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0671E8-E9

Data Systems Administrator

E-8 to E-9 (Senior NCO) · Marines

E1–E3E-4E-5E-6E-7E8–E9
HEADS UP

MSgt / 1stSgt is the rank where the communications company commander stops being able to function without you. MGySgt / SgtMaj is the rank where the battalion or regimental commander does. The 1stSgt vs MSgt fork at E-8 set up the SgtMaj vs MGySgt fork at E-9 — troop leadership (1stSgt to SgtMaj) or occupational SME (MSgt to MGySgt). Past this rank, the Corps stops sending you to school and starts sending you to formations as the standard-bearer for how data systems Marines are developed. Post-service planning 24-36 months out is the load-bearing job your career planner will not do for you.

The Honest MOS Read
MSgt / 1stSgt at E-8 and MGySgt / SgtMaj at E-9 are the senior enlisted ranks of the 0671 community, and the 0671 community at this level is structurally small — every MSgt, 1stSgt, MGySgt, and SgtMaj in the data systems field knows every other by name and reputation. The doctrinal billets live in MCO 1400.32, MCO 1610.7, and the Marine Corps senior enlisted career-development curriculum at Marine Corps University and the SNCO academies. 1stSgt (E-8, the 8999 1stSgt MOS) is the communications company or detachment's senior NCO. You run 100 to 180 Marines — the data systems sections, the network sections, the SATCOM and wireman sections, the company office, the section chiefs, and the boundary between what the commanding officer needs and what the company can actually deliver on the data systems and communications front. You write the company's senior FitReps as reporting senior on the company gunny and reviewing officer on the GySgt section chiefs and SSgt platoon sergeants. You sign the company-level reports — unit health-of-the-force, MCCRE input, climate-survey response actions, the monthly company commander's brief to the BN CO. You are the senior enlisted voice at the BN BUB. The CO and the BN SgtMaj call you by name without thinking. MSgt on the staff senior-NCO track is the parallel E-8 path. Enterprise data systems chief at regimental or MEF G-6 (the senior enlisted enterprise architect spanning the echelon's Active Directory domains, GCSS-MC instances, and server infrastructure), MOS roadmap owner at HQMC Manpower and Reserve Affairs (MMPB — the Marine who shapes the 0671 MOS training pipeline, T&R manual updates, and career development milestones), TECOM senior cadre at MCCES Twentynine Palms (the senior enlisted instructor who sets the MOS school standard), or the HQMC C4/cyber staff SNCO who shapes enterprise IT policy for the Marine Corps. These are real jobs with real authority; the FitRep profile is comparable to the 1stSgt slate; the post-service market value is comparable or stronger on the technical side. SgtMaj (E-9 with the troop-leadership pinnacle billets) is the senior enlisted advisor at the battalion, regimental, division, MEF, or MARFOR level. In a communications battalion, the SgtMaj's data systems technical fluency is visible and expected — you are not just a troop-leadership figure but also an institutional technical authority. The battalion SgtMaj's relationship with the regimental SgtMaj and the division SgtMaj shapes the assignment slate for every SNCO in the battalion. MGySgt (E-9 with the occupational SME pinnacle billets) is the senior 0671 MOS functional expert — the Marine HQMC calls when the 06-series T&R program needs rewriting, the senior technical voice at MMPB on data systems manpower and training, the Marine the MEF G-6 consults on enterprise architecture decisions that affect the force. The 0671-specific senior NCO trajectory at E-8 and above runs through the communications battalion ecosystem. The 1stSgt diamond tour at a communications company is the troop-leadership proving ground — 24-36 months running the company, writing the GySgt FitReps, managing the company climate, coordinating with the BN SgtMaj on every enlisted matter. The MSgt staff tour as enterprise data systems chief or MOS roadmap owner is the technical-authority proving ground — building the enterprise architecture