Posted on Jul 13, 2021
Did you prefer to be called Gunny or did you insist on Gunnery Sergeant?
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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.
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Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 20
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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.
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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.
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CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025
GySgt Thomas Vick Is that why you are a USAA customer, because they address you as GySgt?
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When I was a GySgt, I didn't really care, but only someone who was currently or previously was going to call me Guns.
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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".
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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!
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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.
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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.
GySgt Gary Cordeiro GySgt Jack Wallace
GySgt Gary Cordeiro GySgt Jack Wallace
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GySgt William Koch
To me Gunny was a term of endearment if I heard Gunnery Sergeant I was either talking to an officer or someone that had screwed up and needed my help.
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SP5 Robert Kennedy
I can also imagine that it was like when you did something wrong and a parent called you by your baptized three name title. When I was Called Robert Everett Kennedy, clearly I was in trouble.
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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.
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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.
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