I do not know about the other branches of military, but in the army (while I was in) you were garunteed to be promoted through E4 Specialist within a certain time frame.
For example, six months in service you were automatically promoted to E2 (private second class). After one year you were promoted to E3 (Provate First Class) and after 26 months you made E4 (Specialist). Now I grant ya if you got in too serious of trouble ths did not happen, but it was still fairly automatic.
Do you think it should be like this for the non-commisioned ranks (non-sergeant) or should it be merit based? In other words you earned your rank not with time in service but with good and honorable behavior and work?

DUDE WHO CARES

E1 thru E4 should come with time. E5 you need to go to PLDC and also show merit for this rank as a junior leader of soldiers. Some Em's go only to E4 and then RCP out if they do not show they deserve the rank of E5. The Army ranking structure in my opinion is sound...

I don't let the automatic ranking up to E4. I had waivers for promotions before my TIS. I think theres a limit on how many you can get nowadays though. But, I saw several people get their TIS, but didnt get promoted due to them being turds.

because hte higher your rank, or the sooner you get to sergeant rank, the more responsibility you have. and if you are only at a certain rank because you have been in the military so long, then you are not likely to be responsible enough for the duties of that rank. Whereas if you had to EARN your rank, then you know the soldier would be responsible enough to perform the duties of that rank.

Alot of people do. Also, Id put a shirt on if I were you Bro,lol

E4 RCP is 9 or 10 years though

PLDC (aka: WLC), is a requirement for E6. Don't need it for E5

edit: whoops, read it wrong. Thought you meant it was needed for E5

Did they bring the retention control point (rcp) back then? When I got out in 99 it had been removed. It used to be mandatory that after so many years if you did not promote up, you could not reenlist or even stay in until the end of your contract. Thihs was ended because al ot of soldiers were intentionally doing something minor to ge tbusted down a rank (like not showing up on time or at all for clean up duty in the barracks) and then getting disacharged honorably for failure to make rank.

I care and he just interupted my reading...

he needs to be dropped..and yes put a shirt on...boy...

You do not need pldc (primary leadership development course) for E5 sergeant anymore? IS this the Army we're talking about?

rcp used to be E1-E3 6 years and E4 10 years, with a severance check if you were discharged due to it.

E5 Sergeant was 15 years (you had to make E6 within 15 years to stay in) and you had to be an E7 or higher to remain in after 20 years.

Required for E6. I went as a 4, know plenty that went after they had their E5(P)

Its cool Bro. We had one guy nicknamed weasel,lool. He was an E4 for like 10 years till they threw him out,lol

I believe its a requirement Bro. Some guys were promted to E5 while deployed in the gulf but had to take the course eventually when they came home

No Bro. Bnoc is for e-6

You go to Beer-noc as a 6, but you cant get your 6 until you have pldc

hmmm..

well I know my ex was in the Navy for 8 years as a BU3 and because there wasn't an opening for his job class to get promoted he got out with a seperation bonus of like 18k bucks.. I do know he did get into some trouble as well (not sure if thats why he didn't get promoted) he was kinda an idiot tho, lol.

I just joined the Air National Guard and because of some of my college credits I joined as an E3.. by December I will be an E4(time in rank).. and if I complete my 5 levels in power pro I will be an E5 in a few years.. So its all based on time and meeting the qualifications.. I think promotion should be based off of merit as well though.. I knew quite a few people who should not have advanced to the rank they are in..

Some are lucky enough to fast track, and are great soldiers. Buddy of mine made E7 in 9 years, another made E5 in 2 1/2 or so

dude getting up in rank is so unpredicatable it all depends who ur leaders are serioulsy , its all about the favorites and who ever kisses the most ass, my dad has been in the army for aobut 18 years and hes barely about to be promoted to seargeant first class, its bull **** but wat can u do, and my father has worked his ass off

or like when i was in Rotc who ever kissed the most ass would get promoted i never kissed ass, but i made a great leader cus i would challenge my leaders for there positions and i would take them

here is how promotion worked when I got out.


private through specialist you were promoted with no special training. To get Corporal you HAD to be in a leardership position as a specialist for a certain amount of time.
to get promoted to sergeant(E5) you had to go through PLDC, or Primary Leadership Development Course, and you had to go up in front of a review board and basically pass an oral exam. You could be promoted to sergeant without doing this, but you had one year from the date of promotion to complete pldc and the review board or you were taken back down untul you DID complete it.
In order to make Staff Sergeant, You had to go to BNOC, or Basic Non-Commisioned Officers Course, and you had to stand up in fornt of another review board. Again you could be promoted without but have one year to complete......

For Sergeant First Class (E7) you had to go to ANOC, Advanced Noncommisioned Officers Course, and a review board.

I do not remember what course was needed for first sergeant or Sergeant Major.

u have to go to my city for the Sergeant Major, were the only city in the US that has the Sergeant Majors Academy, and the biggest military base in the US, El paso Texas