Did you prefer to be called Gunny or did you insist on Gunnery Sergeant?

2021-07-13T10:59:24-04:00

I've known several who insisted on being called by the complete rank, most of which seemed to go the 1ST SGT route. Personally, being the"Gunny" was one the highlights of my life. 12 years later I still get a grin when I run into someone and they address me as Gunny.

Response by GySgt Thomas Vick made Jul 13 at 2021 11:03 AM

2021-07-13T11:03:55-04:00

I feel the same, however being on the Drill Field we always required the proper nomenclature of the Rank structure, but it still feels great these days to be addressed as Gunny.

Response by GySgt Drew Toothman made Jul 13 at 2021 11:32 AM

2021-07-13T11:32:17-04:00

There’s a time and place for formality but it’s less often than the Corps thinks it should be. I preferred Gunny unless it was some slacker addressing me and it encouraged their lack of bearing/professionalism.

Response by MSgt Chris Haggerty made Jul 13 at 2021 12:46 PM

2021-07-13T12:46:44-04:00

When I was a GySgt, I didn't really care, but only someone who was currently or previously was going to call me Guns.

Response by SFC Greg Bruorton made Jul 13 at 2021 3:01 PM

2021-07-13T15:01:43-04:00

You've earned it now own it! A gunnery sergeant's duties are heavy and you should be proud you survived the many temptations to do something different.

Response by Cpl Vic Burk made Jul 13 at 2021 8:01 PM

2021-07-13T20:01:49-04:00

GySgt Kenneth Pepper It depended on the situation. If it was in a formal setting I always used Gunnery Sergeant or if there were officers or a Sergeant Major nearby who would hear me. Now if it was something like being out in the field and you needed direction on where to go or what to do I normally just said Gunny. Outside of boot camp I found that 99% really didn't care how you used the rank to address them.

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made Jul 13 at 2021 10:09 PM

2021-07-13T22:09:43-04:00

I realize this is not a question for me but maybe you are ok with an outsiders opinion? I almost always call E7s and above by their full rank. I don't have to per Army regs but feel SRNCOs deserve that respect and I would never call a GySgt 'gunny' unless you told me to. I am not a Marine and have not earned that right.

Response by SgtMaj Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 14 at 2021 7:37 PM

2021-07-14T19:37:06-04:00

Being called a “Gunny” was a source of pride for us in the Grunts. We referred the ones we didn’t respect by the whole rank. I still have some of my brothers who still refer to me affectionately as Gunny O.

Response by GySgt Kenneth Pepper made Jul 15 at 2021 10:00 AM

2021-07-15T10:00:10-04:00

Added just as a side note, when I was a very salty SGT I once had a douche-bag range official tell me to address him as "1ST SGT select". Yeah, he was that guy.

Response by GySgt Lawrence Watson made Jul 16 at 2021 2:24 PM

2021-07-16T14:24:13-04:00

Either was okay. My wife calls me Gunny.

Response by MSgt Gordon Nielsen made Jul 18 at 2021 7:44 AM

2021-07-18T07:44:51-04:00

Gunny was OK and then when i was a MSgt. Top was OK also.

Response by GySgt Ron DeBoer made Jul 19 at 2021 6:43 PM

2021-07-19T18:43:54-04:00

Funny was the best title to the best rank in my opinion. Loved it and still get chills down the spine when addressed as Gunny!

Response by 1stSgt Dan Boone made Jul 21 at 2021 9:44 AM

2021-07-21T09:44:08-04:00

I was so proud of having pinned on the "most prestigious rank in the Corps", I actually preferred "Gunny". Of course, there were those times, like GySgt Drew Toothman points out, when I would require being addressed by my full rank, but that was usually when I had some lad standing tall in front of me or when some shavetail decided to throw their weight around. But generally speaking, like MSgt Chris Haggerty I really didn't care, but only a very select few were given leave to call me "Guns".

Response by SgtMaj Charles Spidell made Jul 29 at 2021 10:56 AM

2021-07-29T10:56:19-04:00

I preferred being called “Gunny” even though I wound up as a SgtMaj. When Marines had questions, they knew the Gunny would have answers. First Sergeants and Sergeant Majors, not so much, particularly in the grunts since most of them came from other MOSes.

Response by 1stSgt Ken Holcomb made Aug 6 at 2021 8:36 PM

2021-08-06T20:36:57-04:00

Gunny was fine for me. Even after I retired as a 1stSgt, Marines I served with as a Gunny still call me that, and I'm ok with that.

Response by MSgt Hamish Barrett made Aug 16 at 2021 11:06 AM

2021-08-16T11:06:09-04:00

If anyone asked me about being called Gunny or Gunnery Sergeant and later Top or Master Sergeant I usually told them to take their pick.

Response by GySgt John Buettner made Aug 17 at 2021 5:48 PM

2021-08-17T17:48:21-04:00

I preferred Gunny unless addressed as Gunnery Sergeant when in more formal settings.

Response by GySgt Alicia Wright, Ph.D., M.S. made Aug 19 at 2021 10:43 PM

2021-08-19T22:43:18-04:00

I felt honored to be addressed as "Gunny". Thank you for the question.

Response by GySgt Sam Keeney made Aug 21 at 2021 12:55 AM

2021-08-21T00:55:32-04:00

I’ve been retired from the Corps for 20 years and even to this day folks still refer to me as Gunny. After 21 year in the Marine Corps, I went to work for the Veterans Administration and even there the staff & volunteers still called gunny. You can take the Marine out of the Corps, but you never take the Corps out of the Marine. Semper Fi.

Response by GySgt Patrick Parrish made Aug 25 at 2021 11:10 AM

2021-08-25T11:10:50-04:00

Yup, "Gunny always worked for me.

Response by GySgt Angel Dalton made Aug 29 at 2021 2:53 PM

2021-08-29T14:53:24-04:00

I always preferred "Gunny".

Response by 1SG Russell S. made Dec 1 at 2023 9:15 AM

2023-12-01T09:15:40-05:00

I like calling Marines…”Saaaaarrge”