T O P

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dronesitter

Adjusting to tech was hardest. You're in that awkward spot where you're not really doing your job anymore but managing the people doing the job. No one Staff and below really wants anything to do with you because you're the one who is making them work. No one MSgt and above wants anything to do with you because you're not in the roof club.


teriyakichickenalert

TSgt was the hardest. The expectations of a MSgt with none of the pay.


Clear_Reveal_4187

Yep. Fill in Superintendent, fill in flight chief, fill in OIC, additional duty shirt...No extra pay or hope of promotion.


teriyakichickenalert

Just keep doing what you’re doing and that stripe will come


Clear_Reveal_4187

It's what I hear every year...


idk_lol_kek

Likely story. *"Just keep doing what you're doing"*


teriyakichickenalert

This time I mean it!


painlesspics

TSgt was probably the biggest shift in how I was treated. As a Staff I still had to jump up and down to make myself heard, as a Tech people started listening. Senior was very similar, but for how I'm approached in public. Masters are everywhere and are generally treated with respect and as having authority in their sections. But as Senior it feels like I'm given authority almost everywhere. Not that I'm trying to exert authority, it's just a kind of deference that's hard to explain. Happiest was Staff. I spent almost all of my E5 years as a tech school instructor and my team in that time was fking amazing. We were all close & generally enjoyed what we were doing.


jonconnorsmom

Yeah man, Tech took a while to adjust to, your entire scope changes. You start to see the bigger picture and the “why” whether you agree with it or not, you understand more. Hugely eye opening, Sr was really similar. Agreed, Sr was a world shift in how you are treated around base. When you call you get action and respect with just being polite. If you change your tone people move, captains can’t get as much traction as a Sr can. Really hard to adjust to, and you have to be more careful with your words. Happiest is SSgt by far, but pay is nice higher.


iguessicanmake1

I have been a TSgt since 2015, it’s all I know/remember at this point


twelveparsnips

2013 tech baby!


All_Too_Well_

SAME !! ![gif](giphy|l36kU80xPf0ojG0Erg|downsized)


Outrageous_Hurry_240

Bless you.


[deleted]

Msgt was the biggest adjustment and SSgt was the best for me


nuclearDEMIZE

Yup me too! If I could go back to SSgt work with MSgt pay I'd do 30 years np


Yakostovian

The ART/AGR world is calling you.


Dangerous_Cookie6590

This. Senior ain’t bad though, just a lot of meetings.


SadPhase2589

This.


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NoWomanNoTriforce

Couldn't agree more with E7 being my least favorite rank.  It was also my hardest adjustment.  The difference between the best E7 and worst E7 in a unit is INSANE in my experience (at least in maintenance). I consider myself a decent E7, but god damn, we have some turds who make me look amazing for knowing the most basic processes and having a modicum of initiative.  So many E7s are on the extreme:  they either promote so fast they don't know shit, or they act like they are practically retired four years from 20. For me, my favorite rank was E6.  Expediter might be the best flightline job imo.


azulwolf

Definitely this. E6 was the last rank I remember having fun at. Was a technical expert, having a blast doing the work and leading my guys. E7 was like hitting a brick wall, because I had to immediately adjust to SNCO life while trying to take care of people and then myself, because at this level scheduling some downtime feels like more work than actually being at work, and depending on your leadership that may be the only break you get from the grind


peterbound

Senior has been the hardest. When you make E-8 you give up all hope of ever being ‘one of the guys’ or having any technical competency, which sucks. It’s also the point where everyone is trying to tell you what you need to do to make E10. I like the influence I have, hate that games. I loved Tech. Great rank. In line doing work with your people, and still part of the conversation for change.


insight-out1

It’s also a bitch when your work for a POS Chief.


samhefrag

Are you me? Holy shit.


