Congrats young man and keep it going! I did the same in March of ‘83. Then E-4 sergeant (we called it buck sergeant) in March ‘84, SSgt in April ‘85 before OTS. Commissioned 2nd Lt in April ‘86, 1Lt in April ‘88 and finally Capt in April ‘90. I separated in December ‘92. You can do it too with hard work, some great supervisors and (at least in my case) a LOT of luck. It was a time in my life I’ll never forget. Aim High!
I'm proud to say I was promoted early by successfully competing in the Below the Zone program. That was back in 1979. I made (E-5) Staff Sergeant in about 3.5 years. Seeing this video reminds me of the stress I was feeling at the time. I'm glad I did it and I'm glad it's behind me. My boss, MSgt Ames, submitted my name for consideration without my knowledge. Initially, I did not want to go through with it. I remember studying the Air Force manual in preparation and trying memorize every bit of trivia I could find. A big one was chain of command all the way up to the President (Commander in Chief). Also, I remember that eye contact and voice projection (without yelling) were key elements of the interview. I don't remember sitting down. After entering the room and reporting, I was told to be "at ease" and stand at "parade rest".
