Were you in the Navy? If so you know that E-1s through E-5s do ALL the maintenance work on the ships and aircraft. E-6s were shop supervisors who assigned tasks and filled out watch assignments. E-7s usually had not turned a wrench in years. Even more so for senior chiefs and master chiefs. In fact, the questionnaires for those ranks required little knowledge of the equipment and focused on how good of a manage you would be.
I was in the Service during Vietnam. I started as an E1 and left as an E4. Of course we did the dirty work. The goal (if you stayed in) was to advance yourself to the higher ranks so that you did not have to do the “grunt work.”
Believe it or not, it’s the same way in real life...something I guess you have not experienced yet. You start at the bottom and work your way up to the top.
You must really worthless since you hate those who have made it and you have not.