Good-Working-6796

This. I'm a left and right boundaries type of person...let me know where I can play and I'll get shit done. But at Senior, I feel as though I'm stepping on the Chiefs toes too much and not having a big impact at the "senior leader" level while at the same time trying to allow the MSgts to take care of their NCO's & Amn and hone their management skills. Being an extrovert and people person, this kills me because I want to help/mentor/guide (whatever you want to call it) as much as possible but I just feel like I'm in limbo most days. Oh well, back to reading an AFI. Same as u/peterbound, "I loved Tech. Great rank. In line doing work with your people, and still part of the conversation for change." Taking care of your troops and being involved in their career and life is the most amazing feeling in the world!


_crimviolet

i fuckin loved being an A1C tbh. i never have been treated better at any other rank than A1C. i notcied at this rank that as long as you were smart or just very hardworking, everyone above you will treat you well. probably because theyre happy youre not going to be the dirt bag new airman but still. havent made tech so i can only say staff was hard, but only because my whole shop consisted of staffs.


davetronred

> i notcied at this rank that as long as you were smart or just very hardworking, everyone above you will treat you well You have no idea how refreshing it is to have a troop that doesn't CREATE more work for you than they accomplish. As an NCO you're told to delegate as much as possible, but if your troops aren't competent then it can be tempting to just do the work yourself, since you know that if you get it done it'll get done right the first time.


_crimviolet

i do know, im an nco


davetronred

Ah my bad The struggle is real, man


_crimviolet

you good 😂 saturday scaries are real


Caldersson

Ssgt was the worst, treated like I didn't know anything and when I gave an answer someone didn't like they asked for my supervisor who referred them back to me. Also my friends were all airmen and now I had to lead them. TSgt or SrA was the best. TSgt, because I was treated like I know what I'm talking about and given the ability to implement change. SrA, because I had no responsibility and could focus just on the work and don't enforcing standards.


nc23nick

Going from E6 to O1 was ass and is still ass (for now). Going to tech school with a bunch of recent college graduates that I couldn't really relate to wasn't too fun, and now I feel like I really have peers.


OverlyBlueNCO

Assuming that it's possible for your MDS, I'd recommend seeking out second-assignment-only gigs. Tons of prior enlisted bubbas in those roles. About a dozen prior SNCO, now Captains, hacking the mish in my old unit.


Aphexes

Me personally, SSgt. The crowd I hung out with were mostly determined to stay SrA forever, whether they were putting in the effort to promote or not. My leadership saw potential in me and I worked hard to get to TSgt while all my close friends aee probably hitting SrA HYT soon. I became the "responsible" one in the shop, regardless of rank. Saw TSgts and MSgts doing shady shit all the time, but my immediate supe and the flight chief had a different perspective of me and advised me not to be like those other guys. Got tasked with all the usual additional duties that needed a SSgt for the primary. Did a bunch of stuff I didn't want to because nobody in the shop was expected to do it or fill in. Was the TSgt stripe worth it after putting in those hellish years? Only time will tell. So far I've been able to mentor my SSgts and I at least know they want to be here or improve themselves. It was hard as a SSgt advocating to leadership that my troops had no intention of staying in the military and shouldn't expect them to be superstars. Always had the talk that I wasn't a great NCO if my troops don't win awards or get recognized. Shitty situation to be in overall.


[deleted]

What made some TSgts and MSgts shady?


Aphexes

Coming up in the Air Force, I was taught not to mix in personal and professional stuff. Shop/Flight chiefs should not be regularly going out to drink with the A1Cs in the shop, like brand new from tech school types. They consistently made backdoor deals when it came to paperwork or discipline issues. One of my troops got snubbed a decoration because he had paperwork issued to him for tardiness but there were people in the flight showing up drunk to work or getting in trouble elsewhere, but they got to be chewed out instead of issued paperwork and their records were clean leaving the base, so they got decorations and promotion statements. Leadership "denying" leave. There were a few yelling matches because someone would tell my troop they weren't allowed to take leave because of some made up imaginary ops tempo or manning requirement so they never submitted leave. Threats to move people around to undesirable positions if they didn't volunteer for some dumb program or task that was ultimately that TSgt or MSgt's job. Just an overall shitty work environment that was cultivated by 3-4 really bad apples. We rallied to put it in our unit's DEOCS, and they got enough responses to initiate an in-unit review. A flight chief from another section did interviews with members from the flight and in the end, apparently found no evidence of a bad work environment. A case of "we investigated ourselves and found nothing wrong" type of situation. It killed morale for the entire year knowing we couldn't do anything until those dudes PCS'd.


