Why Gibbs' Marine Rank Bothers NCIS Fans
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- Опубліковано 26 жов 2020
- NCIS protagonist Leroy Jethro Gibbs has been a military man since he left high school, but there is one aspect of his backstory that some fans have called into question. It is established in flashbacks that Gibbs never rose above the rank of gunnery sergeant in the Marine Corps, which some don’t quite understand. Gibbs was in the Marines for 16 years, which has led some viewers to think he should have risen higher, while others who have served have said it’s a tough rank to ascend to in the first place. Let’s take a look at why Gibbs’ Marine rank bothers NCIS fans.
#NCIS #Marines #TVShow
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The only thing that absolutely bothers me is that we don't officially know how Gibbs gets the boats out of the basement. 🤦🏾♂️
ha 😂nice comment
YES. Its too bad that "Why didnt Fornell recognize Gibbs in 'Yankee White' " is unfixable, otherwise this would probably bother me too.
Of course he remained a gunny. He refuses to move into the director's chair at NCIS, as well, because he belongs on the front lines, feels great responsibility to the people on the ground, and hates politics. You'll get more politics moving up in either position. Not a stretch. It's quite consistent for his character.
@@agentorange3417 100% agree
actually we do know, it was explained in an ep that he takes em apart and puts them back together outside after hes done building them
Achieving Gunny Sergeant after 16 years times in service is actually fairly normal
you know Gibbs was offered to run NCIS, so he turned it down every time
but we’ve seen him a lot of times as a “deputy director” and running an agency while the director is away
perhaps he also refused promotions in the Marines, because in higher ranks not only the ability to lead but also politics has its influence
Patrick, actually it depends on your MOS. Speaking from experience I went 39 months as an E3. This was due to the MOS being saturated with E4's (CPL)
I made Sgt (E5) in just under 3 years in the Marines, this was just post Vietnam and there was a critical shortage of NCOs so promotions were fast. Then I spent 6 years as a Sgt (a bit longer then normal but I had a change of primary MOS in there which reset my time-in-grade for promotion) before making SSgt (E6) and finished my career at that rank due to yet another change of primary MOS and getting and "early release" (thanks to Bill Clinton) after 18 years service.
Typically as others have said making Gunny after 12 (if you're REALLY good) to 16 years is normal.
@@tihomirrasperic Refusing promotion is oftentimes a career-ending move for anyone. It usually results in a "Non-Rec" (Not recommended for promotion), which for Staff NCOs forces a high year of tenure separation, often referred to as early retirement.
Especially during the time he served, all MOS’s were possibly saturated with people staying active duty, meaning no reason to promote personnel while you have people filling their respective ranks and billets. Getting promoted is at the need of the Marine Corps, not based solely on the merit of the individual.
E7 is the most common rank to retire. In the Marines, that’s Gunny
This is correct.
Enough rank to keep you out of the but not enough to take on anything larger than Platoon size.
It is NOT the most common rank to retire.
@@barfo281 Can you tell us why you think so. We are referring to enlisted Marines.
@@FactsDominate It also true for all branches.
16 years in the marines being a gunny is average
There is nothing shabby about retiring at 16 as a gunny. Not at all.
Other than the fact that no branch in the U.S. Military allows someone to retired at 16 years, minimum is 20 years. Being he was a Marine, you get two looks for the next rank if you don't make it they put you out with no retirement. Being he was an E7 with 16 years of service, without perfectly timed enlistment contract allowing him to be able to walk away at the end of a contract at 16 years. He most likely was on a indefinite contract, which at usually happens at around 12 years and anyone E6 or higher locking you in till retirement at 20 years of service. So this dude walked away at 16 year with no retirement, no one does that, you put that much time no sane person will walk away from Half pay for life and medical benefits when they only have 4 years left. If he did that, he's a complete moron. He most likely got booted out for not being able to make selection for the next rank, receiving no retirement. I have seen many time in my 21 years of service.
@@ryanwilson3314 don’t forget that he was in an explosion that almost killed him, and he received an honorable discharge. He did not retire from the marines.
While it is true that he would have been crazy to give up a retirement and it's possible he could have been forced out.
Let's not forget that as recently as the last 10 years the Marine Corps was offering the Early Retirement program to SNCOs to help clear out the top heavy ranks and allow the lower ranks opportunity for promotion. So it is within the realm of possibility that Gibbs could have gotten an early out.
@@ryanwilson3314 remember he serve before 2000. They allow some member retire early
He could have been retired medically.
