Getting the most rank when joining the army

Here are some possible ways that you might be able to rank up fast in the Army.
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**Disclaimer: I make videos on topics i have direct experience with as well as indirect experience with to help save some people the time to have to research the topic on their own. Be aware mistakes can be made as well as changes can be made by the Army. Its best to use my content as a reference but if needed you should always talk with an Army recruiter for more information on a topic. **

[@dougtheeliminator1077]

Another good topic! The MOS of musician was always a fascinating one. My buddy, who is a retired Marine told me an interesting story about his time during his stay at the MEPS hotel when he enlisted. He was at the hotel bar the night before he shipped out and a prospective Marine recruit was playing the piano as good as Elton John. My buddy asked him if he was going in as a "musician." He said, "I tried, but you have to be able to read music." He basically taught himself to play the piano and never read a note of music in his life. Interesting, "qualified, but not qualified." LOL!!

[@BitcoinCapital]

nothing more humbling then starting as an E-nothing cherry-turtle and manning a Guardpost in the DMZ -Korea just out of Basic. btw: LOVE your channel, Thank you!

[@mykejohnson582]

Right that is another quick way to get rank as well, going on an overseas hardship tour and you do everything clean and orderlie you will gain rank just as fast, i served overseas in Korea as well, i did 2 hardship tours over there it was'nt easy, neither hard just kinda right in the middle although i was a single soilder then, but made E-4 in less than the 2 years i was there i went to the board passed with flying colors and was about to go to PLDC/Warrior training but time ran out and i PCS'ed to the states i was basically promotable as i had all qualifications, scores i needed, all kinds of rewards im just saying this another way, but overseas is not for everybody, only the strong survive and that"s Real.

[@jesspeters1611]

No one goes overseas out of BCT. Everyone goes through some form of advanced training.

[@cryptopunkz]

Amazing videos, real informative. Keep up the great job!

[@BBC_The_Mythical]

Bro I love the transparency in your videos. You’ve definitely helped me make my decision 🫡💯

[@christopherchaos]

Nice. Good luck.

[@JohnDoe-pf6qp]

If JROTC is available at your high school, or a school near to you, I strongly recommend you do at least two years of it and do the summer activities. It's a good way to get a little sample of military life before you make any commitments, and you can typically go in as an E3. Which is pretty good bang for your buck when you consider that getting a BA or a BS costs many thousands of dollars and only gets you E4. It does provide you some helpful tools: if you go in knowing how to march, do land nav, understanding ranks/chain of command structures, Army jargon, and so on you'll have a head start in BCT/OSUT.

[@who346]

Yes j r o t c, and take college courses.... Maybe trade school.... Also make sure the mos is promoting... Instead being stagnant for years...

[@jthavorn]

For the 15th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: a brand new chaos video!!!

[@Globbzy]

AND A BUNCH OF ARMY RANKS FORRRR MEEEEEEEE

[@staff6653]

Can you make a video of how you can do different MOSs in the army to build your Army career

[@CZuskia]

Remember all of us when you get famous, Chris! 82.9K now, but I'm sure you'll have far more later on!

[@tremere40k]

When I joined the ANG in 93 as a split-op in 11th grade I enlisted as an E-2, due to being in my 3rd year of jrotc. Did my basic training that summer. Then after a month back from basic I was promoted to E3, and was backtracked pay as an e-3 for my time at Basic.

[@Austintknight]

Ranger school will max out promotion points!

[@VGMRMissCoriel]

I wanted to sign up one of my friends in the army when I Was getting in.. but aside from the one already in the army, everyone else was overweight and too lazy D:. No PV2 for me lol. (we had a thing that ranked you up to Pv2 if you got someone else to join with you)

[@azcop2]

Great way to get rank , is after high school, go to college earn a degree in anything and enlist as an officer. Better yet, enlist in ROTC if available at your college. A lieutenant will earn more than an enlisted person.

[@brett76544]

Or come in as a specialist for the NG where some states pay off the college bill. I watched this one kid come in, 6th in like for being the mayor of Philadelphia (sure well connected family) for the cav out of philly. This is the best bang for the buck.

[@huntersmith4554]

So for starters you commission as an officer not enlist… and you don’t enlist in ROTC.