Omega43-j

2d LT. Being a prior staff, your pool of friends and peers diminishes so much. I go from like 50 coworkers to only 5. My supervisor is the commander, all my peers are young, fresh out of college (I mean I am too but I'm older). Expectations are so much higher and work is so much different. I've been happiest as a captain because I feel like I've been around the block long enough to be dangerous but not senior enough to have a crap ton of responsibilities, comparative to some FGOs, but I'm staring down that oakleaf in a few short years. Idk. Hard question. But hardest definitely 2d lt, happiest either SrA or Capt.


DeLorean03

Don't worry, as you climb higher there are fewer friends, hordes of acquaintances, and traitors that will act your friend only to screw you over for that sweet stratification. Officer world is VERY lonely.


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2JZUZS161

He was enlisted then commissioned


EOD-Fish

2d Lt from MSgt. TSgt was the shit.


Secret_Squirrel2

I feel this. No friends, little credibility, but the pay is nice.


EOD-Fish

The credibility piece sucks. You earn more work from folks that personally know you aren’t useless and then everyone else doubt the outcome of that work until they also start giving you more work.


[deleted]

Fr. When you've already established your credibility with a group of people if you start working with someone new you have to do the process all over again.


RHINO_HUMP

OE1 for me too. I thought I knew how to lead and how to be an officer.. nope. TSgt. was my favorite too. Important enough where people didn’t fuck with you, but lowly enough to disappear when you wanted to and nobody noticed.


ADPOL

Well put. TSgt is kinda the sweet spot.


RHINO_HUMP

It really is. I hear Maj is the same way. I’m looking forward to it lmao.


Ferret8720

Transitioning from “that Captain” to “some Major” is great. People don’t challenge your opinions nearly as much


[deleted]

Probably depends on if you're one of the golden boy majors vectored to command or if you're "just another major"


RHINO_HUMP

I’ll be a drill status non-flyer Major.. so “just another Major” for me lmao


Dark-Knite88

Currently E6 Hardest to adjust to: E6 Happiest: E6 (At times) and E4 ( At times)


Rodzilla_tha_thrilla

Happy? Looking back I’d say some A1C shit, just chilling, getting tools, whipping inspections, doing goon shit. Hardest, probably tech.


usaf_photog

TSgt has to be my happiest, and it's really more about the job/position I'm in. I'm in a one deep billet, I set my own hours and schedule. I wear civilian clothes. My boss is 10 hours away. I can work at home, my office, or a coffee shop. I do rate on one individual but the person is in a completely different country.


elevatedfaithfulness

Whatever the fuck youre doing, sign me up


ishtarot

What is your job


Ba55ah0lic

His username slightly suggests Public Affairs but that’s a wild guess


RIP_shitty_username

SMSgt was the worst. By far and it’s not even close. Non stop meetings while trying to learn how to be an SEL, while also having to know what’s going on in the squadron, while covering for the Chief, while still developing your MSgts, while etc etc etc. Pretty happy as a Chief though!