So basically the answer is Redditor’s have too much time on their hands and don’t have the knowledge to back it up
Like how 1st Sgt isn’t a rank, but a designation for someone with basically extra responsibility that has equal rank to other master sgts? Way to look dumb, Looper. Lol
@@JimLookin Actually it is a rank. This rank is the only rank at company level even officers listen to. The rest on up is pretty much administration level NCO's
@@nightstalker7734 Thanks for the info. I always thought it was a designation in the command structure of an unit. They still had the same number of stripes as others of their rank, but as the only one in the company, it came with extra responsibilities and therefore clout.
@@JimLookin the first sergeant rank has a diamond in between the rockers and stripes. The advanced rank has other centers.
E-8 in the Marine corps splits. You have Master Sargent, which has crossed ruffles between the rockers and First Sargent which has a diamond. E-9 then has Sgt Major, which comes from the First Sgt rank and Master Gunnery Sgt. First Major and Sgt Major are company and battalion level command position where Master Sgt and Master Gunnery Sgt are more operational ranks.
I guarantee none of the people questioning his rank and time in service ever served. If they had, they wouldn't ask a stupid question like that.
I was thinking the same thing
Exactly like wtf
Why didn’t a marine infantryman get promoted faster.... oh wait hahaha
Retired at 20 as a staff . I am a worker and not a politician. In my career I saw higher rank was more political and less working the floor. That was not for me.
If they hadn't served, then it's not a stupid question, just a question.
It would of been stupid if they HAD served.
He’s the Navy equivalent to a Chief Petty Officer-E-7. Making Chief or Gunny in 16 years is pretty good and I’ve met a bunch of Gunnery Sargents. They are the backbone of our fine Marine Corp and like all Marines are bad ass. Watch Heartbreak Ridge.
@@GhostRider-sc9vu Chozo was a Sgt Major.
Besides, "Gunny" sounds cooler than Master or 1st Sgt.
There nickname is Top FYI pretty cool as well
Not as cool as Master Gunnery Sergeant or Master Guns
@@nsascn As a Retired Master Gunnery Sergeant I agree. I enjoyed the informal term MasterGuns.
@@nsascn or my personal favorite, pineapple man, because lets be honest, that bursting bomb looks like a pineapple.
Top.
The only people that might question his rank have never been in the Marine Corps. There are a lot of Marines that retire at 20 years of service as a Gunny. It is not unusual. When a person gets to the higher ranks, it does take longer before one is on the list for a promotion.
Bro right ? I was laughing
Also, Gunnery Sergeant is the highest NCO rank that is still involved in the day to day operations of a unit. Gibbs is a mentor and would find fulfilment at this level.
Then you must not have a close unit
It's normal to retire as an E7, regardless of the branch.
Right. And only if they were going way beyond 20 would it be more common to advance to Master, Master Guns, etc. There are certainly folks who make E-8 faster, but they're the exception based on my experience working with Navy and Marine Corps personnel.
Many service members retired at E-6 pay grade in the 1960s to 1990s eras.
@@fjtalleyauthor2242 more
The fans who were confused probably werent in the military.
It literally took me 4 years to move from E-3 to E-4 in the Navy because of the job I was doing in the Navy. I was not a bad sailor, I just had a job that had a low percentage of advancement. You have to choose the right job, and get the right opportunities. Without that advancement can be a real b*tch.
I got out of the Army as a E-4 after being an E-4 for 4.5 years of almost 6 years active for similar reasons...the Army used boards to advance past E-4 along with NCOES schools so it wasn't all that uncommon for non-Combat Arms MOSs to stagnate at E-4 and be mustered out when they hit the 8 year cut-off for making E-5. (1987-1993 era)
Right now I'm only a private fuzzy don't get my pv2 in till next month
Yeah, Infantry is the way. Got E-5 under 6! Worked hard for it, no ass kissing, just hard work and being at the right place at the right time.
Choose your rate, choose your fate.
I was an ICman in the Navy. In my fifth year, I took the E-6 test. That quarter they only advanced two ICmen to that rank Navy-wide. I came in third until I pointed out their error in my score. I still had to wait until the next quarter to advance and had to sign a ninety-day extension to accept it. Happily, I got a ninety-day cut before that time and spent only 3 extra days in service.
These can only be questions posed by those who never served.
thank you from a air force retiree.
@@michaelzappone9343 Well this Marine thanks you for your service.
