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View Full Version : rank in the marine's> quick or slow?



RON 68
06-26-07, 12:25 PM
i ended up a pfc out of i.t.r. may 69,lcpl out of school's montford point,and cpl, at my first duty first duty station camp lejuene reg.fitness center bld 1309,and stayed cpl. for the next two plus year's, till over seas order's. had letter of recom. to sgt.when orders received.{never got it }and when five month tour!!was over! yep you heard it right.i was sent over with five months and one day to go!they offered me sgt upon relad order's then if i reupped for three more year's.they would have made me staff sgt.

did my three year active and left.and three years reserve.

it seems today i see marines who are gunny in three years or faster.

did they change ratings and give faster promo.later on? and i was no goldbricker. i had two good conduct awards. and a clean page 12 or 10 whatever they called it.

i know it's old news and history. i just wondered about the rank thing.back then we had p.f.c.'s who where in for five year's. semper=fi. RON 68:flag:

SGTBrentG
06-26-07, 12:30 PM
A 3 year gunny??? I never saw one of those! It seems to me that would be impossible...has anyone seen this happen?

Namvet67
06-26-07, 12:33 PM
Never seen any Marine make Gunny in 3 years. E-5 Sgt yes.

zx6rdr
06-26-07, 12:35 PM
I havent heard of a three year gunny either....

Although I was not in back when you were, i do not belive they have changed the system. I was a LCpl for close to 3.5 years, had my good "cookie" and no pg 11 entries. Finally picked up Cpl just before i got out.

RON 68
06-26-07, 01:01 PM
he was at a vets parade with a host of ribbon's.the "Welcome Home" Chicago nam vets parade. june 13,1986,i know its been along time.then i guess ranking has not changed much, making cpl. within six months was good for me i guess.just back then it seemed like nothing.thanks for the input guy's.

i guess if i would have taken the reup and made staff that would have been good.however getting shipped back in a body bag from danang was not my intention then.{ since with reup was headed there.

i always used to say they gave marines 13 month tour's.that final month was to pray and suffer, and to hope to come back in one piece. i figure marines don't think much about that anymore.semper-fi.RON 68

Eric Hood
06-29-07, 01:49 PM
I think it depends on the MOS. The smaller the field, the slower the promotions. I was a grunt in the late seventies early eighties. If you were really squared away, did you job well, and stayed in one unit your whole enlistment, you could make SGT. in four. Not everyone did, but several guys did. I never so anyone make Staff NCO with less than five years, but my evidence is anecdotal.
Semper Fi,
Eric

hrscowboy
06-29-07, 03:33 PM
That would be something to research i dont know how but i would like to know how fast a person was promoted from PVT to SSGT.. Wonder if the Marine Corps keep records on that...

SSgt Blue
06-29-07, 03:38 PM
I’m going to pull my trump card out on that one…. I have seen a Marine make SSgt in five, but a Gunny in three. I think not.

SkilletsUSMC
06-29-07, 03:41 PM
My grandpa made Ssgt in 3 years back in WW2. Wartime+Heavy Casualties=lots of rank and open billets.

TazMatt
06-29-07, 03:55 PM
I saw a Gunny that had under fours years in. He got it pretty much all meritorious on the drill field.I ran cash sales for 18 months in 1973-1975 and saw drill instructors pick up rank fairly easy. I don't say this happened all the time but I do know I saw him with Gunny stripes,no hash marks and just a firewatch ribbon and a Good boy award.

Kegler300
06-29-07, 04:01 PM
I find this hard to believe...

ggyoung
06-29-07, 04:21 PM
SkilletsUSMC________++++++++++Back then a S/SGT. was a E-5 The rank changed in about 1960.

Kegler300
06-29-07, 04:23 PM
I didn't pick up gunny until I had 14 years in the Corps..and that was with two meritorious promotions prior...

ggyoung
06-29-07, 04:30 PM
TazMatt=========The most squred away I have ever seen came back from Viet in 1969 went to D.I. school and grauduated #1 in his class. They tould him if you ship over we will make a S/SGT. He wanted staff before he would ship over. The Corp told the can not promote to S/Sgt. on a 1st. inlistment.