the MEF operates on, shaping the MOS training pipeline the next generation of 0671 Marines runs through. Both feed the E-9 board; the Sergeants Major Course at Marine Corps University (Quantico) is the institutional gate for the SgtMaj community. The post-service market at 1stSgt / MSgt / MGySgt / SgtMaj with 20-30 years TIS and clearance is the strongest in the 0671 career. The combination of senior NCO leadership, enterprise IT architecture, DISA STIG compliance program management, GCSS-MC administration depth, and TS/SCI clearance commands a premium that few enlisted MOS communities can match. Defense industry (Leidos, SAIC, Booz Allen, CACI, ManTech, Peraton, General Dynamics IT, Accenture Federal, MITRE) at $130K-$200K+ for senior enterprise architect, program manager, or cybersecurity director roles. Federal civilian IT (DISA, MARCORSYSCOM, HQMC C4, CYBERCOM, NSA civilian, DIA) at GS-13 to GS-15 ($95K-$160K plus federal benefits). The retirement pension under BRS at 24-30 years TIS plus TSP plus post-service salary is the financial foundation most senior 0671 NCOs were building toward for two decades.
Career Arc
  • 01E-8 pin-on: post-Advanced Course / SNCO Academy Career Course Advanced, post-centralized SNCO selection board for MSgt / 1stSgt under MCO 1400.32.
  • 021stSgt diamond tour (24-36 months) — communications company senior enlisted leader; or MSgt staff track (enterprise data systems chief at regiment/MEF G-6, MOS roadmap owner at HQMC MMPB, TECOM senior cadre at MCCES).
  • 03Senior Course / SNCO Academy Senior Course — the structured PME at the MSgt / 1stSgt tier.
  • 04Sergeants Major Course at Marine Corps University, Quantico — the institutional gate for the SgtMaj community; selection-based.
  • 05E-9 pin-on: SgtMaj (troop leadership at battalion / regiment / division / MEF / MARFOR) or MGySgt (occupational SME at TECOM / HQMC / institutional senior billets) — separated by the assignment slate.
  • 06Battalion SgtMaj, then regimental SgtMaj, then potentially division / MEF / MARFOR SgtMaj; or senior MOS-functional MGySgt billets at HQMC / MMPB / TECOM.
  • 07Retirement at 24-30 years TIS — full pension under BRS, TSP match compounded, post-service market entry at six-figure floor with clearance and senior NCO credentials.
Common Screwups
  • ×DUI / NJP / fraternization / inappropriate relationship findings at this rank are terminal. The 0671 community at E-8 and above is small enough that the BN SgtMaj and the regimental SgtMaj pull the slate immediately. The career does not recover.
  • ×Phoning the 1stSgt diamond tour. The BN SgtMaj watches the company climate, the company's discipline rate, the retention rate, the SAPR/EO findings, and the ACAS compliance posture. A 1stSgt who lets the company climate slide does not surface on the SgtMaj bench and does not pin MSgt at the staff senior level on the next slate.
  • ×Missing the Sergeants Major Course / Senior Course PME. No SgtMaj pin-on without the institutional senior enlisted PME; the slot availability narrows as the year-group approaches the SgtMaj zone. Pull the slot at MSgt/1stSgt pin-on.
  • ×Public disagreement with the CO or BN SgtMaj. Senior Marines disagree in the office with the door closed and walk out aligned in formation. The senior NCO who breaks this at E-8 or above is the senior NCO who loses the SgtMaj's defense and the slate.
  • ×Financial mismanagement / OPSEC violation / unprofessional relationship at senior level. The Corps does not protect senior Marines through integrity failures at this rank. Debt the CO counsels you about, garnishments, OPSEC posts in the IG report, relationships across the SNCO/officer line or with subordinates — any one is terminal at E-8 and above.
  • ×Underestimating the post-service market planning window. The senior 0671 NCOs who landed the strongest post-service careers planned 24-36 months ahead — clearance currency, CISSP completion, defense-industry networking, federal civilian GS billet identification, SkillBridge slot application. The NCO who waits until terminal-leave-orders date to start the conversation lands in the lower tier of available billets.