@@Matteo_ thank you mate from here in oz where my wife and i are enjoying life. hope all you and your are well. hooray jarhead!! lol :)
I served with a few gunneys...good men, all.
I mean as someone who doesn't even has any idea about the US ranks or military in general, it does sound like something that would come up as a question if I would have looked up the ranks. Buzt also hearing that the Gunnys are the backbones make just so much sense for Gibbs to end as one as well with the time that it takes.
I retired in 1995 with the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant (E9) after 27 years in the Marine Corps. I recall that it was not unusual for a Marine to retired at 20 years as a Gunnery Sgt. Depending on the Military Occupational Specialty it can be difficult to achieve rank due to overcrowding in the MOS field. You can be as good as possible and still not advance. Oorah.
I think him retiring at E-7 is perfect since it’s somewhat of similar to his position at NCIS. He refuses to take director position at NCIS simply because he does not want to, which I would say is very similar to a 1SG or SGM role. His role at NCIS is close to his role in the MC.
@@leondillon8723 but it is sgm
Fastest time I saw someone make it to E8 in the Navy was 14 years and Marine Corps was 17 years. That is my personal experience as a Navy Corpsman who worked with both services.
I worked with a US Army E5 MP(95B). He had a relative who served in the US Air Force. He said the active duty enlisted air force guy went from E-1 to E-9 in 11yr! 😧. He was in a advanced level intel field & the Air Force considered him critical.
@@DavidLLambertmobile that is similar to Navy nukes who can be E6 in say 4 or 5 years. Which if they stick around can be up for E7 and 8 rather quickly.
@@kevinfranzen9733 the "silent service" has slow rank-advancement but the sailors & Navy sub command officers can leave & get high paying defense jobs, DoD-PMC posts: 💰💰💰. Subs are extremely dangerous, stressful. The Navy does what it can to make sub tours(patrols) liveable. Bearable.
I did 4 years as an MP in the marines. some of the best leaders i ever worked for either retired as a Gunny, or made Top their last year in. So Gibbs doing 16 and getting out as one is not far fetched in the slightest.
Too bad the Marines are doing away with MPs. Tanks too.
Clint Eastwood was “only” a gunnery sgt in heartbreak ridge
And that character had the MoH too
He was constantly arrested ⚖, UCMJ actions too. That can slow or prevent promotions. Officers & non commissioned officers can get letters or personnel actions which prevent them from advancement if the reasons are serious. Some lose top secret or classified status then must go into different careers.
@@DavidLLambertmobile my point is he was a great leader
“Only” a Gunny pushing the 30 year mark which is unusual because you are usually E-8/9 at this point. As said, he had some “disciplinary issues that likely made this (fictional) Marine make the same rank more than once.
That's because he was in recon, only so many slots
If you're complaining about Gibbs being stuck at E-7, just think about the National Guard... There are people who have been in for 30 years and haven't made it past E-6. Skill isn't always the factor. For the Guard especially its all about promotion points and available jobs.
More the job really....if there isn't a slot, there is a slot.
The only people "bothered" by this are clueless civilians. I was promoted to GySgt with 14 years in service.
Thank you for your service
Rah
I salute you, thank you for your service. :)
I knew a Recon guy who made Gunny in 7 years.
@@John-yj1bw i call bs on that, there is no way anyone can make Gunny in 7 years, especially as an 03.
I know people with 20 years who retire at that rank.
my dad retired at Gunny after 20 years,.
My father retired from the corps as a gunny after 20 years
Let's not forget that promotion rates were lower from the mid 80s to late 90s due to the post-cold war drawdown. Making E-7 in any branch before 16 years pretty fast. Making E-8 or E-9 was for those who went past 20.
Depends on specialty (MOS/NEC), my dad made Chief (E7) in just under 10yrs, pinning the rank in the early 1980's. He the then made Senior Chief in about 6yrs and stayed there until retirement at 23yrs in 1998. Granted, they did try to give him the second star to keep him in, he declined.
@@AT2Productions Yes but in the late 80s it slowed and then there the whole RIF crap in the early 90s.
There is also a Master Gunnery Sargeant (E9) and they are also called “Gunny”. It is an endearing term of respect and familiarity among all Marines. It’s never been divulged if Gibbs was an E7 or an E9. My guess, after 16 years, knowing Gibbs.... an E9! Hoorah and Semper fi from an old Marine. SMB
they specifically said that Gibbs was a Gunnery Sergeant. so i would assume that he was an E-7 when he got out. i get the impression that if he was an E-9, he wouldnt have been able to be out in the field employing his sniper skillset. by the way, from a US Army Vet...thank you for your service, Marine!