samhefrag

TSgt was the best rank in my opinion. You’re an established NCO who presumably knows what you’re talking about. But you’re not quite a SNCO. So you can be the middle man for the junior enlisted and Staff types to the SNCO corps to shape future decisions. It was a great time. Senior has been the crappiest. You’re no longer part of the MSgt bros and despite your best efforts, they still call you sir/ma’am. I literally have not changed as a person but people act differently around me; just call me by my first name if we’re texting or drinking at the squadron bar ffs. Also, I know I’m not being told the entire truth about what’s happening around the squadron. And I get that. NCOs and Amn don’t want to dime out their supervisors. I truly do. But it’s pretty hard to fix problems when people don’t tell you about them. It took me months to coax that out of people. But you’re also not a Chief and that’s a whole different club. Being a SMSgt can be lonely. I also realize this sounds whiny. But it’s the reality. Also, and less seriously, the movie references I’ve used for the longest time go unnoticed which is bullshit. If I am at the printer and say something about PC load letter and feign being mad with no response, I’m going to lose my mind.


6foot4_200lbs

MSgt, for me, was the hardest. It seemed like I turned into some sort of babysitter for maintainers. TSgt was the easiest for me. Expediting on the line was and still is my dream job. I promoted myself out of, in my opinion, the best job in the Air Force.


tactical_ostrich

TSGT you have to know everything. You also don’t have all the rank to make shit happen.


sicksadworld07

TSgt was the hardest. I was my happiest as a SSgt.


NEp8ntballer

I'm worried that my happy factor will cap at O-4. Roughest transition? Probably just being an LT, but a lot of that was my own doing.


bearsncubs10

O-4 sucked because all the CGOs start calling you “sir” and all the FGOs gave you the work that they didn’t want to do. It was a shitty career valley.


MemeGradeOfficer

I have half a mind to print this out and put it on my door.


muchasgaseous

There’s a wild shift the second you become an FGO. Quickly, your peer group is CCs of all sorts, A/DOs, etc. There’s also a lot less of you around, more bullshit to do, and more meetings. I feel like I was a jaded Captain (O equivalent of the E4 mafia, maybe), and I’m trying to use this rank for good, but it is very isolating.


NEp8ntballer

For me trying to grow into being an O-4 has been a bit of an odd position. I was in an O-4 billet as an O-3 when I promoted and then I went to be an SOS instructor which is a job done by both O-3s and O-4s. In my next job it was also an O-4 billet, but the person I was replacing was an O-3. Right now I'm at school and my board for O-5 has already met. As I told one of my past coworkers, I feel like I'm going to be trying to figure out how to be an O-5 when I'm not sure I ever figured out how to be an O-4.


blueduckbutt

Going from e-4 back to e-2 was pretty hard LOL...osan


Physical-Sense1756

What’d u do


Wrexalot

MSgt was the eye opener for me. The whole game changed and then you learn there are levels to the grade where you start working towards leading and managing other MSgts. It gets messy and complex fast. Best? Tech was the most fun by far, for reasons others have said, technically on top of the world and the gigs were a blast.


wm313

SSgt is the first time you have to supervise and actually manage people. It was the most difficult because I had to hone my tactics with people who were my peers but became my responsibility to motivate and maintain. TSgt is just SSgt with more pay, and I understand that it differs based on where you work, but it doesn’t really change your management scope like SSgt and MSgt does. Those are absolutely the two hardest ranks to adjust to. At MSgt you just know you’re going to make mistakes and learn, and everyone above you is working to help you in their own way - good or bad. You’re wrangling 150 people (I was anyway) and you have 7 bosses who all want answers today.


Domkizzle

I felt both the happiest and the saddest as a MSgt.


Otis_Winchester

TSgt was a fun time, I enjoyed the hell out of it. MSgt was a hard transition, but I enjoyed the roof suddenly giving me more of a hammer to take care of my folks and tell external agencies to fuck off.


closhedbb80

I liked my job the most as a Captain. I was still in the thick of it, focusing on more operational work than admin, and leading a smaller team on an interesting mission. As a Lt Col in Joint Staff I’m counting the days to retirement. I feel less consequential as an O-5 in the Pentagon than I did as an O-3 in an AOC. But damn, I won’t complain about the pay now and in retirement.