A Day in the Life

  • 0430-0500Wake. Phone check — overnight emergencies, production server alerts, Marine-in-crisis notification from the duty NCO, BN SgtMaj message. At this rank the phone never fully turns off. A 0300 GCSS-MC outage that the duty section chief could not resolve means the S-4 already knows and the BN SgtMaj is waiting for the 1stSgt's status update at morning formation.
  • 0530PT formation. You report company accountability to the BN SgtMaj. The formation reads the 1stSgt's physical presence and bearing. You run with the company — the 1stSgt who delegates PT to the company gunny because he is too busy loses the formation before he loses the PFT score.
  • 0545-0700Unit PT. You run the company's PT program with the CO and the company gunny. Walk the formation, check on Marines from the last sensing session, adjust the GySgt section chiefs as the day evolves. The 1stSgt who does PT with the company is the 1stSgt the Marines follow.
  • 0700-0830Hygiene, chow, uniform change. Spend 20-30 minutes with the CO and the company gunny — the day's priorities, BN BUB items, BN SgtMaj tasking, ACAS compliance status if an inspection is in the window, any Marine-in-crisis follow-up from overnight.
  • 0830First formation. The CO addresses the company; you and the company gunny stand behind him. The GySgt section chiefs translate the company's tasks to their sections during the break-out. You verify execution during the morning walk-around.
  • 0900-1130Battalion and company work. BN BUB with the CO and BN SgtMaj. Walk the company office, the data center, the supply room, the armory. Meet with the GySgt section chiefs (data systems chief, network chief, SATCOM chief). If the BN SgtMaj is holding an SNCO meeting or the regimental SgtMaj is holding a 1stSgt council, you attend. If the ISSM is briefing the quarterly compliance status, you are in the room.
  • 1130-1300Chow. You eat with the BN command team — the BN CO if he stops in, the BN SgtMaj, the other company 1stSgts. Conversation is battalion-level: training, slates, climate, retention, the regimental SgtMaj's read, the next deployment cycle. The 1stSgt who eats alone misses the conversation that shapes his next FitRep.
  • 1300-1500Afternoon work. FitRep drafting for GySgt section chiefs. Climate-survey results review with the CO. GySgt mentorship session — Career Course completion, E-8 board preparation, B-billet timing, 1stSgt vs MSgt track honest assessment. Marine-in-crisis intervention if needed — the 1stSgt's office is where the Marine-in-crisis is sent when the section chief and the company gunny have exhausted their resources. ACAS compliance review with the data systems chief if an inspection is approaching.
  • 1500-1630Final formation. CO briefs; you and the company gunny brief company-level adjustments. Sensitive items, end-of-day accountability. Walk the data center one final time — server room physical security, environmental monitoring, any after-hours maintenance scheduled for tonight.
  • 1630-1800Post-formation wrap. Stay 60-90 minutes with the CO and the company gunny — AAR on the day, prep for tomorrow, BN SgtMaj coordination. If the regimental SgtMaj called today, the 1stSgt responds before departing.
  • 1800-2000Personal time. Married senior NCOs: family. The family readiness load at 1stSgt is structurally real — the FRO coordination, the company family events, the spouse-network dynamics. If you are in the Sergeants Major Course window, you are studying. If you are 12-24 months from retirement, you are running the post-service plan — clearance currency, CISSP prep, defense-industry networking, SkillBridge application.
  • 2000-2200After-hours coordination. The 1stSgt's phone is always on. Family emergency calls, after-duty SAPR notifications, casualty assistance preparation, production server outages the duty section could not resolve. The 1stSgt who lets the phone go to voicemail at this rank stops being the 1stSgt the BN SgtMaj trusts.
  • 2200Lights out. Unless the formation needs you — and at this rank, the formation needs you more than it tells you.
  • MCCRE / ITX / deploymentThe clock collapses. You are the company senior enlisted face during the evaluation or the deployment. The MCCRE evaluator is writing the company's grade. The data center is running. The GCSS-MC instance is replicating. The ACAS compliance posture is briefable. The Marines are fed, housed, and their morale is the 1stSgt's problem when the GySgt section chiefs have exhausted their tools. The BN SgtMaj reads the company's evaluation. The regimental SgtMaj reads the BN SgtMaj's report. The SgtMaj slate reads the record.

Weekly Cadence

Monday is the heaviest planning day. Read the BN SgtMaj's and the company gunny's Friday release, adjust the company's plan to match battalion tasking, and brief the CO and the GySgt section chiefs by mid-morning. If there is an upcoming exercise or deployment, Monday is when the communications plan, the data systems support plan, and the company training schedule get their weekly synchronization. The BN BUB is typically Monday or Tuesday; you attend with the CO. Tuesday through Thursday is execution and oversight. The GySgt section chiefs run their sections; you observe, walk the data center, and manage the company-level items that do not delegate — FitReps, discipline, climate-survey response, Marine-in-crisis intervention, BN SgtMaj coordination. Wednesday is typically the ISSM coordination day at the battalion or regimental level; the 1stSgt attends if the compliance posture requires senior-enlisted-level discussion. Thursday is the regimental-level meeting day — the 1stSgt council with the regimental SgtMaj, the regimental staff meeting if the 1stSgt attends, or the BN-level FitRep review if the cycle is open. Friday is the AAR and release day. The company gunny runs the final company formation; the 1stSgt briefs company-level items and releases the company at the time the BN SgtMaj authorized. FitRep notes get updated. The week's climate indicators — sensing session results from the GySgts, retention data, discipline trends, SAPR/EO status — get reviewed with the CO before the weekend. The 1stSgt who closes Friday without knowing the state of the company walks into Monday blind. The 1stSgt who closes Friday with the CO aligned, the company gunny informed, and the BN SgtMaj updated walks into Monday ready. The week's second rhythm at E-8/E-9 is the institutional-level work: the BN SgtMaj's weekly SNCO coordination (1stSgt), the regimental SgtMaj's monthly bench conversation (1stSgt), the MMPB MOS roadmap review (MSgt), the TECOM curriculum review cycle (MGySgt), and the Sergeants Major Symposium preparation cycle (SgtMaj track). The senior 0671 NCO who treats the institutional work as someone else's problem is the senior NCO who is surprised when the MOS structure changes without his input.