GUNNY MAX
06-29-07, 04:31 PM
I think the MOS and T.O. strength has alot to do with it. As an Air Winger, It took me 13 years to make SSGT (just barely evaded the kick for high year tenure), couldn't go to the Drill Field because of "Critical MOS", yet had a hell of a time getting promoted (8 years as a Sgt) because there were too many SNCO's at the time. Then it seemed they opened the flood gates and there were Marines making Sgt after 4 years time in service and SSGT in 6. (Never seen or heard of anyone making Gunny in 3 or 5 though)

Phantom Blooper
06-29-07, 04:38 PM
In 1976 stationed with Fox 2/3 in Kaneohe,HI. A young man was promoted to meritorious SSGT w/ 5 years active duty. His ranks from L/CPL up were all meritorious. This was the 0311 MOS. Never heard of or seen it happen again. 3 year Gunnery Sgt. ???? :evilgrin:

SSgt Blue
06-29-07, 04:40 PM
Master gun's I'm with you.

jetdoc
06-29-07, 05:59 PM
I was just the opposite, it took me 17 years to get Sgt, yikes....lol. Actually it wasn't that bad...4 yrs for me to get Sgt. Never heard of Gunny going that quickly to someone, more power to them if it happend.

RON 68
06-29-07, 06:53 PM
guys thanks for the input.i was frieght operation's detached with 1st m.a.w. with a support co. h&s b.and fitness instructor.so cpl. for me seemed slow { within six month's.} 1969/70.when at Lejeune...

Andreas
06-29-07, 07:40 PM
You can't even make Gunny in less than 6 or...possibly 8.

Even with meritorious promotions.

REF: Promotion Manual MCO P1400.32c w/CHP1

TazMatt
06-29-07, 09:41 PM
I know for a fact what I saw.He came in to cash sales and he had gunny stripes and he didn't have hash marks.Until you been there and have seen with your own eyes don't doubt.As they say seeing is believing I know what I saw.I saw plenty of drill instructors in my two years at P.I. that picked up rank quickly.We are talking the time during of Nam and rank was available to certains fields,the drill field being one of them. I know I picked up Sgt in under three years and that was just doing my job with no meritorious promotions or anything else.I didn't pick up PFC until after ITR and then went own from there so yes it could be possible.

BigPhil
06-29-07, 09:51 PM
PFC,Nov 61, LCPL May 62, Cpl May 63 SGT Aug 65 SSGT. Jan 68. Was
0341 till I made 0369. Seen a lot of Marines go from PVT. to Sgt. in Nam
in 66/67.

RON 68
06-29-07, 10:17 PM
guys i can only go by what i saw and know.what the heck everybody happened to be in different time's. we hada sarge who wasa mustanger{ that was the term}next thing i knew he was a captian.and after i had two and a half year's in.i had a letter from Major Coker, {i still have it on that thin onion skin paper stuff.asking the regimental commander to promote me to sgt. i will type it here in it's entirety, { and at that same week was cut order's for nam! at six months to go.off to pendelton for jungle warfare school and a crap load of shot's.once i was on the jet to japan stop -off.i had five months and one day to go active duty.

and i'm sure eveybody here has a tale of rank to tell.and i don't call any Marine's or former Marine's liar's.heck man we was trained for crazy stuff.

and maybe those who did not get rank too quickly. never deserved it.

i handled the job i was given and did it to the best of my south chicago upbringing.

semper=fi. never meant to ruffle any feather's.RON 68

RON 68
06-29-07, 10:37 PM
i will find the letter this week.

RON 68
06-29-07, 10:43 PM
guys i can only go by what i saw and know.what the heck everybody happened to be in different time's. we had a sarge who wasa mustanger{ that was the term}next thing i knew he was a captain.and after i had two and a half year's in.i had a letter from Major Coker, {i still have it on that thin onion skin paper stuff.asking the regimental commander to promote me to sgt. i will type it here in it's entirety, { and at that same week was cut order's for nam! at six months to go.off to pendleton for jungle warfare school and a crap load of shot's.once i was on the jet to japan stop -off.i had five months and one day to go active duty.

and i'm sure eveybody here has a tale of rank to tell.and i don't call any Marine's or former Marine's liar's.heck man we was trained for crazy stuff.

and maybe those who did not get rank too quickly. never deserved it.

i handled the job i was given and did it to the best of my south chicago upbringing.

semper=fi. never meant to ruffle any feather's.RON 68

and i salute all that served.

semperfi170
06-29-07, 10:46 PM
Boot camp 4/68 PVT on grad, PFC in 9/68, LCPL in 2/69 when done with A school, CPL 1970 in Nam , SGT in 71 reelistment (stayed critical mos -Com/Nav, SSGT select 1973 and promoted, GYSGT in 1/79.

