Quote:
Originally Posted by nham
do you basically have to keep your head down and work for 10 years and it's almost guaranteed?
You mean promotions? Yeah, basically. Promotions are determined by seniority and how well you do on a test. But seniority is the big thing, and as long as you don't **** up, everyone except for the biggest ******s will eventually get promoted to Tech Sergeant (pay grade E-6), which is the minimum level you need to reach to retire. I'm good at tests, so I would easily make it to Master Sergeant (E-7) if I stayed in. But promotions to E-8 and E-9 add in a subjective element, and those promotions are very political.
EDIT: You'll note that NOWHERE did I mention "be good at your job" or "be respected as a leader" or "not be hated by everyone you work with" on the qualifications for promotion up to Master Sergeant. That's because that's literally just not a part of it.
I don't know how it works for officers, exactly, but I do know that promotions through Captain (pay grade O-3) are 100% automatic unless you **** up.