Key Skills — How to Drill Each

  1. 01
    Run a 1stSgt's call that handles accountability, sick call, discipline, family readiness, training calendar, and ACAS/STIG compliance status in 30 minutes flat — without the GySgts running to fill silence.
    The 1stSgt's call is the daily formation the communications company runs on. Format: accountability report from each section chief or platoon sergeant, sick-call screen with the corpsman, training-day brief from the company gunny, discipline items (page-11s, NJP status, pending investigations), family readiness updates from the unit FRO, and the ACAS/STIG compliance status briefing that no other company 1stSgt in the battalion has to run but you do — because your company owns the server infrastructure the BN and regiment depend on. Keep it to 30 minutes. The 1stSgt who runs a focused call generates company-level alignment; the 1stSgt who lets the call drift to 60 minutes creates anxiety the CO cannot resource.
  2. 02
    Build a communications company quarterly training schedule with the CO and the operations chief that survives the battalion BUB without losing the data systems sections to other taskings.
    The company training schedule rolls up to the BN long-range training schedule. The BN CO and SgtMaj defend it at the regimental BUB. As 1stSgt you own the company-level schedule in concert with the CO and company gunny. Build it 120-150 days out — NAVMC 3500.44 collective and individual T&R events for the data systems and communications sections, ACAS scan windows coordinated with the ISSM, GCSS-MC maintenance windows coordinated with the S-4, ranges and ammunition through the BN S-4, and the bench events the sections need for Marines who are behind on T&R validation. The data systems sections are perpetually vulnerable to being pulled for support taskings by the S-6 during training weeks — the 1stSgt who protects the training calendar from ad-hoc taskings is the 1stSgt whose sections are ready for the MCCRE evaluation.
  3. 03
    Mentor four GySgts and the senior SSgts as the next 1stSgt / MSgt cohort — honest reads on who is troop-leadership track and who is the enterprise systems SME the MMPB needs on the HQMC C4/cyber staff.
    Each GySgt gets quarterly mentorship sessions with development objectives tied to his E-8 competitive package — Advanced Course completion, B-billet completion record, FitRep RV profile, MCMAP BBI/BBIT progression, civilian certification progress, and the visible-leadership work product the next FitRep cycle will reflect. The honest read: the GySgt who runs a strong section, is comfortable with formation and discipline, and builds SSgts into GySgt-board-ready candidates is 1stSgt-track. The GySgt who is the enterprise technical authority, the one the MEF G-6 calls first, the one who can architect an Active Directory domain spanning three commands is MSgt-track. Both pin at E-8; the honest read at the mentorship session shapes the GySgt's packet and billet request.
  4. 04
    Walk the data systems sections during a battalion or regimental MCCRE or ITX and identify the STIG compliance gaps and GCSS-MC data integrity risks before the evaluators do.
    MCCRE and ITX evaluators write the company-level grade. The BN SgtMaj reads it. The regimental SgtMaj reads it. The next SgtMaj slate reads it. The 1stSgt who walks the data center and the server racks during the evaluation and spots the open STIG finding, the misconfigured GCSS-MC replication partner, or the undocumented server before the evaluator writes the finding is the 1stSgt whose company's evaluation rating is in the upper third. The 1stSgt who waits to read the AAR learns about the finding the way the BN SgtMaj does not want to deliver it.
  5. 05
    Brief the battalion or regimental commander and the BN SgtMaj on communications company morale, retention, gear readiness, and the second-order effects of enterprise system changes on the data systems Marines.
    The BN CO and SgtMaj rely on the 1stSgt for ground truth. Sensing sessions (run by the GySgt section chiefs, rolled up to you), retention data (from the unit career planner), equipment readiness data (from the section maintenance logs), climate-survey results (from the BN IG), and the second-order effects of GCSS-MC upgrade cycles, Active Directory migrations, and DISA STIG baseline changes on the data systems Marines — training load, overtime during migration windows, morale impact of repeated after-hours server maintenance. The 1stSgt who briefs honestly is the 1stSgt whose company does not surprise the SgtMaj. The 1stSgt who tells the BN CO what the BN CO wants to hear is the 1stSgt who learns about the retention crisis from the IG.
  6. 06
    Run a Red Cross or casualty notification with the dignity the family and the formation require — you are the face they remember.
    Casualty notification protocol runs under the Marine Corps casualty assistance program (verify current MCO governing CACO procedures). The 1stSgt is the company-level senior NCO face on the casualty assistance team alongside the CACO and the chaplain. You wear service alphas or service charlies as appropriate; you deliver the notification verbatim from the approved script; you stay with the family until they are ready for you to leave. Memorial services are run on the family's timeline. The 1stSgt who treats this as a checklist is the 1stSgt the SgtMaj does not name to senior billets. The 1stSgt who treats this as the most important hour of the year is the senior NCO the regiment names without thinking.