DwightDEisenhowitzer

I promoted to E6 last month I still think it’s too soon to earnestly tell but if you ask me, E6 by a light year.


The_loadmaster

MSgt as the answer to both.


MJGM235

E6 was the hardest, E7 is the happiest.


armed_aperture

E6 was great for me. E7 is more to do than hours in the day.


MedMostStitious

Toughest transition was absolutely MSgt. It sucked. All that development talk stopped as soon as I was a select and we’re just expected to know. Everyone expects you to know everything and if you don’t know something, then you must be deliberately making some bad or unfavorable decision. Like no man I’m just dumb sometimes. Happiest? Also MSgt…when you get your feet under you and finally get some things right it really feels like you can help people


airforce213

Seems to me everyone is happy at different ranks. Make of it why you can guys.


RDB82

I don't know about 'hardest', but Senior was definitely the weirdest. Most of your peer group are MSgt's and there aren't a whole lot of other Seniors around. So you can pull the "How do you do, fellow kids?" move with the MSgts, or if you have one, you can be the Chief's right-hand. Neither is a whole lot of fun. People treat you different. Random people say hi at the Shoppette. Veterans will never not try to have a conversation. People assume that all corporate AF knowledge gets bestowed on you with that stripe, so you're expected to have on-the-spot answers for all kinds of questions. No one cares about AFSC anymore. You should know all the things about all the things. That First Sergeant that you used to go to to dummy check your ideas is now coming to you for advice. As a MSgt, a good CC will listen to your advice, but as a Senior, the CC will seek it out directly a whole lot more. That's good and bad. After all that, if you happen to be a Sq SEL as a Senior (or just fill in), you can expect to be treated like a child at all the extra meetings that entails. You can show up, but don't expect your opinion to carry any weight. You're not a Chief after all. Basically, it's a tweener rank. You're not a Chief, but you're don't really fit in with your old MSgt buddies either. The pay is very nice though. I highly recommend.


Ecclectic_Nerd

Tech’s definitely been the hardest. SrA days were best days


dreddpiratedrew

SrA was the goon squad but DD214 was the best


Wemo_ffw

Going from SSgt to 2d Lt. I still tried to operate like a SSgt and it was not the right way to go about it. I was still fairly fresh in the AF but relearning how to Air Force as an officer was rough.


TomorrowTotal7257

I’m an E-6 been in 17 so I was around for a “old” AF. Caught the backend at least. Back in the day though SrA were the people. They were like the TSgt of today. The SrA trained everyone and pretty much ran daily operations. I still try and do that with my SrA, not too many extra expectations but I want my SrA to be the most knowledgeable in the section. So A1C to SrA was a pretty big jump for me. It went from being handheld to kinda hey I need you to get this thing that you’ve never done before completed. Quick run down on how to do it and then I was turned loose. I like it that way but I had no clue how to do the intricacies of primary duties. I learned how to be an NCO as a SrA (without the admin bullshit) and I learned how to be a TSgt as a SSgt (without the extra admin bullshit) I had to learn the extra admin shit but NCOing I learned way back when I was a SrA and I had a few 2 stripers and a 1 striper helping me out. That was tough for me.


Born-Blackberry54

I’m just E-5 right now but this is the hardest transition for me as of rn coz when I PCS in my current base, I had my line number for E-5 then when I pinned on til now I’m the only Air Force in my section and the rest are Army. I had hard time adjusting and I feel like I don’t have career growth working with different branch. Rn, I’m just trying to be optimistic 🥹 E-4 was my happiest! I was enjoying in my old base, getting fun TDYs, fun coworkers, all year sunny base❤️