[@azcop2]

@@huntersmith4554 you are correct . However, obtaining a commission is the pathway to achieving highest rank possible.

[@huntersmith4554]

I’m tracking that lol

[@davel9252]

@@huntersmith4554 used to be you could enlist if you went to and graduated college. At least in the army. You would have the rank of specialist. Then you would have the option of going to ocs after basic.

[@ImNotCreativeEnoughToMakeUser]

What I reccomend doing is enlisting in the shortest contract you can get, then use that enlistment to get "free" college. Once you have a degree in something, re-up as an officer. By doing this, you have previous experience, high pay, and a college degree that comes with less debt than a civilian. Another added bonus is that having previously been an enlisted, the people under you may have more respect/ willingness to work with you. Alternativley, if you want a quick carreer with fair pay, get an MOS as some sort of specialist in the ARNG

[@roysmith2946]

I've seen musicians come in as high as E5, E6, & E7. They played for the U.S. Army Band (in D.C); not a Division or Corps Band.

[@Fede_uyz]

Notification platoon reporting for duty

[@EddieGTV]

Cringe

[@marthaavila373]

@@EddieGTV cool

[@skytheskid9366]

Nah we a notification battalion

[@armannstraughter3296]

@@EddieGTV Come on, it's a joke.

[@joshjered6462]

Getting an ALC slot while you're trying to reclass.....super badass 👌

[@nickrichardson2164]

I subscribed for the sword of omens and the title belt in the background.... thundercats and wwf/wwe was my childhood

[@AdrianMartinez-ek4kl]

Great video!

[@600GRANT]

11B went from E-1 to E-6 in 6 years back in 2003, not sure if they changed the TIS/TIG requirements since but I wouldn't doubt it if they did.

[@deathdealercavscout]

I made E-6 in 5 1/2 years. My MOS was 19D Cavalry Scout. I studied my manuals issued and was married as an E-4. I just went for it! I had to get waivers for time in grade and time in service both times. I had do the NCO academies first of course. I retired in 95’.

[@therealshatown]

Im about to enlist within the next week or so as 25B (IT Specialist) my recruiter said he can set me up as an E3 right out of basic. I havent done anything as far a ROTC or any prior "Future Military" programs

[@therealshatown]

@@damoab1909 LMAO too late. I got the 25B slot i wanted and i ended up volunteering airborne in AIT. With the unit im with, ill be doing some combat related things, but my main goal is to get IT certifications and a degree in cybersecurity in the 5 years i have left in my contract, so that when i get out, i can get a good job

[@Coyote-wm5op]

There’s been one consistent mos that I’ve seen promote quickly. Medics 68W. As long as they pass PT, competent in their job, responsible, and go to schools with a positive attitude, you’ll move up. Bonus there’s hot chicks in that mos. Even has job opportunities as a civilian.

[@aegisofhonor]

