Quote:
Originally Posted by cedsall
....The discussion that happened just about every month was that the group was having to declare older, more experienced NCOs as excess because they had to put the bonus recipients in the MTOE positions.
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By 83 there were very few old timers in the line companies of 5th Group.
Sure, there were some old Team Sergeants around but lots of teams had an older Team Sergeant, a couple of junior SFC's and then a bunch of SSGs and SGTs. Most E-4s were promoted shortly after getting to group. We deployed a full 12 man team in 85. Enlisted were 4 SFCs, 3 SSGs, 2 SGTs and a SP4.
Late 70s and early 80s lots of senior Medics, Commo and Engineers went off to leg land to be 1SGs when they came out on the 8 list. If they were lucky and made SGM they might get back and get a company. If not they retired.
Nov 1974 two thirds of our class made PFC on graduation day - I was one of them and reported to 5th Group that afternoon.
I've seen plenty of times a ghost SD somewhere holding down a slot that couldn't be filled. I did have an advantage being on a dive team when dive pay came out. Those slots got filled with divers or we moved them on.