[Melas]

Senior in the military sense, years in service not necessarily required, but time in usually accompanies the rank. There are senior NCO's, junior NCO's, senior officers, and junior officers. In many ways senior NCO's are held the same standards as senior officers.

Btw, I'm just assuming that with 16 years of service, he was an E7. It doesn't say what his original rank was, just that he was demoted to E5 so it's possible that he was an E6 and not a senior NCO.

[JoeFromSidney]

There are senior NCO's, junior NCO's, senior officers, and junior officers.

When I got to be an O-5, I found I had more in common with the senior NCOs than I did with the junior officers. Age and responsibility made a difference.