Manuals & References — What Chapters Matter

  • MCDP 1 — Warfighting; MCDP 1-3 — Tactics.
    You teach these to the next generation of data systems Marines; you do not consume them. At E-8 and above the institutional expectation is that you can articulate how data systems infrastructure enables maneuver warfare — not as an abstract concept but as the operational reality that GCSS-MC data integrity drives logistics decisions, Active Directory authentication enables secure communications, and server uptime enables the commander's decision cycle. The Commandant's Reading List and the Sergeants Major Symposium reading list reinforce this expectation.
  • MCO 1610.7 — Performance Evaluation System (FitRep).
    You are the rater or reviewing officer on the FitReps that determine the next data systems GySgt and 1stSgt slates. The FitReps you write at E-8 carry institutional weight that shapes the 0671 community for years after you sign them. Re-read before each cycle. The relative-value mechanics, the attribute rationale standards, and the reporting-chain procedures are the framework you operate within and teach to your GySgts.
  • MCO 1400.32 — Marine Corps Promotion Manual.
    1stSgt / SgtMaj / MSgt / MGySgt board mechanics. The board composition, the record review process, the specific criteria evaluated — FitRep history, PME completion, civilian education, awards, deployment record, conduct and proficiency marks — are the framework you build your career record within and advise your GySgts to build theirs within.
  • MCO 1900.16 — Marine Corps Retirement / Separation.
    You are the resource the formation comes to for transition questions. Every Marine approaching EAS, every SNCO considering retirement timing, every GySgt running the 20-year math — they come to the 1stSgt or the senior MSgt. Know the retirement mechanics, the BRS multiplier calculation, the TSP withdrawal rules, the Survivor Benefit Plan, and the VA disability claim filing timeline well enough to point Marines to the right resources.
  • DoDD 8500.01 — Cybersecurity; DISA STIGs.
    You hold the accountability that every IG and ISSM inspection validates against. At E-8 the ACAS compliance posture of the entire company or enterprise section is your accountability. The ISSM does not brief the company gunny or the section chief; the ISSM briefs the 1stSgt or the MSgt enterprise data systems chief. The IG validates against the AO chain that runs through your accountability.
  • The Commandant's Reading List and current Planning Guidance.
    You are expected to consume strategic doctrine and translate it down to the data systems technicians. The Commandant's Planning Guidance shapes force-design decisions that affect the 0671 MOS structure — network modernization, enterprise IT consolidation, cyber force development. The 1stSgt or MSgt who can articulate how the Commandant's priorities affect the data systems Marines in the formation is the senior NCO the BN CO listens to.

Standards — How to Hit Each

  • SNCO Academy Senior Course graduate; Sergeants Major Course (Marine Corps University, Quantico) before competing for the SgtMaj slate.
    The Senior Course is the PME at the MSgt/1stSgt tier — verify current requirements against MCO and MARADMIN. The Sergeants Major Course at Marine Corps University is the institutional gate for the SgtMaj community. Pull the Senior Course slot at MSgt/1stSgt pin-on; pull the Sergeants Major Course slot as early as the SgtMaj community allows. The MGySgt track has its own institutional development through TECOM and HQMC — verify current PME requirements for the occupational-SME track.
  • Company UCMJ rate, retention rate, and SAPR/EO climate index in the top tier of the battalion — the BN SgtMaj reports against every peer 1stSgt.
    The BN SgtMaj compares every 1stSgt's company on these metrics at every BN BUB. The communications company 1stSgt whose company has the highest UCMJ rate or the worst climate-survey results in the battalion is the 1stSgt the BN SgtMaj counsels, not the one the BN SgtMaj names for the SgtMaj bench. The metrics are not optional indicators; they are the troop-leadership score the BN SgtMaj reads.
  • ACAS and STIG compliance for the company or enterprise section at the ISSM-set threshold through every inspection during your tenure.
    At E-8 the ACAS compliance accountability spans the company or the enterprise section. The ISSM validates at the regimental or MEF level; the IG validates at the BN and higher level. A compliance failure during your tenure is a leadership failure that the BN SgtMaj reads and the FitRep reflects. Build the compliance rhythm into the company's training schedule — quarterly ACAS scan windows, monthly POA&M reviews, and the STIG remediation cadence that prevents findings from aging past the ISSM's threshold.
  • Zero senior-enlisted-level integrity incidents — financial, fraternization, OPSEC, cyber.
    One integrity incident at E-8 or above ends the career permanently. The Corps does not relitigate. Financial mismanagement (garnishments, debts the CO counsels you about), fraternization (across the SNCO/officer line or with subordinates), OPSEC violations (social media posts, unsecured classified handling), and cyber incidents (unauthorized access, policy violations on the enterprise systems you are responsible for) — any one is terminal. The standard is not 'do not get caught'; the standard is 'do not do it.'
  • Post-service transition plan running 24-36 months out — VA disability claim filed pre-EAS, SkillBridge slot identified, CISSP completed, retirement not walked into cold.
    The senior 0671 NCO who plans the transition properly has multiple job offers on terminal-leave day. File the VA disability claim 180+ days before separation. Identify the SkillBridge opportunity 12+ months out. Complete CISSP or equivalent senior certification while Marine Corps COOL funding is still available. Build the defense-industry and federal-civilian network 24-36 months before EAS through professional associations, LinkedIn, and the cleared-contractor community. The 1stSgt or MSgt who walks into retirement without a plan lands in the lower tier of available billets — and at E-8/E-9 pay grade, the pension alone is not enough to maintain the standard of living the family has built.

