16.13 Points

[ParaJoe]

Found out today that I missed being promoted to E-6 by 16.13 points. I actually studied this time but since I haven't been in the Navy as an E-5 for ten years and taken the test 10 times I didn't make it. I guess it's another 6 months of waiting to take the damn test again. I was wanting to make it in less than 7 years now it's gonna have to be 8.

JOe

[moverfive]

Found out today that I missed being promoted to E-6 by 16.13 points. I actually studied this time but since I haven't been in the Navy as an E-5 for ten years and taken the test 10 times I didn't make it. I guess it's another 6 months of waiting to take the damn test again. I was wanting to make it in less than 7 years now it's gonna have to be 8.

JOe

Dealt with this so many times with my guys....in my case, I had several stellar E-5's and they all reached that level very fast because they were very good. But that 'stellar rise' severely slowed them in obtaining E-6 because of their LOW points in the seniority section of the calculation - several even had NAM's and etc., but still fell short. And especially in a tight rating, the point threshhold gets even more tough.....as you evidently know too well.

However, everyone of them did eventually made chief. It just took a little longer than they would have wanted......as also appears to be in your case.

Hopefully your chief is advising you properly. Because the Master Chief I worked with, who I believe sat on some chief selection boards, always told those E-5's that this was the critical time for them to make Chief. Those boards want to see jobs and other extra-curricular type functions that are outside of your rating - anything and everything you can do. As this Master Chief always said, the selection process is so tight that they typically have to fall back on things done in the junior ranks because just about all E-6's will pile up the 'look at me' bullet points just prior to going up for Chief....but not all can show a similar history throughout their career, hence why it is so important to also have this stuff at the E-5 level.

[ParaJoe]

Found out today that I missed being promoted to E-6 by 16.13 points. I actually studied this time but since I haven't been in the Navy as an E-5 for ten years and taken the test 10 times I didn't make it. I guess it's another 6 months of waiting to take the damn test again. I was wanting to make it in less than 7 years now it's gonna have to be 8.

JOe

Dealt with this so many times with my guys....in my case, I had several stellar E-5's and they all reached that level very fast because they were very good. But that 'stellar rise' severely slowed them in obtaining E-6 because of their LOW points in the seniority section of the calculation - several even had NAM's and etc., but still fell short. And especially in a tight rating, the point threshhold gets even more tough.....as you evidently know too well.

Here is my problem. I made E-5 in less than two years, so I don't have hardly anything in the Time in Rate category for scoring. I have two NAMS, and two Good Conducts, a 3.8 eval, cut a decent score on the test, but didn't advance because I haven't been in long enough. It's crap but oh well. My rate is pretty tight right now for E-6 advancements, so tight that people are getting out left and right and just working in the private sector. Sounds like a plan to me.

JOe

[Chills1994]

A friend retired from the USAF as a MSgt. He never got the nod for SMSgt , and then on to Chief. He got into computer networking once he got out. Within five years he has tripled his MSgt pay. He is working for Northrop so his active duty time has definitely helped him there.

Sorry to hear about your particular experience with the selection board.

But, I can't blame the other guys for bailing out to where the grass looks greener.

Chills

USAFA c/o '94