ready to be done, but I don't want her to regret the choice. There's a big jump from 0-5 where I finished to O-6 where she is now, and an even bigger jump to O-7, so I really want her to be OK with the choice either way. My ego can survive being married to a General.

I should think so! That's a hell of a "Pink" ID car to have. Good on her.

Maybe she will reconsider that. It's a pretty big deal.

CW3

Sgt. E-5.....U.S. Army July 1967-June 1970.

USAF 1956-1960. E-3. There were few promotions in the AF at the time, but our Army and Navy counterparts made good rank. We provided OJT training to Navy CTs (like Teal) who got out of tech school with more rank that we experienced airmen had. I did an E-5 job as an E-3. You could tell the supervisors by their faded stripes. Best friend from HS was in an Army company (ASA) next door to us, and he was a four stripe sgt. before the end of his three year hitch.

It didn't sit well with veteran airmen when some Army or Navy NCO tried to pull rank. Saw a couple of fights in the NCO club over that.

Luck of the draw, the times. Later there was a heck of a deal with an early out and reenlistment that would have quickly resulted in two promotions and proficiency pay, but my separation date was three days too early to make the cutoff, so I did the full four years to the day, and got out with my faded two stripes and a Good Conduct medal. Missed the Korean GI Bill by six months too. Can't complain too much. Picked up the Vietnam era GI Bill in 1966, and got an Expeditionary medal a few years later when they recognized that I had served in a hot zone. Also, 20 years later got a couple of medals from the Republic of China, presented by an ambassador at a big Chinese dinner event in Chicago for their national holiday. Nice of them.

Thank you all that served.

ROTC and a high draft lottery was as close as I got. I still have my draft cards from College, you were supposed to have them on your person at all times. When I was In college the draft designation changed for a little deferment for being in school...

When I was in (02-06) - the services picked up rank pretty even, except for AF. They were stuck at E3 longer than we were in the Navy but by the end of 4, we were all E4s at a minimum. Differences being sea services have E4 as NCOs and the others don't. Most Navy were looking at E5 tho right at that 4 year mark and my AF friends had to go a while longer - it seems.

When I finally finished college and started grad school in 1970, I ran into a guy in the hall who had been an E-2 supply clerk in my last squadron. Going to college under an AF education and commissioning program. Later I saw in an alumni newsletter that he was a Captain. I'd have given my right nut for a deal like that. Like I said, the times. Missed Vietnam, nobody shooting at me, although the ChiComs threatened us constantly.

Side note. Our base security was provided by Nationalist troops, who were mostly Chinese Communist POWs from Korea who chose to go to Taiwan and serve in the Nationalist army rather than be repatriated to the mainland. Not a warm fuzzy feeling.

TM-3 (SS) in the Navy..

My bunkmate in basic was a TM - they merged with GM in 07.

1 year 11 months 27 days reg.active Army. Discharged as Spec.5 Swaped 1 year active for 1 year National Guard.
1 year US Army National Guard--- Spec. 5

Basic NCO Course.

BNOC is what all the army types in my shop called it when I was there.

They were E4 and hated the Army - get picked up for Bnoc and E5 - came back as devout followers off all things green.

For me it was PLDC, BNOC1, BNOC2, ANOC1 and ANOC2 in that order just to get to E-7 Plus I threw in a Blackhawk school for 7 weeks July and August 2001. My basic and AIT was in 1973. I was out for 8 years and went back in in 1985.
kwg