If you want the max rank the fastest possible in the army. these are things that need to be done to really stand out and get rank very fast in the Army. 1. Have a 4 year degree from the start, this gets you an automatic promotion to E-4 upon graduating basic training, also gives you the maximum number of civilian education points up through E-6. If you don't have a degree, work on one asap to get those easy promotion points. even after E-6, having a degree is considered in any promotion assessment and I can guarantee any promotion board will look more positively on a soldier that has a degree over one that doesn't and most other factors are equal. 2. Be in good enough shape to get a MIMIUM of 450 and to be honest probably closer to 500 points on the Army Combat Fitness Test. 3. Be an expert rifleman during your qualifications, better yet, get a marksman award at boot camp. 4. At AIT, ace every test, continue getting 500+ on your ACFP, expert rifle, show maximum effort and motivation at all times, impress your leadership to the point where they recommend you for Airborne school. 5. Ace Airborne school and get a recommendation for RASP, pass RASP and become Ranger qualified, earning that coveted Ranger Tab so you can show up to your first unit with your Airborne and Ranger tab. 6. Ace your job performance reports, always show up on time, pass your barracks inspections, continue to get 500+ on your ACFT, and do everything you can to get recommended for soldier of the quarter and soldier of the year from your unit. 7. Do your Army Correspondence Course and NCO leadership course as well as any other training courses as soon as you have training slots available to do it. This may be difficult for your first year as because you already went through RASP and Airbourne, you probably have expended all your training slots for the year, but if your commander gives you even the SLIGHTEST opportunity to do your ACC or other training course, get it done as soon as you can to get that done and ready so get you on track for Sergeant, this is your ticket to 3 stripes faster then most soldiers even get Spec. 7. Make sure your PPW (promotions points worksheet) and and other paperwork is up to date, don't let information be months old. There are so many sad stories of people missing promotion cut offs only because their PPW and other paperwork was not properly up to date and didn't get things they have done added to it. If anything is missing from your PPW, do it as soon as you can. Show up to your boards with the maximum number of points and your PPW updated and pass that promotion points threshold to get that next promotion. 8. Have a good positive attitude across the board, don't think of yourself alone, think of those soldiers around you, be a good leader, help others when they need help, and keep in mind your just one piece in a 600,000 strong puzzle that keeps the Army going. If your commanders think for a second your in it just for you, they will make sure you are slowed down to a crawl and those stripes and rockers will come slower. 9. Live and breath Army knowledge, get all the basics down pat, ace every board as best you can. 10. Take on tough assignments, when you get E-5, become a Drill Sergeant, maybe apply for the Old Guard, take difficult commands in tough parts of the world most soldiers don't want to be, show your willing to do the heavy lifting. None of these are easy, and to do all of these requires so much time and effort, most just can't imagine going through all of that, but for the few that can do it and stay on the ball their whole Army career, they are the ones that earn the star between the three stripes and three rockers in 20 years while their peers they graduated boot camp still in 20 years later are still on 2 rockers.

[@fanman71]

Just an FYI for your point #5, RASP is for the 75th Ranger Regiment, not Ranger School/Tab. You do not need to go through Ranger Assessment & Selection Program if you are merely looking to attend Ranger school & o back to another unit.

[@mykejohnson582]

Also serve overseas volunteer for hardship tours if possible, and go on unit duty rotations, also train in other fields related to your unit.

[@tyshandraoconnor7696]

Hey can you touch base on the press release they had today about fort hood?? Would love to hear more about what's going on in your opinion, thank you!

[@greglir]

If you enlist as member of the Army band you get E-6 60 days after basic training. You have to audition for the part and be accepted before joining.

[@swatsvg1121]

Thanks. Im now Private first class.

[@kevinhealey6540]

I retired from the army. I told a guy who told me he was in the infantry that maybe it would have been best it I joined the infantry. He told me the training is very rigoros and risky. If you go in as an officer, if during your military career you get just one bad evaluation report, you can hang your career up. If you want get promoted it's not hard. You just have to learn certain information. The way to do it is, read the information out loud to yourself. This way you get it three ways, seeing, hearing and speaking.

[@rsm1161]

Easy path. Jr summer of high school join the Army national guard go through basic (They call this the split ops option). Complete senior year of high school then go to AIT. Being national guard you get 100% tuition wavier and get your bachelors, now commission as an active duty officer at 22. Your welcome. *Not all states have a tuition waiver.

[@xenojester13]

Military Intelligence (All Source Intel Analyst) fastest rank in the Army. plus 100 percent WOC selection.

[@kekelaward]

With increased rank comes increased responsibility. If you can't handle that responsibility, it's best that you don't get the rank.

[@kanestankey1872]

I just graduated BCT with an E-4 who is a 42S

[@Amoung_Thieves]

I love how i just discreetly flexed on so hard in that intro

[@cody4238]

Hey this may be a stupid question but does anyone know if Jrotc credits still count if you're join a few years out of high school?

[@edwardvaldez4467]

Since college was still stuck with me I can still enlist as a e3 Or a e4 in the navy

[@JohnDoe-pf6qp]

In the Navy/Marine Corps E4 is an NCO position (competitive promotion), so you can't go in at that paygrade. The Army allows it because in the Army E1-E4 are automatic time in service promotions as long as you don't have conduct issues, and E5 is the first competitive promotion/NCO rank.

[@edwardvaldez4467]

@@JohnDoe-pf6qp Oh If I associate degree And I Do have been in JRotc I can Only Join as a Seaman E3 ?

[@tylerhill1751]

Another one. MOS 74D, star MOS with really low promotion points. Can make E-5 from E-1 in 2.5-3 years

[@xzaviermorton327]

You can go through ROTC in college, and if you don’t want commission after graduating from college through ROTC, then you’ll be an E5.