Heard rumors of GySgt as a result of meritorious promo while a DI, never met one. However going on field with 4 years of service and already a Sgt, it would be possible to get 2 meritoroius promos and make GySgt under 6. Not highly probable and probably only happened once in a blue moon.

Cbx9
06-30-07, 03:56 AM
One of my buddies just got out of the Marines. He made sergeant in 4 years, is this something you don't usually see?

-Duff

davblay
06-30-07, 10:18 AM
One of my buddies just got out of the Marines. He made sergeant in 4 years, is this something you don't usually see?

-Duff

With this war going on, and with bing short on NCO's. I'd say that the odds are getting better than they have been in a while to make Sgt in 4 years. War has a way of opening up the billets pretty fast (unfortunatley). The Pentagon is recalling several NCOs from the IRR pool every day!

Sgt Jim
06-30-07, 11:25 AM
did not pick up pfc till i had got to New river air station .went Through ITR,A school at Millington Tenn. still PVT .took Three years and six months to get SGT.

redneck13
06-30-07, 03:39 PM
:evilgrin: I had 9yrs in the Corps. I was on the Drill Field my last tour of duty, I Co., 3rd Recruit Bn. MCRD Diego.
They had this "meritorius" promotion thing going. I don't recall exactly how it worked, you were either recommended for it, or tried out for it.
I put through my last platoon, of approx, 7, and was a Plt. Commander, (now called Senior Drill Instructor, I think) and I came in second for the first time since becoming a Plt. Commander. I was a SSgt. I thought you would get promoted based upon your performance, i.e. your recruit's, being graded, from Drill, Rifle Range, Final Inspection, some sort of educated stuff, which I had full responsibility of having my "worms" prepared. I was always first in everything, till the last, when I ran out of gas, if you will.
During this time....Several Sgt's, SSgt's, were doing the meritorius doo-dah.
PFT, Rifle range, give a class. If the officer's gave them high grades/points, you did well in all the categories, well you would get promoted.
This Ssgt in my Series, put thru three platoon's, all of which were failure's.
But he made an impression on the board. He got promoted to GySgt, and only had 3, count 'm, three yrs in the Corps. He was made "my" series Gunny.
What a crock of S****. When I seen this? I said, "Goodbye", I wasn't about to take any order's from some boot Marine, who got his stripes by what?, shinning good for some board? What about other's like myself who tried their hearts out to put out good solid Marines? It still p***** me off to this very day, when I even think about it. Plus he was so unsquared away, it made me wanna puke. And that's the way it was. SF

obxmarines
06-30-07, 07:26 PM
who enlisted in 1942. By 1944 he was a "Grade 1" Master Technical Sergeant. The insignia looked similar to the Master Sergeant of today, three stripe up and three bars below. That was the highest enlisted rank in the Marine Corps at that time. A Sergeant Major wore three stripes up and three rockers, below. My Dad also made "Grade 3" Staff Sergeant in less than 2 years during the same period. These were commonly called "Tojo" promotions.

I enlisted in 1978 and picked up Sergeant in three and Staff Sergeant in 5yrs, 11 months. To become eligible for GySgt, I had to wait another 6 years. The same for Master Sergeant.

Sgt Jim
06-30-07, 10:04 PM
made rank through time .kept head a## wired together ,did not kiss a##.or suck upto any one . wont do it now either Aways been good marine.still am Semper Fi to all my brothers.

Sgt Jim
06-30-07, 10:06 PM
Red

Sgt Jim
06-30-07, 10:18 PM
Redncek13 .Iwas in 3rd BN in boot in 1969 PLT 3057 M.A.Robinson was my senior DI.Sgt ,Sgt Blish was my ADI,and i can,t spell the last one name .knocked the s*** out of me more than one time ,i probably needed any way.went to motivation Plt,that was fun! .it made me a marine

KawiGunny
06-30-07, 11:58 PM
My dad picked up Sgt 2 times during his 4 years during Korea.

Gunny..... My recruiter had the rank to go with all his BS. He was a Gunny with just over 7 years in. He had SSgt and GySgt given to him for making quota all the time and no other recruiters in the region did. I wish I could see him today....I would punch him in the soup cooler. Boy was he a good liar. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed my time in but would have joined even without the BS.