At the time, at least as it pertains to the timeline of the show and I’m assuming he was in the Marine Corps during the 90’s, it wasn’t uncommon for Marines to retire as Staff Sgts or Gunnery Sgts. The promotion system was a lot slower back then.
Yes, he serviced in Desert Storm like I did so 1991.
Even if offered higher rank it would be consistent with the character to decline. Further up the chain means further from direct action and more paperwork. There is little doubt Gibbs has the technical skills to be director of NCIS but has neither the temperament nor inclination. Going past Gunny would have had the same disincentives.
I was hinted many time they will not put a bullet on ncis head
He was always a field kind of man
Never political
He was acting director once. I forget if it was under Jenny or Leon, but they were away, and Gibbs was acting director, and he hated every second of it. And Jenny once told Gibbs' doctor that he was better at dealing with politicians than she was, because he shot them.
@@specialk9424 twice, one under Jenny when she was in Paris and another when Leon had to leave because of injuries sustained during torture
Just like James Kirk avoided the rank of Admiral with all he had. They nabbed him with it once, and he broke just enough regulations and gathered just enough favors to get back to Captain.
@@specialk9424 I think Leon but It may have been under both.
I'm a Marine from the 70's and there were a lot of Marines retiring as a Gunny after 20 years.
Hi Navy Corpsman here. Gibbs is a grunt. Grunts have notorious long periods of trying to pick up rank and it is difficult to do so. It makes sense.
As an NCIS agent, his pay and retirement probably improves ....a lot.
He'd get retirement from both.
@@FMykal Not as much if he did a full 20 though but it was during that time that they introduced early retirement at 15.
Anyone who doesnt understand his rank has never been a marine and dont know how the rank system works
in the episode with the medal of honor recipient he basically said he didn't want to advance any higher
that episode with Charles Durning was one of the best in my opinion.
@@tw350z7 the ending got me... Not Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal and soldiers earned each others respect
If you watch JAG the show NCIS spun off of you would know that he stayed in the reserves but keeps it quiet.
What
I am a retired E-8 from another branch of the service. The only Marine E-8 I ever worked closely with was called "Top".
My aunt did more then 20 years, and it took her all that to make Master Sgt. So that seems about right
Gunny is still on the ranks of their marines. They're still in charge of the platoons leading their marines from the front, the role played exactly how the corps would be. NCIS has a team leader aspect but he's the lead of the floor, highest ranking next to the director... which would be the role in the corps. Same as Army
I’m not a military member, so please correct me if I’m wrong. Another issue may have been that there weren’t any master sergeant or sergeant major slots to promote him into. As I understand it, there are often a larger number of qualified and quality people in a lower rank when a slot comes open. Is that kinda right?
To some degree yes. Depending on the job you have in the Corps you can have certain ranks that will close due to to many still active, once some folks retire then it opens back up and they come out with the new cutting score for promotion, if your score is above you know you made it.
My brother is a gunnery sergeant, got promoted at 13 years.
Check that. Just found out today he got promoted to warrant officer!
@@jaysun4069 tell him Congrats from a Random person
@@jaysun4069 That could be a good or a bad thing, most of the WO's I knew where idioits that couldn't make it to E--8, but was to old to go to officer school. So you can poke fun of him about that....other wise congrates.
@@likeorasgod lol no he's been working on it for a little while now. Plus he just made E7 back in January. I'll admit he's not the brightest though
What MOS?
It all depends on what MOS you are in, your time in service/time in grade, if the position is open, along with how well of a marine you are. For me i was able to pick up SGT with in 4years because i was in the supply MOS, it needed to be filled and i was an outstanding marine,(according to my record). There are some marines that never get past Lance Corprol in 4 years.
And most of us are grunts :P
And what era too i.e. 60/70s, 80/90s, etc.
I was a sergeant in the Army; I left when I was up for promotion to staff sergeant because I was granted an "early out" to return to college. I later worked with two retired Army Sergeants Major in the Boy Scouts of America. I often wonder what would have happened if I'd stayed in the Army, but I don't regret for a minute that I didn't.
