How do you improve rank in the Military?

get rank
Trey asked:

How do Soldiers,Marines,Sailors and people in the air force move up in rank. I know how to become an officer but how do you move up in rank. Example: Private to Private first class.



Comments (15)    Posted in Military    

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15 Responses to 'How do you improve rank in the Military?'

  1. dli1112 - February 25th, 2010 at 10:39 am

    you can get a college education and you can enter the military with a higer rank for example a lawyer will enter the military with higher pay and ranking.

  2. Politically Wrong - February 25th, 2010 at 9:12 pm

    Meritoriously or by time in grade.

  3. wingshooter08 - February 27th, 2010 at 11:57 pm

    Time in Grade and when moving to NCO ranks by going before Military Boards up to E-6, then after that its time and grade and being Congress appointed!

    USMC Vietnam 67-68

  4. wolf - March 2nd, 2010 at 9:52 pm

    You put in time, and take tests.

  5. theresacrider - March 4th, 2010 at 4:56 pm

    Sometimes, especially for lower ranks, it’s just a matter of staying out of trouble and waiting a set amount of time. Once you get higher they start looking at things like awards, extra duties the person took on, classes taken, and combat action. They take all kinds of things into account and allow a certain number of people to be promoted to each rank. They try to set it up so the most qualified people get promoted first.

  6. daBreezemeister - March 7th, 2010 at 10:25 pm

    The lower ranks are generally by fulfilling time in service requirements. To be an NCO (sargeant) at least in the air force, you have to pass a few exams, go to school and then be able to handle more responsibility which is generally done by proving yourself to your supervisors and officers (which means you’re jumping in and helping out everywhere and don’t need to be told what to do, you can direct others as to what needs to be done).

  7. Kevin N - March 9th, 2010 at 2:37 am

    In the Officer grades, 2nd Lieutenant to 1st Lieutenant is usually 12-24 Months. Then another two years, and you become an O-3 Captain.

    However, appointment from Captain to Major is a selective process, you test, and go before boards of senior officers and compete for the promotion to Field Grade.

    It’s different being Enlisted, most of that is just time, and keeping your nose clean for the first 10 or so years, until you reach E-6. After that it gets pretty competitive, even in the Enlisted ranks.

  8. schazjmd - March 11th, 2010 at 5:31 pm

    In the AF, the first several promotions are “fully qualified” — meaning, if you meet the requirements for the next rank (time in grade, time in service, good behavior), you get the promotion. To E-5 and higher, you compete for a limited number of promotions. You take a test, and they have formulas that put together test scores, time in service, time in grade, and EPR (enlisted performance report) scores — those with scores above the cut-off that year are promoted. To the senior master sergeant and chief master sergeant ranks, there is also a board that looks at their records.

  9. Barry auh2o - March 12th, 2010 at 9:01 am

    You know how to become an officer but you don’t know how people in the Military move up in rank???
    You’d makea great officer, your ideal job would be assistant to Lt Fuzz.

  10. usafbrat64 - March 13th, 2010 at 12:09 pm

    Air Force
    The first few stripes are automatic, based on time in service (tis) and time in grade (tig).
    SSgt – MSgt: Two tests, one on military knowledge, the other on job skills. Then they add in tis, tig, points for specific medals and ribbons, and rating scores. Based on cutoffs, job specific, you either make grade or not.
    SMSgt & CMSgt: No more job skill testing, and now everything in your military records goes before a board to review. Now is when it is important that you have college hours, some deployments, awards, etc. In other words.. .have all the little boxes marked off. These are the toughest 2 ranks to achieve… only 3% of the AF can hold these two ranks at any given time. And only 1% can be Chief.

    It’s not unusual to see retirements for TSgts and MSgts, as the other two are hard to come by.

  11. lana_sands - March 13th, 2010 at 4:12 pm

    Time in service, Mastering your rate of choice, taking advancement boards.

  12. rn annie - March 13th, 2010 at 4:46 pm

    Education, professionalism and hard work, sitting for the boards and of course time in current rank.

  13. abouch66 - March 15th, 2010 at 5:39 pm

    Well in the army, just show up for work and do what you’re told. That simple.

  14. jbarn_1999 - March 18th, 2010 at 9:27 am

    The process is different in each service.

    The Air Force is heavily dependant on promotion job test scores.

    The Marines are heavily dependant on just about everything (time in service, awards, Physical Training, appearance, etc..)

    The Navy is time in service, promotion rate exams and evaluations.

    Army I really have no idea – I think it is heavily service time and evaluation heavy.

    The problem comes when you have everything to be promoted, but the quotas are low and promotion boards are just looking for something to disqualify you.

    The things that most help is leadership roles (jobs) and time in service.

  15. Chaos28 - March 19th, 2010 at 4:01 am

    Recruite some one else into the military ( get some one else to join and you’ll move up a rank )


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