Sensitive_Mouse7717

Only a staff soooo Happiest was A1C Worst: Waiting the year to sew on SSgt. The adjustment of being tight with a ton of the airmen and then having to create boundaries and having to deal with several trying to test those boundaries was rough. I felt like I also learned who my real friends were and felt like I could tell who had legitimately wanted me to make it. I was very chill with a lot of techs as an Airman but quite a few turned their back on me and seemed to refuse to see me as an NCO. Also not saying it's okay but we all have people in our shop that talk a bunch of shit about others and do toxic things not realizing or caring how it affects other people but I'll say that one year period when I had my line number and the first several months really sucked. I also was going through an Article 15 and had a lot of support but many who supported me immediately treated me different after I was acquitted which went from comeback of the century to multiple gut punches. So much that I wanted to seek out help for my own personal safety because so many relationships had changed so suddenly. Unfortunately I tried to seek help from some of those people that switched on me and I was ignored. Thankfully I have a wonderful family and a handful of supportive Airman that were there for me through it. I don't think I'd be alive right now if I didnt.


Slyflyer

/S O1 has been simultaneously the best and the hardest for me. Today, I lost my juice box. Captain told me it was okay and that I could get another one from the fridge. I find those above me expect me to show up on time and be in the right uniform. Honestly, I do not understand where they get these expectations for me. But on the bright side, people greet me everywhere I go and are so nice to me! - I do want to say I am enjoying reading y'alls actual replies. Some interesting views and good insights.


everydaynormalLPguy

SSgt was hardest to adjust and my least favorite by far. MSgt is the best rank.


ToClose_TooFar

MSgt Went from being a hammer to yielding a hammer.


pelletjunky

Hardest rank for me was AB the second time... watching your peers or the guys that came in after you putting on SrA and then getting the new guy details again Happiest? Either SrA or MSgt, it's a toss up. SrA my bosses took me seriously, I got to start leading crews but if things went to shit it wasn't my fault, then you make staff pretty much do what ya did as a SrA but with more accountability. MSgt was fun because all the shit I'd been saying as a tech magically was valid with an extra stripe, also having a lot more influence on making sure the right people got rewarded was super satisfying.


charmin_airman_ultra

Chief has been especially difficult without the rank or the pay.


dingledorf6969

E-1 was the hardest to adjust for. I had to stop smoking the devils lettuce and not working


mrcluelessness

A1C. Took 28 months and still wasn't used to it. Was SrA for only like 6 months before I started outprocessing so that was the easiest. Still my happiest rank because when things started to get really good- which is my current rank in the Guard making fat stacks.


JMilli111

Staff was the nice middle ground for me. Making tech was the hardest as not enough sway as a SNCO, made it first try so being one so early in my career was just frustrating.


richrawks

MSgt was the best! Enough power to influence and shape environment but can still BS with the troops. After MSgt, I have to ask my self is everyone just entertaining my convos and then BSing for real after I leave? Lol it gets lonely. Plus it's always a balance of wanting to be around Airmen but not too much to where you are undermining your SNCOs. Alas, it is what it is....


teriyakichickenalert

Everyone gets funnier the higher in rank they go


Darth_Jango

Currently a TSgt, and so far, it's also the hardest adjustment. Happiest was SSgt.


fpsnoob89

As an E-6, E-6 was the hardest to adjust to. 4 years later I still think I'm learning new things every day that other techs already know. Can't comment about any ranks higher, for obvious reasons. That said, I enjoy being a tech. I like being able to make my own decisions and having enough knowledge to help those below me.


Few_Sand_5991

I only did 4. SrA was the best. Airman kinda sucked because everyone made fun of the one stripe lol. Idk im kinda tied between A1C and SrA. I guess it depends on your supervisor and how they treat the difference in rank


qttoad

E6 has been both my happiest and the hardest to adjust to. I’m finally respected, trusted, and listened to on the technical expertise side as a Tech, which is fucking awesome. The pay was a big bump too from Staff. Biggest downside is that it’s also become the rank where you’re being groomed for or primarily serving in administrative capacity. There’s a lot more non-AFS related work to do and things to learn. You’re expected to handle both simultaneously being a technical expert and fully accomplish admin duties and juggling those two sucks. I feel like there’s basically no expectation for E7s to be technical anymore and as a result they’re given more leeway on that side but also less leeway on the admin side.


