Do you consider the term jarhead and other names for the different branches of service offensive?

Jar heads don't get offended

I am still called a Jarhead even after being out since 81. Its out of respect they say it!

I always liked it, so it was never offensive to me.

PFC Justin Gkuspie - I fine with the various nicknames. However, any term of endearment had best fly our of a fellow service-member's (or Veteran's) pie hole. Civilians haven't earned the right to get chippy with any of us... unless, maybe, it's a military mom.

Though I've never called a Marine a Jarhead before, inter-service rivalry and name calling is in good fun. I seriously doubt anyone who served in a different branch would be offended by the name calling PFC Justin Gkuspie.

I grew up as the oldest son to a career Army soldier. When old enough and graduated High School I enlisted in the Navy because I was tired of seeing that green uniform everywhere I went. So my first week in Hospital Corpsman A school in San Diego I was told that every fifth class that graduates takes the short bus ride to Pendleton to become Field Corpsmen with the Marines. Damned if we were not that fifth class. So I have heard them all, Squid, Pecker Checker but the one I respect the most is Doc spoken by my Marines. I think that there will always be name calling in the service but it is more tolerable coming from ones that served then from those that have never stood up and taken the oath with their right hand in the air. Keep the rivalry going guys and gals. Doc Gilly.

How can you get upset by terms of endearment?

I had a retired Gunny tell me, "You can always tell a Marine, you just can't tell 'em much!" I share that with every Jarhead I meet. Most remind me that ARMY stands for Ain't Ready to be a Marine Yet. All in fun.

When used by civilians it could be considered derogatory, but it is used often among Marines.
The term originates from the "high and tight" haircut that many Marines have, which makes their head look like a jar with early handles. Just like the leathernecks uniforms protected against saber slashes, so too does that haircut protect from lice. Both titles earned by getting thru bootcamp wherein one of the recruits in my platoon from wayback in the Ozarks who had never seen a toothbrush in his life and had lice jumping off his head in the first group shower after the shave; guy also had a problem with "left, right, left..." when marching and the D.I.'s used to really ride him until we got to Edson range and he shot an expert 250 {i.e., never missed a shot} and from then on he was everybody's favorite guy!
"Oorah jarhead, semper fi!"