MaStA's Account Talk

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berline said:
Pure awesomeness! I don't think 8.5 years is that long at all. In the Marine Corps (depends on MOS), I think the average is closer to 9-10 like you mentioned for the Air Force. You're on your way to MSgt around the 12/13 year mark.
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Most definitely. I am returning to my original AFSC (MOS) on August 1st since I am a recruiter right now. The cutoff scores are a bit lower in my old career field and they are undermanned in TSgt's and above so hopefully I can pull off MSgt on my first try. We shall see :)
 
Congrats MaStA.

Big step! I had nearly that much TIG as a SSgt before I made Tech. (time, place, AFSC and motivation, esp. motivation) I made MSgt the first time I tested after that. All of the above applied. Or maybe it was because I'd seen the PFE/SKT so many times by then.:laugh:

Great advice to take at least part of the pay raise and invest it.

PO
 
Thank you everyone for the congratulatory messages! I am definitely going to continue keeping up on my Roth IRA and maxing it out. I enjoy investing in individual stocks much more than the TSP limitations lately, but I most likely will continue a contribution to it...
 
MaStA said:
Just found out I made TSgt (E-6). Yes!!! :)
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Congrats...a nice stepping stone on the way up the ladder! Make sure you log all the credit hours you can off of ANOC...even if you have enough for a Bach degree nothing says you can't save them up for a masters.

The E6 slot is what I was when I got out (Army). Of course that was in the old days when promotions largely were within the battalion until you got around E7 or 8...plus I never had to fill out that big bio packet like you guys do today.
 
Mcqlives said:
Congrats...a nice stepping stone on the way up the ladder! Make sure you log all the credit hours you can off of ANOC...even if you have enough for a Bach degree nothing says you can't save them up for a masters.

The E6 slot is what I was when I got out (Army). Of course that was in the old days when promotions largely were within the battalion until you got around E7 or 8...plus I never had to fill out that big bio packet like you guys do today.
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Thank you. What is ANOC exactly? Thank you.
 
MaStA said:
Thank you. What is ANOC exactly? Thank you.
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Oops...we always called it anoc but it is actually ANCO (Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer school). Not sure if it even exists anymore. Used to be BNCO (Basic) to get the E5 and then ANCO to get the E6 (you could get the grade but had to successfully complete the school within a year or have the promotion rescinded).
 
Mcqlives said:
Oops...we always called it anoc but it is actually ANCO (Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer school). Not sure if it even exists anymore. Used to be BNCO (Basic) to get the E5 and then ANCO to get the E6 (you could get the grade but had to successfully complete the school within a year or have the promotion rescinded).
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Oh ok. We have PME stuff as well with different names. I'll go the NCO Academy soon I'm sure and you earn college credits for it all through the Community College of the Air Force. I may even apply for OTS one day in the near future since I am almost finished with my Bachelor's in Computer Science.
 
Bear with me, I retired in '96.

You have not completed NCOA either in residence or by corrrespondence? Are you active duty AF or Guard/Reserve?

I seem to remember not bing able to "sew on" tech without having NCO Acedemy. I could be wrong. It may have been MSgt. Please check it out, especially if you are/have been assigned to a geograpically seperated unit.

If you are good to go or will be sent to NCOA, once you are done, immediately enroll on the SNCO course. Just get it done.

Going in residence and being "reblued" did have it's advantages for some.

NCOA in residence for me was between two consecutive over seas tours to unaccompanied locations. No one including the instructors could relate to what I was saying. One class member kept saying I should go to the Wing stand ups. She worked in Aerial Port Squadron but never followed through on getting me a seat on the twice a month 130s that brought us supplies. My Detachment Commander said that if a seat ever became available on said bird, it was his as he would love to go to a Wing stand up and possibly meet the Comm Group commander for the first time. Interesting, never having had a face to face with your endorsing official.

Sorry about the war story but I couldn't resist. Maybe it was a different USAF then?

Make sure you get the NCOA done and enroll in the CDC for SNCOA ASAP.

Once again, congrats! Making E-6 in the AF is a big deal. Or used to be.

PO
 
PessOptimist said:
Bear with me, I retired in '96.

You have not completed NCOA either in residence or by corrrespondence? Are you active duty AF or Guard/Reserve?