Another factor regarding Gunnery Sergeants (E7) is that NCO's in those ranks straddle the line between NCO's who are actively involved in and assigned to combat units in the field and those NCOs who are assigned to administrative duties. The E8s (Master Sergeants and First Sergeants) and the even rarer E9s (Master Gunnery Sergeant and Sergeant Major) are usually among the highest ranking NCO's in a unit. While the E8s are occasionally assigned to direct combat duties, for the most part they play the administrative role. A Gunnery Sergeant who is promoted to E8 will almost certainly find himself behind a desk in the vast majority of cases, a place where Jethro Gibbs would probably not aspire to while on active service in the Corps.
I retired after 25 years as a SSG in the army reserve. Many years ago SSG was common for retirement. Had almost perfect annual appraisals including some endorsed by general officers. Graduated from all the leadership schools, honor grad from 2. My problem was I worked civil service and they kept transferring me, about every 2 years. Which meant starting over in a new unit. E7 slots were few and usually went to someone that had been in the unit for years.
Gunnery SGT is not an easy grade to achieve. E-7 slots in the Corps are not easy to come by because the Corps is such a small branch.
@@GhostRider-sc9vu when I was a CO I had two former Marines, both of whom were E-5s in the Corps, who joined the army because they couldn't catch E-6 slots. Both were damn fine NCO's.
There is such a thing as 'Getting Busted Down', but in Gibbs' case, I think he was Hardshipped out of the Corps and NCIS took him in and if you have served, you know the storm that happens when you go for Promotions-they are NOT easy to obtain-I know, I was a PFC in the US Army and watched many turned down that deserved to gain rank for one reason or another.
There is a "honor" thing for some marines about being a gunny when they retire. Maybe that's not the best term, but I know several whose goal was gunny.
During my time I found that several GySgts were very annoyed at being addressed as GSGT instead as GySgt. It was just the way the screen was set up but they got their knickers in a twist about it. Also annoyed a few by calling them SIR. Whatever they wanted, that's what we called them. Thank you all for your service, sir and ma'am.
One more thing. The greatest honor that I ever had in my time was when I got an oorah! Best moment of my professional life. imo.
I had a master sgt get promoted to master guns at 17 years...
There is also the obvious thing while the Marines trained Gibbs to be a good leader that part of his life ended in 1992 the series started nearly a decade later where he worked along other enlisted and officers who were shown to be among the best of what NIS/NCIS had to offer. So he is bound to pick up some things there and improve upon his already capable leadership skills.
NCIS is a completely civilian agency i.e. they are not military personel, only the Army CID and Air Force OSI have military members as agents.
Well if gunnery is indeed a E7 in the Marines it's been a long time since I was in the military and while I am not completely familiar with the Marine Core Enlisted Rank structure but I know in the Air Force First Sergeant is not a rank but a position inside a unit or organization that can be held by a E7 through E9 for example in the Air Force the top 3 Enlisted ranks go Master Sergeant, Senior Master Sergeant, and Chief Master Sergeant all 3 of which can be serving as a unit's First Sergeant. Also to note that in working directly under a organization Commander ie a General there there will be a Chief Master Sergeant serving in a position called a Command Chief Master Sergeant which is a position that can only be served by a by someone in the rank of Chief Master Sergeant. Just pointing out a difference in a rank and a position in the Military.
Then there is the fact that once you get into the NCO and CO ranks (specially in the combat command ranks) you can only get promoted as openings occur and the higher you move up the ranks the fewer positions there are to move up to. So the only way to get promoted is if someone dies, is discharged for misconduct, or retires.
Lt. Col. Stanley Wawrzynaik was the youngest MssterSgt. in the Marine Corps at 26. I think he only had 5 years service at the time. Oh. he also had two Navy Crosses and a Silver Star. He was the toughest man I ever met in the Corps
E-7 in military after 16 years is pretty standard
I wanted to cap off my career in the U.S. Army as an E-8/First Sergeant of an Armored Cavalry Troop but service related health problems cut my career short and I ETS'd as an E-6/Staff Sergeant and M1 Abrams Platoon Sergeant. The rank of Gunnery Sergeant, at least in my time, was considered the equivalent of Sergeant First Class and worthy of the same respect we would give to an Army SFC.
