Devildoc
Verified Military
That's funny. I went into the ANG in 1980 as a 29-year-old AF E-4. (E-4's were called "Sergeants" back then). Then after 4-long years I finally made E-5 S/Sgt. Promotions were so slow I figured I'd be forty before I ever got E-6. Never made it. I got out after six years, still an E-5.
At least I tried.
My rate in the Navy, corpsman, was and remains the most overmanned rate. It was almost impossible to get to E5 under 8 years, and a lot of of them will retire at E6.
In contrast IS (Intel) and crypto? They almost always make chief, E7, in 10, 11 years.