[@linkk.mccree4853]

Notification Platoon a little slow but ready for duty

[@ashleyjones8597]

Fun fact. If you gained the rank of Eagle Scout in the boy scouts, you qualify to start as an E-3.

[@TMNg0438]

Had a master in social work when I attempted to join Air force and she wanted to start me as E3 because "officer is for those already in military". Then I learned social work is a direct commissioned field and am working with Army recruiter and if accepted will join as Lt. 1st class.

[@tylerhill1751]

Think you mean a First Lieutenant (1LT) no such rank as Lieutenant first class

[@TMNg0438]

@@tylerhill1751 correct. sorry

[@snoop05]

Army speedrun private to General in just 1 month!

[@TheTechnocrat78]

Blue Face hunnits!!

[@protonneutron9046]

My son joined the Navy at 18 E1. After boot camp, two years of School and promoted to an NCO upon school completion. Pretty easy

[@TheReaper-ep2cq]

Fun fact on my CAC I have the rank of SGT, but that is because I am an contracted ROTC cadet, not because I have served in the army for a certain amount of time.

[@TheHeyDood]

Civil Affairs as well...I know a few smart guys in the Army reserve who graduated college, entered as a E4 and ranked up to SSG within 5 years of service. Very smart guys and they had to be selected, but they loved that career field.

[@christiandinero8083]

I want to go 18x. Should I graduate the Q course boom E6

[@DevinWardMusic]

About to sign up as a 42R

[@GothGirlRaven13]

Dont forget 68W you can join as a E4 if you have a national EMT certification

[@zac5220]

Emt basic work?

[@GothGirlRaven13]

@@zac5220 from what my recruiter told me, yes if you have the national certification for EMT- B you can enlist as an e4

[@originalstanman.]

My recruiter hooked me up with a referral. I didn’t even know that he had put someone under my name, now I’m going in as a PV2 but at the moment I’m preparing myself to take the future soldiers pt test so I can come in as a E-3

[@dbr4338]

Good luck bro, the future soldiers is easy just make a good study plan to remember it well because it helps. Also the PT test is very important because it is part of your "military resume"

[@rileybrock344]

Now if you graduate the SF Q course you are automatically promoted to E-6 instead of E-5 even if you join with an 18x contract you become SSG once you graduate q course

[@Symple09]

Not always

[@alfredpaquin3563]

#1 Study you TMs and FMs. #2 Accept any challenge. #3 Beat down the door of the training NCO. I went from E-3 to E-7 in 8 years in Tactical Communications.

[@James-qn3wi]

The Army needs to fix their ranking system.

[@dasnas2843]

Facts

[@davontahenry6904]

Just enlisted. No college or anything so going in as e1, 91b anything I can do to get to E2 in basic?

[@christopherchaos]

If you do really well on things like the ACFT, weapons qualification and other things then the drill sergeants might put you in for early promotion but no guarantees.

[@pauloneal8958]

I had JROTC in highschool. I did 3. Years of JROTC

[@anthonybrown9678]

I think BSA Eagle Scouts come in as PFCs

[@generalinbox3740]

Does all this hold up in 2023

[@markvandolah7570]

Was able to get PFC by passing a AFPT before entering.

[@gabsab7667]

Does the army have honor grad and meritorious pfc in basic ?

[@christopherchaos]

Sort of. At times if they have a soldier that stands out in basic they might promote them early and mention them during the graduation ceremony.

[@derdachshund]

Earning Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts = PFC. Went into Basic as an E-3 then E-4 a year later and then E-5 shortly after. Was 11B1P.

[@k.jsteez9284]

Got my PFC rank the same way. how long did it take for you to achieve E4?

[@mykejohnson582]

@@k.jsteez9284 I made E-4 in 18 months overseas in Korea of course i did 2 years hardship tours, and was literally Promotable to E-5 six months after PCS'ing back to the states, i took ROTC during High school for 3 years but i did'nt get the credit for it came in as an E-0 then bimm soildered my way up!

