# Well, it's officially unofficial: I am now a Staff Sergeant. Sort of. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 23, 2005, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032 "2005-09-23T12:30:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/1 "2005-09-23T12:30:17Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/2 "2005-09-23T12:35:33Z")
_Hauls off and punches your arm. Hard._ I saw that on a movie once. Do they still do that “so that the stripes stick”? Congratulations. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/3 "2005-09-23T12:37:00Z")
Belated Congratulations in Advance. ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/4 "2005-09-23T12:38:51Z")
Uncongratulations for not yet earning a promotion. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/5 "2005-09-23T12:39:31Z")
**Doors** Official unofficial congrats on your not yet official promotion. Sort of. How’s that? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/6 "2005-09-23T12:39:51Z")
I sort of almost congratulate you on your upcoming yet already effective promotion. Check’s in the mail. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/7 "2005-09-23T12:47:39Z")
I will gladly congratulate you on Tuesday, for a hamburger today! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/8 "2005-09-23T12:49:56Z")
Congrats where, and when, appropriate. Will you get to change your screenname too? Why _do_ they call you Doors anyway? Do you open the hangar? ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/9 "2005-09-23T12:56:29Z")
At least they’re paying you for your non-promotion. That’s something. And congratulations… entirely off-the-record, of course 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/10 "2005-09-23T13:08:50Z")
Many congradulations. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/11 "2005-09-23T13:14:01Z")
Congrats! I’m also wondering if you will change your username. Actually, I wonder if it might be a good idea to change it to something “rank-less”, to avoid having to change it as you get promoted further. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/12 "2005-09-23T13:27:40Z")
> [@Airman Doors](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/13 "2005-09-23T13:44:34Z")
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? > [@Casey1505](#): > > _Hauls off and punches your arm. Hard._ > > I saw that on a movie once. Do they still do that “so that the stripes stick”? 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. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/14 "2005-09-23T13:46:34Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > _Hauls off and punches your arm. Hard._ > > I saw that on a movie once. Do they still do that “so that the stripes stick”? > > Congratulations. 15 years ago, they did. Even the ladies got socked (just not as hard). Congrats. Guess it is time to change your name, **Sgt Doors**. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/15 "2005-09-23T14:08:21Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Belated Congratulations in Advance. **Cal** , for some reason that really made me laugh. Let me also add my congratulations to [del]Airman[/del] **Sgt. Doors**. Best wishes to you and Robin. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/16 "2005-09-23T14:09:43Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > I will gladly congratulate you on Tuesday, for a hamburger today! Damn! Beaten to it. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/17 "2005-09-23T14:34:58Z")
> [@jrfranchi](#): > > 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. So to Doors; a _TWUNK_ on the arm to ya. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/18 "2005-09-23T14:37:22Z")
Congratulations!!! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/19 "2005-09-23T14:40:35Z")
Remind me to congratulate you at the proper time. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032/20 "2005-09-23T14:59:17Z")
> [@Mr. Goob](#): > > 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. > > So to Doors; a _TWUNK_ on the arm to ya. Cool, thanks for the Correction. I was USS Ranger in the 80’s. Which Carrier were you on? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-its-officially-unofficial-i-am-now-a-staff-sergeant-sort-of/323032.md?page=2)