Technical Mistakes — Concrete Consequences

  • Going public with disagreement with the CO.
    You take the disagreement in his office with the door closed; you walk out aligned, every time. The communications company 1stSgt who disagrees with the CO in front of the formation — or worse, in front of the BN SgtMaj — is the 1stSgt who loses both the CO's trust and the SgtMaj's defense in the same week. The company hears about it within 48 hours. The FitRep cycle is now defending the breakdown, not the performance.
  • Confusing seniority with leverage.
    The Corps keeps senior enlisted who serve the formation — not the ones who run their own program off the CO's back. The MSgt who uses his rank to avoid taskings, protect his schedule, or override the company gunny's training plan is the MSgt the BN SgtMaj stops defending. The 1stSgt who uses the diamond to avoid the hard conversations — the Marine-in-crisis at 0200, the SAPR report that requires 72 hours of follow-up, the IG finding that requires a written response — is the 1stSgt the BN SgtMaj replaces.
  • Stopping personal PT because you are too senior.
    Marines stop respecting the chevrons when the body stops carrying them. The 1st-Class PFT is still the bar at E-8 and E-9. The communications company 1stSgt who posts a 250 PFT and tries to counsel a GySgt on physical fitness has already lost the conversation. The formation notices before the FitRep does.
  • Letting a GySgt run a bad ACAS compliance posture because he is your guy.
    The ISSM finds the open CAT I findings on the automated scan. The regimental SgtMaj hears about it from the regimental S-6. The 1stSgt's name is on the company-level compliance accountability. Protecting a favored GySgt from the compliance standard costs the 1stSgt the SgtMaj's defense and costs the company the compliance reputation that the next 1stSgt inherits.
  • Confusing the warm-up to retirement with the job.
    Until you walk out of the formation for the last time, the formation is your job. The data systems Marines are still watching how you carry the rank. The 1stSgt or MSgt who mentally retires 18 months before the ceremony is the senior NCO the formation stops following at month 12 — and the GySgts and SSgts who needed mentorship during those 18 months got a seat-warmer instead of a mentor. The BN SgtMaj reads it. The last FitRep reflects it. The post-service reference calls reflect it.

Career Decisions at This Rank

  • SgtMaj track vs MGySgt track at E-9 — the final career fork.
    SgtMaj (troop leadership — battalion SgtMaj, regimental SgtMaj, division SgtMaj, MEF SgtMaj) vs MGySgt (occupational SME — HQMC MOS roadmap owner, TECOM senior cadre, MMPB senior 0671 functional expert). The SgtMaj track runs through the Sergeants Major Course at Marine Corps University and is visible to the entire SNCO community. The MGySgt track runs through TECOM and HQMC and is visible to the institutional Marine Corps. Both are real E-9 billets with real authority. The decision at E-8 is which one you are building toward — and the SgtMaj community reads the trajectory from the first FitRep at E-8. Honest self-assessment: are you the senior NCO who belongs in front of the formation every morning, or are you the senior NCO who belongs at HQMC shaping the MOS for the next decade? Both are needed.
  • Retirement timing at 20-30 years TIS — when to execute the transition.
    The BRS retirement multiplier is 2.0% per year of service. At 20 years the pension is 40% of basic pay; at 24 years it is 48%; at 30 it is 60%. The difference between retiring at E-7 with 20 years and E-8 with 24 years is real money over a 30-year retirement — run the math with a financial counselor. TSP match has been compounding since the 12-year continuation pay point. The post-service market for a senior 0671 NCO with clearance, CISSP, and enterprise IT experience starts at $130K-$200K on the defense-contractor side and GS-13/GS-14/GS-15 on the federal-civilian side. The pension plus TSP plus post-service salary is the financial foundation. The question is timing: retire at 20 and enter the post-service market at peak energy, or stay for 24-26 and retire at higher rank with a larger pension but enter the market older.
  • CISSP / senior certification completion — the post-service market differentiator.
    CISSP is the senior information security certification the civilian market recognizes as the gold standard for enterprise IT leadership positions. The 0671 MSgt/1stSgt with 20+ years of experience easily qualifies on the experience requirement. Marine Corps COOL funds the exam. The difference in post-service compensation between a senior 0671 NCO with CISSP and one without is $20K-$40K annually in the defense-contractor and federal-civilian markets. Complete it while the funding is available and the clearance is current. Cloud certifications (Azure, AWS) compound the value further.
  • SkillBridge timing — the 180-day window before EAS.
    SkillBridge allows active-duty Marines to participate in civilian work experience during the last 180 days of service. For a senior 0671 NCO, SkillBridge at a defense contractor (Leidos, SAIC, Booz Allen, ManTech) or a federal IT organization (DISA, MARCORSYSCOM) is a direct pipeline to a post-service position. The application requires command approval 12+ months before EAS. The 1stSgt or MSgt who identifies the SkillBridge slot early and coordinates with the CO and the BN SgtMaj has the smoothest transition. The one who discovers SkillBridge 90 days before EAS has already missed the window.
  • Legacy work — shaping the 0671 MOS for the next generation.
    At E-8 and E-9, the 0671 community is small enough that individual senior NCOs shape the MOS. The MSgt or MGySgt at HQMC MMPB who writes the MOS roadmap update determines the training pipeline, the T&R events, and the career-development milestones for every 0671 Marine who comes after. The 1stSgt or SgtMaj who mentors four GySgts into 1stSgt-promotable candidates has shaped the communications company leadership for the next 10 years. The decision: spend the final years managing the current formation (valid and necessary) or invest time in the institutional work that outlasts the current tour (valid and necessary). The senior NCOs who are remembered are the ones who did both.