[@gabrielrosa9469]

I currently have my commercial drivers license class a , and I recently talked to a recruiter he told me that since I have my cdl I can potentially start as a e4 I wana know if he’s just blowing smile up my a** or if he is indeed telling me the truth ? Because I am interested in a few other mos’s

[@dragster9886]

Maybe but probably only for 88m or similar mos My friend in basic got specialist because he is a EMT and went combat medic 68w but that was the only mos he would have gotten specialist with

[@gabrielrosa9469]

@@dragster9886 ooh ok thanks for the info its crazy im actually grtting my emt cert also lol

[@rileybrock344]

Security Forces Advisement Brigade

[@MonsterRhymez]

So if I graduate from OSUT as pfc, and go through special forces will I go from pfc to Sargent or will I hit e4 in the process?

[@christopherchaos]

From what I've seen they will promote you to E4 during the Q course and then to E5 by the time for complete the Q course.

[@devinlindberg253]

I had a PSG who was in SOAR on his ERB he made E3, 4, and 5 the same day after completing SOCM

[@xzaviermorton9864]

You can do ROTC and enlist in the Army as an E5, if you don’t want to be an officer.

[@christopherchaos]

E4 is the highest enlisted rank you can come into the Army as and it requires a Batchelors degree.

[@xzaviermorton9864]

@@christopherchaos even with college ROTC?

[@rarelibra]

if you are an Eagle Scout you can go in as an E-3

[@nwj03a]

You can’t really get very high, maybe a practiced doctor or something. Gotta do that time. Plus TIS is gonna stop you right where you start for a hot minute.

[@nate654]

Don't suck at PT, be knowledgeable on ones MOS. If you suck at either or both, do more on your free time, and you'll stick out like a sore thumb compared to those who are just getting by.

[@collateral9159]

Im hoping i fit in well. going 31 B and wanting to start college as soon as i get out of OSUT

[@coreymurray8422]

So what Rank could someone get going in if they were an Eagle Scout and did JROTC?

[@heainzmanoj156]

Commander in Chief

[@Berto_562]

I had to do past a pushup situp and 2 mile run plus my future soilder and I failed my run but when I went back to retake it I ended up doing a test for my mos and killed it so then one of the recruiters said alright you passed both tests. I'll be joining with as a e2

[@dbr4338]

Nice bro, keep it up

[@elliottgrado8361]

I’m basic training do they do the horn music that is supposed to tell trainees to wake up

[@christopherchaos]

Like in the barracks? No. Drill sergeants are usually just yell. If your talking about the song that plays when they raise the flag, that is usually done at 630AM and you are already awake by then.

[@who346]

Revelry. Usually at 6am and another at 500pm...

[@RioluAuraSphere]

Only time you’ll sleep and wake up by “horn music” is in ait when you don’t have a wake up on your weekends. In basic, you’re up well before the horn plays and are already doing pt or concluding it when it plays. So get ready.

[@vel6979]

Do you have to sign a long 6 year contract to get fast tracked promotion or is a 4 year doable?

[@devinlindberg253]

Contract length doesn’t matter.

[@dasnas2843]

I think it would be easier to get promoted on a 3 year contract. Plus you get most of your money's worth based on your rank

[@jerryKB2GCG]

Is there a higher rank if you join with a Masters degree or PhD?

[@christopherchaos]

Nope.

[@jurban611]

Notification platoon.

[@83mikl1]

You only need 3 years of jrotc in high school to get pfc

[@Haynes30]

Do Rangers promote faster as well?

[@devinlindberg253]

No, they have the same promotion rates however, if they come out of Bat after a deployment or 2 and go to 10th mountain, 101st, or 82nd they will promote you extremely fast based solely on your experience they want you to lead. We had a guy come from Bat as an E5 and got kicked out of Bat for drinking with his Rangers so he was RFS’d and when he came here he said his bio at his board sent to ALC and picked up E6 in less than a year of coming to 10th mountain

[@CAARaeed]

How would you join as an officer?

[@ShangosAx]

There are multiple ways. Most come through ROTC but OCS , West Point and direct commissions are other options.

[@RoninClips333]

Why is the office the dark side?

[@TheEpicLJ]

When he doesn’t talk about chaplains I start shaking my head (Chaplains come into the army as captains)

[@christopherchaos]

Because the primary focus is on enlisted, not officer. You can also come in higher as a doctor but I did not mention that because the main focus is enlisted like I said in the video.