Was a Marine myself. LONG before I knew much about the Corps (like maybe when I was in boot camp), the name "Gunny" (keep in mind a Marine's first name is his rank) had a certain ring to it that made a Marine (ANY Marine) think 'this is a man to be ESPECIALLY listened to'. We didn't know much about E-8's and E-9's yet, so a 'Gunny' was the most common 'top dog' around, so--as I said--EVERYBODY paid attention to this man. In boot camp and in formal situations, you would always address the man by his full, formal rank, i.e., 'Gunnery Sergeant Jones'. In the fleet, where everybody got to know each other better, in a field exercise where everybody is 'standing down' for a moment, you might say something like, "Hey, Gunny. Where do you think they're gonna hold the Marine Corps ball this year?" and get away with it. Thirty-one years later, when my son was a Marine, this 'informal' practice seemed to have disappeared. I NEVER heard a Marine being addressed by anything other than his full, formal rank. Can any of you 'younger' Marines clarify this? To sum up, "Gunny Gibbs" has a ring to it that IMMEDIATELY commands respect and attention, especially by civilians who know nothing about the military. "First Sergeant" and "Sergeant Major" (no disrespect to you guys) don't, simply because of most people's total unfamiliarity with these ranks. "Get 'em, Gunny!"
I love it when Looper tries to make a military-themed video and the only research they do is on Wikipedia.
Wikipedia is heavily moderated now.
I can do a better research on wiki than they do.
@@itsharibonph which suchs because it's not that they intended it to be and it's bias in a lot of areas.
Used to take years to get promoted in the Marines.
But that was back in the day.
Achieving Gunny is a major achievement, especially within 16 years. If he'd done another re-up, he would've advanced further.
The average rank for retirement in the Navy is E-6 (Petty Officer 1st Class). When I was in during the 90s it was sort of easy to advance, but when they changed the quals from 4 stars to 5 stars and started combining overmanned rates, it made it damn near impossible to advance.
Oh, let's face it. Being able to call him Gunny is good TV, it's just a writing decision
You have to Look at the TIME PERIOD 1976-1992 we did not have allot of Combat Tour at that time and the US Military was Drawing Down after Vietnam so making Rank would have been harder during that time. If I remember correctly from some of the early episodes were Gibbs Marine career is Talked about he was a Scout Sniper with Force Recon that did allot of Covert Ops so being in the Marine Corps during the 80s when the Marines were NOT part of SOCOM but were still tasked to do Covert Operations that no one could know about it would not HELP him make RANK! I have known a couple of Marines from that Era and they have told me stories about how life as a Marine was back then! You have to remember they were not called: "Uncle Sam's Mistreated Children" for NOTHING! They had to do Everything with Less Gear in the WORSE Environments and STILL Make it home Safe!
I was an E-7 in the Air Force, there are 9 enlisted ranks in all branches. The higher in rank you go, the next is more difficult to achieve. E-8 is fairly difficult to get to, and E-9 even more so.
Being a gunney at 16 years is very common and seeing someone higher than that as either a master sgt or 1st sgt is very rare. Typically it will be within the last enlistment so between 17-20 years in the corps to become an e-8
i got out of the Marines at 12 years as a Staff Sergeant/Gunnery Sgt select. to get out at 16 years as a Gunny is nothing to sneeze at.
Many Marines that have full careers won’t move higher than gunny, also to move up in any nco or snco is also dependent on if they need people to move up. Some mso’s move up faster than others. Gibbs was also an 0317 Marine Scout Sniper.
And being called “Gunny” just sounds cool. 🇨🇦
Not as cool as MasterGunny.
@@FactsDominate not mastergunny masterguns. Way better
@@kylehlade3725 As a retired MasterGunny I disagree.
@@FactsDominate What about Corporal Captain?
Not as cool as being a Marine "Gunner".
If you want to achieve rank quickly get into security guard or security force. I made E4 in two and a half years.
Never thought about it
I know many marines who retired after 20 yr as a gunny
My recruiting sergeant in the Marine Corps is a Gunny and he’s been in for 15 years and never got NJP’d, its pretty common
I was in the United States Marine Corps from 1967-1975. I went from a sergeant to a warrant officer to fly helicopters. In pease time rank is a lot harder to make. During Vietnam with the casualty rate so high rank was easier to make because men were dying faster that living. On April 30th 1975 the Vietnam conflict was officially over but we were in skirmishes all over the world till the first Gulf War started in January 1991.
His military time would add to his civil service time NCIS in federal employees Retirement
Getting past that E7 payroll grade /USAF Msgt was hard having to convince promotion boards your accomplishments were worthy to advance to E8/SMSgt the start on my 5th enlistment I was promoted to MSgt, with less that 4 years in my last enlistment go achieve the rank of SMSgt. If I had re-enlisted after completing my 20 years, I am sure I would achieved SMSgt.