How the Seat Varies by Unit Type

  • 1stSgt of a communications company (1st, 2nd, or 3rd CommBn — Camp Pendleton, Camp Lejeune, Camp Foster Okinawa)
    The communications battalion 1stSgt runs a company that directly supports a division or MEF headquarters — a more technically specialized formation than a line infantry company. The GySgt section chiefs include data systems, network, SATCOM, and wire; the server inventory is the largest in the regiment; the COMSEC account is more complex; the ACAS compliance program is the most visible. The BN SgtMaj and the regimental SgtMaj read the communications company 1stSgt through the MCCRE evaluation, the IG inspection, and the ACAS compliance dashboard — metrics that infantry company 1stSgts do not carry. A communications battalion 1stSgt with a clean evaluation and a clean IG inspection is visible at the MEF level.
  • MSgt enterprise data systems chief at MEF G-6 (I MEF, II MEF, III MEF)
    The MEF G-6 MSgt is the senior enlisted enterprise architect at MEF headquarters — Active Directory domain management spanning the MEF's subordinate commands, GCSS-MC oversight across the MEF, enterprise compliance coordination with the MEF ISSM, and the data systems posture the MEF G-6 briefs to the MEF CG. Visibility to the MEF CG and MEF SgtMaj is indirect but real. The work product — enterprise architecture plans, compliance reports, MOS roadmap inputs — has MEF-wide impact. This billet reads as the technical pinnacle on the MSgt/MGySgt track.
  • MGySgt at HQMC MMPB or TECOM (MOS roadmap owner / senior cadre)
    The MGySgt at HQMC Manpower and Reserve Affairs (MMPB) or Training and Education Command (TECOM) is the 0671 occupational pinnacle. The MMPB MGySgt shapes the MOS structure — training pipeline, T&R manual updates, career-development milestones, manning levels. The TECOM MGySgt at MCCES sets the MOS school curriculum standard. Every 0671 Marine who goes through MCCES or who follows the career-development milestones in the MOS roadmap is affected by the MGySgt's decisions. This is the institutional legacy billet.
  • SgtMaj at communications battalion or regiment
    The battalion SgtMaj advises the battalion commanding officer on every enlisted matter in the communications battalion. The SgtMaj's data systems technical fluency is visible and expected; he is not just a troop-leadership figure but also an institutional technical authority for the communications community. The SgtMaj's relationship with the regimental SgtMaj and the division SgtMaj shapes the assignment slate for every SNCO in the battalion. At the regimental level, the SgtMaj sets the standard for how communications Marines — data systems, network, SATCOM, wireman — are developed across the regiment.
  • MARFORCYBER / MCCOG senior enlisted (Fort Meade or distributed)
    MARFORCYBER and MCCOG senior enlisted billets at E-8 and E-9 operate at the intersection of data systems infrastructure and cyber operations. The classification levels are higher, the compliance requirements are more stringent, and the operational environment is unlike the fleet communications battalion. The post-service market positioning from these billets is the strongest available to a 0671 senior NCO — the combination of senior NCO leadership, enterprise server infrastructure in the cyber domain, and TS/SCI with additional access commands the highest compensation in the defense-contractor and federal-civilian markets.

What Good Looks Like at This Rank

The good 1stSgt / SgtMaj 0671 is the senior Marine every data systems Marine in the formation knows by face and reputation. He is the reason the re-enlistment line forms after a hard deployment with GCSS-MC upgrades mid-rotation, a DISA STIG baseline change that forced a full remediation cycle in the field, and a MARFORCYBER inspection the week after return. The CO trusts him with the worst news at 0200 — the production server failure that will cascade into a logistics data outage, the Marine-in-crisis call from a section chief, the IG finding that requires a written response by close of business. The Marines trust him to fight for the school slots, the civilian certification funding, the gear upgrades, and the career decisions before walking away from what he cannot win. The good MSgt enterprise data systems chief is the Marine the MEF G-6 calls when the Active Directory architecture needs redesigning for a force-structure change, when the GCSS-MC instance needs migrating to a new server platform, or when the DISA STIG baseline shifts and the entire enterprise compliance program needs rebuilding. He is the technical authority the communications officer at the regiment defers to on server architecture decisions and the ISSM trusts with the most sensitive compliance exceptions. His GySgt section chiefs quote his technical guidance at section training without realizing they are quoting him. The good MGySgt is the Marine HQMC calls when the 0671 T&R program needs rewriting, when the MOS school at MCCES needs a curriculum update to match the fleet standard, or when the MMPB needs a senior enlisted voice on data systems manpower and training decisions that affect the force. The GySgts in the regiment quote him at section training without realizing they are doing it. The 0671 community — small, technically specialized, and institutionally consequential — runs on the standards the MGySgt set during his 24-30 years in the formation. The SgtMaj at the communications battalion or regiment is the senior enlisted standard-bearer for the entire communications community at that echelon. Every data systems Marine, every network admin, every SATCOM operator, every wireman in the battalion sees the SgtMaj and reads the standard the formation is held to. The SgtMaj whose battalion has the highest re-enlistment rate, the cleanest ACAS compliance record, the strongest MCCRE evaluation, and the most GySgts selected for 1stSgt/MSgt is the SgtMaj the regimental SgtMaj names to the next slate without thinking.