I seem to remember not bing able to "sew on" tech without having NCO Acedemy. I could be wrong. It may have been MSgt. Please check it out, especially if you are/have been assigned to a geograpically seperated unit.

If you are good to go or will be sent to NCOA, once you are done, immediately enroll on the SNCO course. Just get it done.

Going in residence and being "reblued" did have it's advantages for some.

NCOA in residence for me was between two consecutive over seas tours to unaccompanied locations. No one including the instructors could relate to what I was saying. One class member kept saying I should go to the Wing stand ups. She worked in Aerial Port Squadron but never followed through on getting me a seat on the twice a month 130s that brought us supplies. My Detachment Commander said that if a seat ever became available on said bird, it was his as he would love to go to a Wing stand up and possibly meet the Comm Group commander for the first time. Interesting, never having had a face to face with your endorsing official.

Sorry about the war story but I couldn't resist. Maybe it was a different USAF then?

Make sure you get the NCOA done and enroll in the CDC for SNCOA ASAP.

Once again, congrats! Making E-6 in the AF is a big deal. Or used to be.

PO
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I am Active Duty. Here is a paragraph from the PDG (formerly the PFE)

9.16.2.2.1. Mission and Goals. The NCOA mission is to prepare TSgts to be professional, war-fighting
Airmen who can lead and manage Air Force units in the employment of air, space, and cyberspace power.
The goal is for TSgts to understand their position in the military structure and develop the skills necessary to
be effective supervisors and leaders. Resident NCOA completion is required within 2 years of sewing on
TSgt, and to be eligible for promotion to MSgt.

So within two years of sewing on TSgt I will need to complete NCOA. I'll be signing up for it as early as they allow me to. I'm very excited to be selected and I'll work as hard as possible to continue moving up the ladder. The largest decision I will be facing soon though is whether or not to apply for OTS. I will be done very soon with my Bachelor's and I guess I will just have to see how things are at that point and time...

Thank you for the comments!
 
Thanks for the update. Sounds like you are on top of it. Best of luck.

I still reccomend enrolling in the SNCO course as soon as eligible, assuming there is still a correspondence course.

Thanks for putting up with the old lifer story. I hitched my future to the Communications Command star which was extinguished. If you go to NCOA in residence, you likely will run in to some very blue members who are attending early in their careers. Being "reblued" is not a bad thing. Just be prepared that if you actually do something besides hang around HQ all day, the shining stars will not understand your job, dismiss it and be the shining stars of the class.

Enjoy your career!

About that boot strap or AECP thing. (or whatever thay call it now) I knew several SSgts within Comm Command that became 30X or 31X or 33X occifers. When the "up or out" thing was announced in the late 80s, O-4s with four years enlisted service were not even included in the equation. Most of them were allowed to retire as O-4s with 20 years. One I know of actually made O-5 but I have lost track of him.

Just saying my experiences. Comm Command no longer exists. Be careful what star you hitch you future to, be aware that if the AF decides to reduce the officer ranks, they probably will not put the academy grads at the top of the list.
 
Added some CAT yesterday for 83.23 to my Roth and it is at 85.16 right now. That is a nice increase over 2% in just one day. Now if only I could continue making these good moves. SBUX looks like a good value at this point, but I have read that some think it could still go lower...
 
Well I made it to New Mexico late last night. I'm not impressed with this location at all and can see why most people hate it here...the search begins tomorrow to find a place to rent. Most places have "swamp coolers" and it doesn't seem like they work too well like the Air Conditioning I am used to. This could be a long several years...
 
MaStA said:
Well I made it to New Mexico late last night. I'm not impressed with this location at all and can see why most people hate it here...the search begins tomorrow to find a place to rent. Most places have "swamp coolers" and it doesn't seem like they work too well like the Air Conditioning I am used to. This could be a long several years...
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What city are you in?
 
MaStA said:
Well I made it to New Mexico late last night. I'm not impressed with this location at all and can see why most people hate it here...the search begins tomorrow to find a place to rent. Most places have "swamp coolers" and it doesn't seem like they work too well like the Air Conditioning I am used to. This could be a long several years...
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I did several tests there while working at White Sands and the Golden Corral there had the best fried chicken of all the Golden Corrals I visited. This was about 9 years ago.
 
I'm a little down the road from you in El Paso. The Mc Donalds on base was very good too. Had to stop there every time we checked on our KTM's refurbishments.
 
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