Being a Gunny in a 16yr career is very honorable. Also closer to real life than 97% of fan theories
Gunney gets more respect, those higher ranks could be any other service. A Warrent Officer carried a lot of weight in the USAF and I served when the last one existed. A Senior Master Sargent in Logistics/supply is god! He can make life hell on anyone under a full bird colonel and then sometimes he can up it to General...just depends on the location. As an airman during a base closure I kept a full bird colonel at his assignment for three months because we did not pick up the material he was responsable for. He finally got it and said...Airman Coard, did you say you dont have to individually sign for every piece of equipment you take from the shop? Sir yes sir...you just need the last copy. Thank you airman. He was on his way to his next assignment the next day. I did tell him the base closure procedure the first time we met but for some reason he thought a full bird colonel could raise his voice and get his way...Ah--No. Did not work that way. Gunny commands respect and you don't pay for drinks in a bar.
Can we point out he was a Scout/Sniper before the Corp changed the mos to 0317 use to be 8541 (when Gibbs was in) and at the time had limited the Max Grade of E-7 before you had to transition to a traditional 0311 MSgt.
Another possibility is--like Gibbs in NCIS--he prefers to be "in the trenches" and not an administrator. All NCO's have some level of admin requirements, but most Gunny's are still in the Platoon, doing the job, leading the men. The next step up usually becomes a staff NCO or trainer of some kind and leaves the unit behind unless/until they come back as a First Sergeant... Which is often mainly Admin as well...
I knew a gunnery Sargent with a chest full of service medals. He retired after 28 years of service.. Would trust his insight over a commander anytime.
I got SFC in the Army in 15 years. Without a degree, I stayed SFC until retirement.
It also has something to do with your MOS. The military normally promotes someone to a higher rank when a billet opens up that requires an E-8/ E-9 ranked individual for instance. They don't give the promotions away nilly willy. USMC 1/8 79-83
I loved when Harm kept calling him Gunny in the pilot episode on JAG.
Of course there are going to be a shitload people that never served in the Marines that are going to have an ignorant opinion on how promotions work in the Corps.
had a family friend who was E-9 marine dude was a badass recently passed of cancer in 2020
He just didn't do his MCIs. Tsk tsk devil. lol
He didn't read anything from the Commandant's reading list. Message to Garcia time Devildog, get to it.
If he would have done "Soup, Salads and Sandwiches", he would have made Top. [Edit: Does anybody remember what that MCI course was called?]
Lol.
haha
it would be perfectly within his character for Gibbs to get busted a stripe or two for disobeying orders to do the right thing in a given situation.
Possiblities:
1. Since he did special ops his rank wasn't important just easy access to places and bases. Too high draws attention, too low no access. Because he left on weird terms he couldn't get fast tracked.
2. Conversations between Gibbs and Leon Vance shows he hate politics and may had enemies in leadership that only tolerated but refused to allow him through the ranks without a fight.
3. Not sure for Marines but old army you did not have to continue climbing the ranks. Gibbs is definitely about his buddies so if he could continue to stay in the fight rather than headed for command or a desk job he would have stayed at that rank.
Thoughts?
It depends on the MOS how quickly you advance in rank (aside from Meritorious Promotions in the lower ranks). They only need a certain amount of each rank E-4 and above in every MOS, so the composite scores to reach that rank differ based on that. 16 year Gunny was pretty normal in my experience, and had nothing to do with how skillful they were.
See the JAG episode that introduced the NCIS team. It mentions that Gibbs was still a Marine Reservist, & most likely finished out his retirement time in the reserves after his family was killed. Regardless, when I was on active duty (1964 to 1970 ) , the vast majority of Staff NCO "s retired as Staff Sgt's Or Gunny's.
I was in the Corps and Gunny after 16 years, especially when in specialties such as Scout/Sniper, is not unusual. Quite a few Marines retire as Staff Sergeant with twenty or more years in grade. That's realistic.
I haven't seen more than a few NCIS shows--no time for television. I'll have to change that.
Some people just choose to not go past that. My Dad had a Marine that retired as a staff sergeant at 20 years.
Gunny Gibbs was right on time. Since he got out as a Gunnery Sergeant, you can assume he was promoted to E-7 at the normal time of almost 15 years. When he retired, he had well over a year time in grade. He was not due for a promotion to E-8 until he had close to 19 years in the Marines. He was right in the middle of his time in grade as a Gunnery Sergeant when he hung it up.
