I got my E-6 in early 73. I think I was the only one in my rating.
Ouch. I felt bad for my detailer. One of the hardest billets to fill was ET1 on a fast boat, because by that time they’ve already done their first sea/shore rotation and if they didn’t like their orders, usually just got the hell out. I did 8 years at sea before I got to my first shore command—recruiting. Talk about a wakeup call.