Just read about JD Vance's military service

[KS Toronado]

After graduating from Middletown High School in 2003, Vance enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He
was deployed to Iraq as a combat correspondent for six months in late 2005. There, he was assigned
to the Public Affairs section of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. About his service, he commented that it
"taught me how to live like an adult" and he was "lucky to escape any real fighting"

Appears he was in for four years and attained the rank of Corporal, is that about normal rank
achievement for 4 years? That an E3 or E4 in the Marines? I made SPC4 in 11 months in the Army
and SPC5 at 22 months. (lucky, right place at the right time)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._D._Vance

[Permanut]

1. Took just two years to get to E4 in the Navy (1967)

[msongs]

2. PR hack. lucky to escape real fighting? he musta been popular

[AkFemDem]

5. He was a combat correspondent

Served in Iraq, and ended his 4 years with an honorable discharge. Nothing to be ashamed of there, the majority of the military is not actually fighting in combat- and him admitting as much is much better than those who claim war stories they didn't earn.

[AkFemDem]

3. Marine corporal is an E4

It's a perfectly respectable rank to reach before separating at 4 years, on the Army side it's not uncommon either. I have lots to make fun of and critique in Vance, but his military service isn't one of those things.

[Silent Type]

4. Wonder how he'd stack up against say Kelly in that respect. I think military service is a plus in most cases,

But Vance is such a pissant on most things that military service hardly makes up for deficiencies. It’s like giving points to Timothy McVeigh or something.

[AkFemDem]

6. Kelly served for 24 years

So, significantly longer. He was an officer (Vance was enlisted) which is both a plus and minus depending who you ask his service included dozens of combat flights and he, like Vance, exited service with an honorable discharge. Appreciate both mens' service, Kelly has a much longer record of serving his country though.

[CentralMass]

7. Rumour is that he could have gone furthur but he spent too much time "on" the couch.

[unweird]

8. E5 in under 4 years myself in Army

At first blush it seems JD (or whatever he called itself then) wasn’t an overachiever. But then Marines always did rank differently.

[SlimJimmy]

9. All military service that results in an honorable discharge is fine.

There are literally 10s of thousands of vets who served honorably but never saw combat. I think we have better things to ping him on than his honorable military service.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

10. I think rank was easier way back then

The Army was growing because of Vietnam, so there were huge org charts with lots of empty spots. I was drafted (thanks, LBJ) and was SP5 about 19 months later.

I think there is more retention of people in the all-volunteer Army, so the slots don't open as often as when there were many draftees serving.

[HAB911]

11. I made Army SGT E5 in 7 months

but I had in-demand communication skills set for the situation.

[Mr. Scorpio]

12. Frankly, unless he got a big chicken dinner, I wouldn't give much thought to his military service

He did four years and left honorably, so he did the minimum. It’s just a footnote.