Oh wow Kyle, that must have been the original belt. Sorry to hear about the trouble you had, but at least it happened on a day that you had time to fix it!

The promotion system is confusing John. E1-E4 is decentralized, where you can be promoted by your unit at certain points. After a certain point, such as two years time in grade, you are promoted automatically unless there's a reason not to.

E5-E6 is called semi-centralized. This is where you attend a board at the battalion level to become promotable. Once selected you are assigned promotion points based on your experience, education, and a bunch of other stuff. Everybody in your MOS is ranked based on points, and each month they promote the top X number of candidates on the list, with X being the number of promotions that MOS needs to make. This is Army-wide, so it can be very competitive.

For the senior NCO promotions, which are E7-E9, there are boards held annually. These boards review the records of everyone eligible for promotion, and these sergeants major rate everybody on a scale from 1- to 6+. The scores are tabulated and everybody is ranked according to score. The branch determines how many they will promote that year(X promotions), and the top X number of candidates are selected. They are assigned sequence numbers based on their place on the list, and everyone is promoted based on sequence number on a monthly basis until the list is exhausted. Those who are selected will get promoted when their number comes up. Those not selected will be reconsidered the following year by the next board.

So now that I confused everyone, how did everyone's Saturday go?

 

That sounds extremely rough, Kyle. There's gotta be some way to make that process easier. Maybe two guys.

 

Tom, I think it was the original belt as well, there were no visible markings anywhere on it!

Josiah, a second set of hands would have helped tremendously!

Hope everyone's having a great weekend! I had a short work day today and went for another bike ride. It's a great day out!

 

It was a real nice day out. I was supposed to be at an all day volleyball tournament today, but ended up waking up with a bit of a strain in my back, and my leg isn't 100%, so I scrapped it. Kyle, next time you need a hand give me a heads up. I'm sure I won't always be available, but I am always willing to give a hand or two.

 

Morning,

Kyle that was a bummer on a day off. But better then than on your way to work or middle of the night. Sometimes Ford had their heads up their a**es when it came to designs in the engine compartment.

Tom, the army really likes to keep you hopping when it comes to promotion. I'll bet it probably the same in the Navy in present day service. Back in the day it seemed that with every time a campaign started or ended one of our team got a promotion. And there was always some type of Unit Citation.

On Saturday my F250 developed a new noise that sounded like a stone in a hub cap. Had Kathy drive the truck and I walked along the side. Noise came from the right front wheel. And it did sound like a rock in there. Took the tire off and spun the the hub. Again there was something free in there. I noticed that there was a lot of scaling coming off the rotor. As I cleaned the scales off the out side diameter the noise seemed to decrease. So I lightly banged the outer edge of the rotor and a lot of scaling fell out. I did it until there was total quite when I would spin it. Put the tire back on and drove from Newington to Waterbury for dinner. On the way home the noise started but very slight, so I will take it apart one more time and try to make sure there's nothing in there.

 

Good morning everyone.

I believe the Navy uses a test-based system for most of their promotions, but I'm not sure of the specifics. The Army's system is frustrating for lots of folks because your promotion potential depends on your MOS to a large degree. Not a single tanker got picked up for SFC this year, and that's not a tiny MOS. Apparently they're overstrength, so no matter how good all the candidates were this year it wasn't going to matter. Others like myself happened to be in an MOS that promoted a lot of people, so it was relatively easy.

Wow, your truck's not that old either. Sounds like pulling the rotors and spraying a rust preventative like Fluid Film may be a good idea before winter.

 

Evening everyone.

Thanks Josiah! Same goes with me, let me know if you ever need help!

John, definitely better it happened close to home than on the job site! Hope you get the noise sorted out and that there's no bigger issue happening.

I was up on the scaffold on Sunday, had just got done building it and leaned over to move a plank and did some damage to my back, wasn't even lifting anything remotely heavy! Felt like bubble wrap sounds, if that makes sense. I went home a bit later and immediately went mountain biking, sounds terrible but it didn't impair me from riding, and I think it helped to keep me loose. Spent some quality time with the heating pad and stretching and made it through a nice 8.5 hour day today, moving a lot of materials and mixing mortar, definitely slowed the pace down a lot though.

It's been about 5 years since I've had this happen, luckily I know how to manage it, just gotta be careful at work for the next few days.

 

Good morning guys.

Kyle you need to take care of your back. Go easy for a few days.

 

I guess that sounds like I will be pull off the rotor in the nest day or two.

 

Good morning everyone.

Sorry to hear about your back Kyle, I hope you feel better. Might be worth getting checked out, back trouble can be rough!

 

Evening guys, had another long day today, things seem to be better. I did some damage to myself about 6 years ago body boarding on a wave, went straight over the falls, face first into the sand, scorpioned, ankles hit the back of my head and my back went crunch crunch crunch, I know I have a disc that's a bit messed up from it, I'll have to go this winter and get checked out and see how things are once work slows down.

Seems like another two or three days and I'll be 100% again.

 

Evening guys.
The kids have tomorrow off for the Jewish holiday so I am going to take them up to the Big E.
They have never been so it should be a good time.
Maybe we will hit IHOP on the way up in the AM.

 

Evening gents. Is anybody else paying attention to the new 2017 Super Duty reveal? Happens tomorrow around noon I guess. I am pretty excited to see what the truck looks like. From what I have been seeing, it may take some getting used to, but I think I will like it. I'll be real curious to hear about the numbers and details on what is all new with the truck. Seems to be a lot of mixed reviews on the new F150. I'm still not sold on it with the stock look, but boy does it look good with a lift and bigger tires.

 

GOOD evening Connecticut!

I'm definitely gonna try Josiah, but the interest is purely academic for me. I'm pretty much set on getting a new F150 shortly after Karri gets settled into her job, which should be in a few weeks. I've had a couple of Super Duties and liked them, but the newer F150s do everything I'd need. I test drove a '15 last weekend and was really blown away with the ride and handling.

Looks aren't important to me at all, for me it's all about capability and value.

 

Tom, I saw your thread over in the '15 F150 section. That's a pretty nice looking truck you're interested in. It's good to hear a review on the new 150 from somebody that I actually know, and seems to have a pretty fair view across the board in terms of product review. I have always liked the bigger trucks, and with the likelihood that when I purchase a new truck it won't be my DD, I will be struggling to decide which truck I really want as opposed to which one will suit my needs. Kind of a fun place to be really. As long as it works out that way for me.