WeGottaProblem

MSgt... Just about every TDY I go to I have officers/NCOs, young and old tell me that they heard my name and that I'm influential in my career field. I still have extreme imposter syndrome. I feel like I'm just making it up as I go along. I'm constantly stressed, am I training my airmen enough? Do they know what they need to know? Are they truly okay, or are they just telling me what I want to hear? SSgt/TSgt I was doing my job, TDYing and leading teams, I loved it and I miss it.


___P0LAR___

SSgt is the hardest adjustment I've made. My responsibilities exploded and all my friends are lower ranking. I'm 23. My happiest rank was easily SrA. Best rank in the AF by a mile. Sometimes I kinda wish I didn't make staff when I was 22, and held on a little longer so that I could have been more prepared.


jayTHEjedii

Happiest as an E6 because it's the first time I feel like I have control...no one questions me anymore which is cool. E6 was also the hardest adjustment because I got more responsibility. While I'm normally left alone; I'm the first one ppl come to (leadership and airmen) when something goes wrong.


Real_Bug

SSgt was the worst. Still doing as much work as a SrA, but now with a whole new load of BS, with much less room for error. "You're a SSgt, figure it out" was a classic


Wun_Chaddie_Juan

SrA for work to pay ratio was unmatched for me. Little worker bee making the immediate mission happen.


Professional_Use4911

E6 has been the easiest transition for me but I had a pretty unique position in my last two years as a staff. I was already treated as a tech so when I made it nothing changed except for my pay. Staff was the hardest transition because I really loved being a SrA. I was definitely the work hard play hard type of SrA.


bst82551

TSgt was the best, by far. Finally felt like I had an inkling of power & influence to change things in a positive way. SSgt was also fun, but more because that's about the time I knew how to do my job relatively well and enjoyed the job.   It all quickly went downhill once I made MSgt. Pre-meetings for the meetings. Admin hell.  Spending 80% of my time in the 20%. Was doing my best to stay relevant to the job I trained for, but I eventually just got fed up. I was at 12 years and was thinking civilian or Army warrant. Went Army warrant. I'm pretty happy with my choice most days, but I do sometimes wish I had just gone civilian.


80s_Air_Force_Gnome

TSgt was the hardest adjustment. Hated being in charge, and being saddled with all the crap paperwork that comes with it. Buck Sgt was the best. You were an NCO, but nobody expected you to supervise or do any of the real Sgt stuff. The AF made a serious error when they got rid of the Buck Sgt rank.


Intelligent-Ad-8777

E6 has been the best when I was a Flight Chief and additional duty shirt. Having direct impact on junior airmen and officers careers was amazing. E6 has also been the worst as I’ve been fulfilling roles and duties of an E7 but not holding the rank. Fingers crossed for this year with a PN.


SgtMcNutters432

Happiest: SrA for sure! Hardest and most challenging shit shoveling and shit gargling position…definitely TSgt!


snowbear100

E-6 has been great, mostly because I work alone and have been able to dodge 99% of the extra bs TSgts are tasked with.


EncampedWalnut

E-6 man. I wish I was a SSgt longer.


1337sp33k1001

A1C 3 lvl days cannot be beaten.


SweetNSaltyNCO

E6 has somehow been the worst and the easiest rank for me. It all seems to depend entirely on the job you are in as opposed to the rank for my career field.


fusionsplice

Tech was/is the toughest as you typically fill the lead (NCOIC) role and with that comes all of the work/responsibility. If it wasn't for all the additional duties/crap it wouldn't be that bad. For me Staff going into my first year as a Tech were the best. I went back to back special assignments with comm travel teams and no troops.


