Posted on Jun 3, 2014
Being addressed/addressing others by rank after retirement
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I fall into category 2, but was curious what others thought. From my RallyPoint experience I can see there is a lot of respect for rank among retirees and from active service members. Even locally when I run into my comrades, we all address each other by rank out of respect. Even though I tell people to call me by my first name, It still feels good to hear it.
Retirement
Professionalism
Rank
Protocol
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 181
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Addressing by rank after retirement is a professional courtesy I extend until invited to do otherwise. In a structured, formal environment I always opt for showing someone the respect of addressing them by the rank they've earned.
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Simple answer tbh. It's a title, and the rules are similar to the title of a doctor in my opinion. If a vet insists, then sure, they've earned it, but in my experience, there's very few that would insist.
There's a couple folks that insist on addressing me by title, but I've never asked anyone to and never will, and the use of the title doesn't bother me in the least.
It's a courtesy :)
There's a couple folks that insist on addressing me by title, but I've never asked anyone to and never will, and the use of the title doesn't bother me in the least.
It's a courtesy :)
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Sgt Justen Ortloff
I was a Sgt. in the Marines, I have an old C.O. of mine, a Col., as a friend on FB, to this day, I call him Sir, or Col. It's out of respect, and I couldn't imagine calling him anything else, even though our active service together was 30 years ago. And I still call gunny's gunny, or the top, top.. They have never insisted on it or anything, it just sounds right.
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I also am in category 2. That being said, many people are not aware of title 10 USC chapter 45 p772: a retired officer “may bear the title and wear the uniform of his retired grade”.
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If I am talking to someone that I served with that had a senior rank, I will address them as such until told otherwise. If I meet someone new, I have no way of knowing their rank unless they inform me. In that case I address them in the manner in which they have introduced themselves to me. As for myself, I'm comfortable with first names, but the first year or so after I retired if I ran into an airman who knew me and they called me Sergeant Johnson I took it as a sign of respect and returned that respect.
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I have been called Sergeant a few times after I retired but it is not something I would ask or expect any body to do. All of my military correspondence still addresses me by rank.
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I feel off about using rank as a civilian now. Especially if I knew someone as a chief and they retired as a senior or master. Or if they were a first class or junior now they are retired as a chief or higher
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For me it's respect and habit. At our reunions I still refer to all the chiefs as chief. Plus I feel these reunions me and the men and wemon I served with is mentally helpful.
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I still address my former 1st Sgt, as Top from time to time. I still call a Sgt. Major that I know as his former service rank when I see him.
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I am in group 2. Where I work now, we have a lot of retired folks. We joke with each other sometimes by using rank, but most it is a sign of respect. We have some people who have never been in call me Chief and one supervisor Sergeant Major. We have two many colonels around to keep that straight ! LOL
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