They had a couple episodes where they said that Gibbs was investigated by another Agent, or Marine, for his suspected involvement in the Narco's death. That's quite a stain that I think would leave someone pretty much terminal at the rank they hold.
But.
The only question that ever mattered is: How in the hell does Gibbs get the damn boats out?
I always wondered, what does he do with them?
My buddy was in the Marines year's he got the boot before he could promote to gunnery Sargent. He had enough points to make it
But was given a honorable discharge before he could. I'm told it's hard to stay in the marines as enlisted man. You have to constantly promote of they kick you out.
So, I am a Marine, and getting out at 16 years as a Gunnery Sergeant (Gunny) is only unusual in that (normally) you would need to serve 20 years to retire, and most Gunnies would stick around the last 4 years to get the retirement pay. Promotion at the higher ranks is also a question of whether they have open positions for those ranks... military jobs (MOS’s) have a need for a certain number of Master Sergeants, and Master Gunnery Sergeants... if there isn’t an opening, you won’t move up to those ranks. Now, maybe you go to First Sergeant or Sergeant Major... but then you leave the job you had to be (essentially) the head of “HR” at a company or regiment... a lot of Marines don’t want to do that, preferring to stay in their field, and may not be able to advance further. There are plenty of 20 year Staff Sergeants and Gunnies... it’s not that odd.
You don't always have to take rank even if internally you know how to earn it. You can quote play dumb and stay in a position that you're more comfortable in. Some people take a while to want to learn management responsibilities. My father was in for 21 years and came out a staff sergeant. Yes my grandfather was in 31 years and they had to make up stripes and lengthen his sleeve. Is all up to what you want to do while you're in and how far you want to go per se
A gunny is more apt to be in charge of a special small group of 6 to 12 men, while a Mas. Sgt. is in charge of a platoon of 30 0r more,
bruh
Promotion isn’t always the easiest of things.
I was an Officer of the Crown, employed by the Parliament and the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, attached to the Australian Department of Defence, embedded into the Australian Military, chiefly although not exclusively the Australian Army, where as a Special Placement Officer I was assigned to work in various Military Headquarters.
In one Office I worked alongside a freshly Promoted Army Major, who was anticipating 8 to 10 Years at Rank, before his next Promotion, provided he Passed the Selection Board.
During My time with him I was Offered a Direct Commission into the Australian Army at the Rank of Captain, with Guaranteed Promotion, (Selection Boards not Required) through Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel and into the Rank of Colonel within 10 Years.
Had I Accepted We would have started with him outranking Me and then Me very quickly, (5 to 6 Years) outranking him.
2:56. My thoughts exactly. Imagine if these two met
Any possibility that Gibbs had reached Master Gunnery Sergeant? The video only showed the two E8 ranks of Master Sergeant & First Sergeant, leaving out the E9 ranks Master Gunnery Sergeant & Sergeant Major. Are Master Gunnery Sergeants still informally called "Gunny"?
First it is Gunnery Sergeant (Gunny is short). He retired, he did not resign or just leave. All MOS's are different at different times. At the time he was a Gunny, they may have had a lot of MSgt's and MGySgt's in his MOS. So he would have had a lag before getting promoted. Or he may have needed more time in Rank. Sometimes people get promoted fast, then they have to stay at a rank for a time to fit the time in rank and time in service requirements before getting promoted again. There are a number of reasons, but him being a Gunny is not an issue at 16 yrs.
The single and truthful explanation is simple. The Marine Corps is very very small when compared to it's competitors, ie the Army, Navy, and Air Force. It's extremely difficult to make rank in a small organization, no matter how good you are or how much you know. Had the character been in another branch, he might have moved up more quickly. Of course, that would depend on whether he wanted to so so. In the military, and in some civilian professions, such as policing, it's possible to get promoted past what brought you into the organization in the first place. The military is so poorly paid that it's ridiculous to surrender yourself for a few bucks a month.
Most people don't know, as a sniper, he was most likely part of the marine special forces for the entirety of his career. They basically have their own structure aside compared to the regular corps(this also applies to spec ops of other branches). There, it is relatively easy to get to E6-E7 and almost impossible to get promoted past that. In terms of why his character got out, the two options mentioned are possible, but he could have also been medically discharged since we learn that he was wounded badly in Desert Storm which If I remember right, was around the time he lost his family. I think Gibbs would have been too proud to take an early retirement due to hardship, he would have just said "screw it" and not reenlist.