[@TheEpicLJ]

@@christopherchaos yeah but you always give some mention officer generally so after the like 5+ vids you’ve done on this topic I am just expecting it to happen eventually

[@Austintknight]

Chaps come into the army as a 2LT while in CHOBLC... they spend around 9 months as a 1LT then CPT.

[@jonyoung6405]

They also have 6-8 years of college.

[@pauloneal8958]

How hard would it be for a medic to make a doctor

[@christopherchaos]

They would get a little advantage learning some basic medical but would still have to go to med school.

[@bootleg_ax8813]

Hey is there anyone who is joining the army national guard or thinking about it? If so please get in contact with me I have just joined and I would like to help out some people and get some referrals as well to try and get to an e2 as quick as possible. Please and thank you!

[@MsG_executor]

It's easy if you make it easy.

[@kingbravo4978]

hey bro are you doing a Q & A anytime soon?

[@kingbravo4978]

@Jason Fructose I have no idea maybe he couldn't get to it.

[@christopherchaos]

New years Eve will be the next live stream and it will be several hours long.

[@bigandfluffy2000]

So I'm 34 and I'm doing my ASVAB and MEPS in 3 days, how do I rank up fast now? 🤣 I've got 10 years experience truck driving if that helps

[@anthonyroberts2678]

If you are wanting rank for the money, and not because you are passionate about leading and contributing, you are in it for the wrong reasons!

[@mcbins1993]

Hii

[@gaythugsmatter7029]

"How to rank up fast"

[@stt577]

2021 maximize xp no bs guide

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

True Army story, I saw a female PAO(public affairs) go from E-2 PV2 to CPL E-4 in 12mo. Fort Lee VA, 1990s. The young PAO troop could not even work a camera! 📹. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@mykejohnson582]

Her MOS points were probably at their lowest as i seen some of the same thing when i was overseas in Korea except it was a guy, it was in 1995 at the time i just joined and i was an E-2, Sep.95 by the time Aug.1996 came i was an E-4 and still had one year left to go in Korea (Hardship tour) the qualifications for rank varied for instance if you served overseas back then and you volunteered to extend for at least an additional 12 months you were promoted for that purpose alone, hell i seen E-7's doing and filling 1SG's slot next thing you know now he's wearing and rocking 3 full bars on the bottom with the diamond in the middle, E-4's filling in as NCOIC's at their place of duty, myself included at that time in the 90's pretty wild site, and very confusing for the up and coming new soilders, i think i served with you back then at Ft. Lee Va. is where i went to when i came back to the states i was in 49th Grp. Svcs.Bn.(54th QM co.) from 1997-1999.

[@holyspot8964]

Its ALL about pt

[@thereflexboxer2ndlt550]

I’m a 09R

[@xavoron1369]

Wait, hoe do you get paid? You don't have the verified checkmark?

[@sylerkiller623]

What does mos mean

[@ChickentNug]

Military Occupational Specialty. It means job, pretty much

[@jaidenmead1239]

Pinecone

[@edwardnakagawa593]

** GETTING UP TO A HIGHER RANK ? YOU ! BETTER KNOW ? WHAT THE HELL ! YOU DOING ? THE *ARMY, AINT NO * EASY * RIDE ! * MEN ! * KNOW ! *THAT !

[@edwardnakagawa4262]

** YOU MUST PROGRESS, YOU HAVE TO LEARN YOUR JOB,TIME IN RANK,MATTERS, MATURITY,AGE,THE PROMOTION BOARD,IT AINT GUARANTEED ! I KNOW, I DID IT ! NOTHING IS EASY !

[@LA_Commander]

Bottom line guys, if you want to make rank you need to be in the combat arms. If you do a good job as a soldier you WILL make rank in those jobs because so many guys drop out after a few years. I was able to make SFC before I hit 29 years old. A friend of mine the same age same time in service was clerical and he was just making SGT. There is a big difference from E5 to E7, believe me.

[@Staticjumper]

Well, I wasn't combat arms, I was counterintelligence. I made the E8 list with less than 16 years time-in-service. Bottom line? Seek out challenging positions, accept more responsibility, never turn down a school, volunteer for high-profile and dangerous jobs. Make yourself a better NCO and the rank will follow.