Preview — The Next Rank

There is no formal next enlisted rank beyond E-9 — MGySgt and SgtMaj are the terminal enlisted grades. The next decisions are the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps consideration (for SgtMaj — the apex enlisted billet, selected by the Commandant) or the senior HQMC institutional billet (for MGySgt), followed by the retirement transition. The SgtMaj who is in the SMMC consideration is the division or MEF SgtMaj whose record reads as the most visible, most effective, and most institutionally credible senior enlisted Marine in the force. The SMMC selection is driven by senior-leader recommendation, not a standard centralized board. In the communications community, the SgtMaj who has built a visible record of formation effectiveness, institutional technical credibility, and enlisted-development outcomes across multiple major commands is the SgtMaj in the conversation. The retirement transition for a senior 0671 MGySgt or SgtMaj with 24-30 years TIS, TS/SCI clearance, CISSP, and enterprise IT credentials is among the strongest in the enlisted communications force. The defense IT market hires senior 0671 NCOs at compensation levels that reflect the scarcity of the combination — enterprise architecture, cybersecurity program management, DISA STIG compliance authority, and cleared senior leadership. Plan 24-36 months before EAS. File the VA disability claim 180+ days before separation. Complete the CISSP if not already done. Build the defense-industry and federal-civilian network while the clearance and the institutional relationships are active. The MGySgt or SgtMaj who built the post-service relationship during the last two years of service is the one with three offers on terminal-leave day, not one.
FAQ

0671 E8-E9 — Frequently Asked Questions

Q01What does a E8-E9 0671 (Data Systems Administrator) actually do?
As 1stSgt you run the communications company or detachment — 100 to 180 Marines, the company office, the section chiefs, and the boundary between what the commanding officer needs and what the company can actually deliver on the data systems front.
Q02What's the most important thing to know as a E8-E9 0671?
MSgt / 1stSgt is the rank where the communications company commander stops being able to function without you.
Q03What does a typical day look like for a E8-E9 0671?
Time-blocked day at the E8-E9 0671 rank tier: 0430-0500 Wake. Phone check — overnight emergencies, production server alerts, Marine-in-crisis notification from the duty NCO, BN SgtMaj message. At this rank the phone never fully turns off. A 0300 GCSS-MC outage that the duty section chief could not resolve means the S-4 already knows and the BN SgtMaj is waiting for the 1stSgt's status update at morning formation, 0530 PT formation. You report company accountability to the BN SgtMaj. The formation reads the 1stSgt's physical presence and bearing.…
Q04What mistakes get E8-E9 0671 soldiers fired or relieved?
DUI / NJP / fraternization / inappropriate relationship findings at this rank are terminal. The 0671 community at E-8 and above is small enough that the BN SgtMaj and the regimental SgtMaj pull the slate immediately. The career does not recover; Phoning the 1stSgt diamond tour. The BN SgtMaj watches the company climate, the company's discipline rate, the retention rate, the SAPR/EO findings, and the ACAS compliance posture.…
Q05What career decisions matter most at the E8-E9 0671 rank tier?
SgtMaj track vs MGySgt track at E-9 — the final career fork — SgtMaj (troop leadership — battalion SgtMaj, regimental SgtMaj, division SgtMaj, MEF SgtMaj) vs MGySgt (occupational SME — HQMC MOS roadmap owner, TECOM senior cadre, MMPB senior 0671 functional expert). The SgtMaj track runs through the Sergeants Major Course at Marine Corps University and is visible to the entire SNCO community. The MGySgt track runs through TECOM and HQMC and is visible to the institutional Marine Corps. Both are real E-9 billets with real authority.…
Q06What's next after E8-E9 for a 0671 (Data Systems Administrator) in the Marines?
There is no formal next enlisted rank beyond E-9 — MGySgt and SgtMaj are the terminal enlisted grades.
Q07What manuals and regulations does a E8-E9 0671 need to know cold?
MCDP 1 — Warfighting; MCDP 1-3 — Tactics (you teach these to the next generation of data systems Marines; you do not consume them).; MCO 1610.7 — Performance Evaluation System (you are the rater or reviewing officer on the FitReps that determine the next data systems GySgt and 1stSgt slates).; MCO 1400.32 — Marine Corps Promotion Manual (1stSgt / SgtMaj / MSgt / MGySgt board mechanics).

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Published by the Honest MOS Editorial DeskVerified against DoD/.gov sourcesUpdated May 2026Editorial standards