As of 15 August I became a Staff Sergeant. Legally.
However, in typical Guard fashion, not only was I not made aware of this fact, but I can’t wear my stripes yet. Why, you ask? Because due to the pomp and circumstance that comes with becoming an NCO in my unit, there has to be a pin-on ceremony. Unfortunately, being in a Guard unit means that those ceremonies only occur once a month during UTA (Drill) weekends. My turn in the spotlight comes next month, so until then I get to receive Staff Sergeant pay and all correspondence comes with SSgt on it but I’m still a Senior Airman to anybody who sees my uniform.
So, help me celebrate my promotion-but-not-yet. It’s not premature… at least, I don’t think so.
Hey, be happy; when I was in the Army, I got saddled with lots of senior NCO crap all the time with nothing more than buck sergeant’s stripes to my name. I was hardly alone in this phenomena.
At least you’re getting the recognition (and pay) to go along with your job, duties, and accomplishments. So congrats on that account.
It seems just like yesterday we were sending a wet-behind-the-ears kid off to the service with a pub crawl through scenic Baltimore. I still wonder how iampunha got that day-glo puke off the side of his truck.
Congrats. Ex-Navy so I need to convert, Staff Sergeant = E6 = 1st Class Petty Officer if I remeber correctly. Does Air Force work like Navy, E7 were nearly untouchables and O2’s and O1 would usually defer to them.
What Rating or Specialist?
I hated having my Crow pinned on, I was on a Carrier and close to 1000’s friends and people I had never met before, punched the crow for 3rd class PO on. I think my arm went numb around the 600th pinning. Bad to get the Crow underway, too much time on peoples hands.
An Air Force Staff Sgt is an E-5, so he is a 2nd Class PO to us Navy guys.
I was on a carrier too when I got my crow. I know I couldn’t feel my fingers by lunch time. The ceramony was a neat experience, we had a 3 star on board and I got to shake hands with him and the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.