Hughes was raised in Seattle, and enlisted in the Air Force in 1973, subsequently commissioned as an officer in 1976 and attaining a master’s degree in 1979 from Air Force Institute of Technology.
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/William_Howard_Hughes
Seems like a rather fast rise.
I was in the AF about that time. If you enlisted already having a 4 year degree and entered OCS soon after, you could get to Captain (O-3) pretty quick.
Depends on what year he made O-3. 7 years from commissioning would seem about right.
“...enlisted in the Air Force in 1973...commissioned as an officer in 1976...master’s degree in 1979 from Air Force Institute of Technology...Seems like a rather fast rise.” [FarCenter, post 19]
The Air Force loves to tell people that it promotes according to merit and seniority, but it rarely happens that way.
Depending on worldwide conditions, national mood, and perceived need, time between promotions can be all over the map. True of the entire military establishment.
When I entered the Air Force as a cadet in 1971, officers were promoted from 2Lt to 1Lt in a year. A year after that, they were promoted to Capt. When I was commissioned in 1975, the intervals were lengthen to two years, to 1Lt, and two more years to Capt.
These changes were minimal and mild compared to what happened during 1939-1945, and a few years after.
During World War Two some men really did rise very high in a few years. Bruce K Holloway graduated from West Point in 1937 and rose to O-6 during the war. He left active duty in 1972 wearing four stars. Fortunately, he was up to the challenge.
After Jimmy Doolittle led the first air strikes against Japan in April 1942, he was promoted directly from Lt Col to Brigadier General. That was after he spent the 1920s as a Lieutenant and resigned his Regular Army commission in 1930.
Curtis LeMay was a Lieutenant in 1938, and a Major in 1941. Shortly after America entered World War Two he was promoted directly to Colonel. When victory was declared, he was the youngest two-star general in Army Air Forces .