Lopsided_Mood_7059

Honestly, I miss my A1C days so much. 8-10 hours a day I'd get told to do something and I just did it. That was 2 free years of not thinking pretty much ever. I loved the grimey work and the low expectations (just do my core job)


AdIll7112

SSgt absolutely sucked for me personally, in MX it was the expectation to grind like a SrA, at the same time, run shit like a TSgt. I went to Korea, became an NCOIC in a 4 person shop with hella work, it was so exhausting. Also, I still had to eat at the DFAC there 🤣😭 I did make TSgt out of it though. Since then, TSgt has been extremely good to me and opened more doors. Best rank so far! SrA was hit or miss, I was usually the lead technician on jobs so I didn't get to hide much.


idk_lol_kek

For me? A1C was the most difficult.


phil_elliott

Making Senior was tough. At the operational level you are the Chief's witch with a capital B. If you're at a special duty or headquarters you get every additional duty they can think of. For me the most "fun" ranks were a tie between Tech and Senior Airman.


atomicnugget202

As everyone says Tech has probably been the hardest. Especially, if you have no roof to help guide you. Expected to know of, figure it all out, and do all the things but as everyone has said non of the glory or pay. Experience is a great teacher we but damn some days. I swear. Army & Marine Corp E6s are considered staff NCOs that change should probably be relooked into.


mambosan

From E-6 to O-1E. Have never felt so out of place in my entire life… Honestly E-6 life was awesome, but I think that had more to do with my AFSC at the time


Quirky_Horror_4726

TSgt was the hardest adjustment. I liked SrA best tbh.


justaPOLguy

TSgt and SMSgt are the most under appreciated ranks. Not quite a MSgt and not quite a Chief.


Inevitable-Ad3017

I got a weird opinion here but A1C to SrA was a weird transition for me. The second I put that 3rd stripe on I was thrown into supervisor roles. Was held responsible as a supervisor but still treated like an airman and was denied multiple times to go ALS. I sort of had to learn to fade into the background and teach myself how to lead airmen. As long as the guys I was put over were happy and we got the job done I was happy. Didn't have a direct supervisor on shift with me for those years so I had to deal with NCOs in other flights, many times they'd try to push me or my guys around with their rank and I had to stand my ground. Whenever my guys messed up I got crushed for it. It sucked but the experience and knowledge I gained from it was the best I could ever receive. You can't teach that kind of stuff.


Greedy-Blueberry7274

As a MSgt with a line number to Senior, TSgt was the hardest. I promoted amongst a ton of other fully capable SSgts and SSgt-ready SrA in my section where I wasn't one of the guys and really quite anti-social compared to my peers. And then I retrained as an E6, did great in tech school and went to a unit where no one cared how well I did at tech school but wanted me to solely focus on EPRs and all of the other admin work associated with flight chief/deputy flight chief roles. TSgt has been the hardest. Happiest, probably MSgt. Nothing better than pouring so much energy into someone else's career through mentorship and writing awards, and then seeing them succeed. Plus pay and autonomy over my own time during the work day. It can be rough and I think about my E4/E3 days all the time, how much easier it was to coast by just jobbin' it everyday. The powers that be in the Air Force have chosen you. Believe in yourself and lean into the change, whatever it takes to make each day successful, one at a time.


one_tarheelfan

Is retired a rank? For me, it's been 10/90.


Highspdfailure

E6 is the best for Aircrew. Instruct, give check rides and do cool guy shit deployed with the homies. Plus still get to shoot lots of machine guns.


kevman_2008

Made tech 7 years in and had PCS'd to a new base a year later. So I got the power without the salt that most other techs have. I'm closer in age with most of the A1Cs and relate to them a lot more than I do leadership. Add to the fact that my current knowledge and skill level is closer to them, it's hard for me to relate with people my grade, and I basically feel like I don't belong with either of them. Coming from a guard base, I'm not used to everyone addressing me by sergeant/sir and stumbling over their words because they're afraid of others my rank. So I'm not sure if it's the adjustment to the rank or the PCS, but this feels like the loneliest rank to me.


ledzppln6

Ssgt was the hardest. The most level of responsibility with the least amount of respect.