[@LA_Commander]

@@Staticjumper Those are all great points Paul. Well said. Yes, there are those certain rare specialty MOSs that can have really good promotion potential if you apply yourself. But many MOSs have cutoff scores of like 998 out of 1000 and so there is very little chance of getting E5 or E6 unless you reclass. As a general rule, combat arms are the way to go if you want to rank up. Just do a headcount of all sergeants major across the Army.

[@Staticjumper]

Yeah,​@@LA_Commander, I do have a confession. I was an MP for my first 7 years and like you said, the points would hover around the high 900's for months on end then dip a hundred or two and then right back up. The day my reclassification for CI became official I made the cut off for E-6 with a hundred points to spare. But a big part of it was also that I was always ready. Not once but TWICE I was bumped to the top of the list for PLDC and BNCOC because the soldiers over me on the Order Of Merit list weren't ready and the unit had the infamous "use or lose" slot. Then after reclassifying I volunteered for Airborne (rare in my MOS) and served in an SF group. I was never chasing promotion or awards but when something crazy came up, "Hey, count me in"!​

[@LA_Commander]

@@Staticjumper Yes, the "use or lose" policy on schools is Army-wide under the ATRRS system. I was a training NCO for a while, and the competition to get school slots for your soldiers is intense! If a unit, say a battalion, does not fill the slot, it must try to fill it with someone from another battalion in the same brigade and if the slot goes unfilled, they not only lose that particular slot, but they lose it permanently for next year as well. So it doesn't just affect this year's training, it affects the future years as well. A school "no show" really kills the unit. Plus the unit commander and CSM get a major ass chewing for slots that go unfilled. This represents the funding stream and all that. Often a unit is desperate to have ANY soldier fill the slot, especially at the last minute, so sometimes an extra slot will come down from brigade or battalion and if you are 100% squared-away you can grab a last-minute slot and get the school. Like you, I was able to get PLDC and BNCOC as a last-minute standby. Helped me get my SGT and SSG all the much quicker. You are exactly right on all your points.

[@Staticjumper]

Damn, ​@@LA_Commander​, there are replies and then there're replies like yours! I didn't understand the whole use-or-lose thing until much later in my career but yeah, it reflected VERY poorly on the entire chain-of-command if you couldn't cough up a school-ready body for a last minute slot. In the case of my PLDC slot our CSM was passing my MP desk and casually asked, "Hey Hanson! You ready to go?". I popped off with the standard issue, "Always ready sergeant major." Three days later he called me directly and asked if I was REALLY ready to go, as in PLDC reporting the next week. I thought, "WTF Over? He can't be serious!" I took the slot, got an "Exceeded Course Standards" evaluation and made the Commandant's List. I think he was happy with his decision. A couple of years later the almost identical thing happened with BNCOC. Just be ready!

[@rolandmoreno3526]

No money in this

[@chriswegman738]

You have to be a suck up to attain rank above E-5. Also, how about doing something about the soldiers like Cynthia Bronson? And the military has the nerve to wonder why no one will sign up anymore!🤣🤣

[@chrisriley8755]

As long as I make it to staff Sargeant not for the pay but the Honor of being a NCO I am a great sigma Male that knows how to be a great leader I also care about my men I would be in charge of to there counting on my brains so I will be nicknamed The silverFox always out smarting our enemies with low casualties Brain's ins instead of all brawn be like the silverFox Older but Keen cunning but always with multiple smart Aces up my sleeve keeping my cool for The men under me and assisting my be officer I will learn The silverFox to name as Carlos Hathcock was know as the be white feather our opposing forces will know of My capabilities as a quick witted silverFox and will know of My brave valour I will receive the d III dtinguished Army cross for my resourcefulness in completely bewildered our opposing forces like a fox who's on point always smell an ambush right away My aim is saving lives so our son's of the u.s. May come home that's what I want the most D19 Army Air Calvary scout is My M O S when I enter the Army I'm proud to be a future soldier in the United States Army silverFox over and be out

[@hunterwheeler3837]

you can join special forces as a 18 year old

[@SargeyYT]

If you're going the 18X option you have to be 20 years old and the rank of E-3

[@devinlindberg253]

Your chances of making it if you’re younger than 24 is pretty low. I’ve never met a single operator who was younger than 28.