lol I made e4 in less than 6 months after AIT. I just sat there for 17 years...
that’s been me. My first 5 years, there were zero E5 slots, and hadn’t been for years. So when the state reorganized and created new slots, seniority ruled, and those were quickly filled and the problem came back. Then after OCS and blowing the knee a third time, I spent 8.5 years in an aviation unit and not in an MOS slot, so I wasn’t eligible despite being number 1 on the list the entire time.