Posted on Jan 15, 2018
Will Boyd
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Posted in these groups: Customs and courtesies logo Customs and Courtesies
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SGT Matthew S.
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As others have said, "Yes, Sir/Ma'am" is far more common - in fact, I don't know that I ever heard "Aye" while I was in. Sergeant through Sergeant First Class is "Sergeant"; Master Sergeant and above by rank. Warrant Officer 1 (WO1) is supposed to be "Mr./Ms./Mrs."... but that just seems a horribly awkward way to address someone in the military so they are usually addressed as "Chief" as with the higher Warrant Officers.

Hearing people say things like, "Roger, sir!" will sound just off-the-wall and bonkers... until you spend a while talking on radios and pick it up yourself.
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SCPO Combat Systems Electronics Leading Petty Officer
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In the Navy, both enlisted and senior officers can address junior officers as Mr., Ms. etc. It's a very old form of address carried over from the Royal Navy.
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CSM William Payne
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Edited >1 y ago
Being a Navy brat, on my first day in basic training in 1973, I asked my drill sergeant if I could use the “head”. BIG MISTAKE. He told me in so many words that my head was on my shoulders but that the latrine was over there. Then he asked me my affiliation with the Navy? He then warned me to lose all nautical references such as deck, hatch and serveral other terms we usually affiliate with Navy or Marines, which I promptly flushed from my memory bank for the rest of basic training. Interestingly enough though, my previous exposure to the military was a determining factor for me being chosen as a squad leader, which I managed to hold for the duration of the cycle.

Along with the acceptable responses to orders in the Army already noted such as Yes sir, Roger sir are Hooah sir and Affirmative sir, Good Copy sir, Message recieved sir.
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MAJ N/A
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Coming from a beach community in Navy and Marine Corps country, I grew up calling the restroom a "head". The term "latrine" makes me think of an outhouse. Haven't had any Senior NCOs or Officers "correct" me yet on the terminology.
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MAJ Corporate Buyer
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"Aye, sir" isn't used much in the Army. I catch myself saying it every now and then since I was an enlisted Marine at one time and old habits die hard. Instead, my typical response to a command is "Yes sir" or "Roger sir".
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SSG Senior Software Engineer
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Prior enlisted Marine here, too. I did also spend some time in the National Guard afterwards, so I am familiar with the Army ways, but now that I'm coming back in after a 5 year break in service, they're having me go through basic again, which I haven't done for in the Army yet. USMC boot camp is still drilled into my memory, so I'm sure it's going to have to be a constant effort for me to not call the drill sergeants "sir" and refer to myself as "this recruit" etc LOL!
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MAJ Corporate Buyer
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SSG (Join to see) - It'll be a change for sure!
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Does the Army respond with "Aye, sir" to a command, or is that only for Marines and Navy? If not, what would their response be to a command?
GySgt Charles O'Connell
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The appropriate response receiving an order from a Marine officer would be, "Aye Aye Sir", outdoors, in uniform, you would also salute, acknowledging the order.
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SP5 Lori Pong
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It would be a simple YES SIR
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CSM William Payne
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Simple enough, and exchange sir for the appropriate rank acknowledgement such as corporal, drill sergeant, sergeant, first sergeant, sergeant major, and in the case of warrant officers, chief when the rank dictates.
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MSG Intermediate Care Technician
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We in the Army have many ways to respond to an order. They are (in no particular order): Yes Sir/Ma'am; Roger; Tracking; Check; Hooah (or Huah); Got it; Understood; Moving....
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PFC Jonathan Albano
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Edited >1 y ago
It depends.

If you're talking to an officer, "Aye sir" can be acceptable but "Yes sir" is the more common response in the Army. If you are asking about how to respond to a Drill Sergent the proper thing to say would be "Yes Drill Sergent" If refering to a SGT, SSG, SFC, or Master Sergent who isn't a Drill, you would say "Yes Sergent" (some Master Sergents will ask that you refer to them as "Master Sergent" which, while not written in regulations, is common practice in the Army to do so.) If refering to a 1SG "Yes First Sergent" Sergent Majors, Command Sergent Majors, and the Sergent Major of the Army would be responded to by saying "Yes Sergent Major"
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SFC Michael Hasbun
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I catch myself using "aye aye sir/ma'am" during formal ceremonies at times, but "yes/no sir/ma'am" is generally used to acknowledge orders in the Army ...
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CPO Peter Tuttle
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Understood sir
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MGySgt Gaylord Mays
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Marines respond, "Aye, Aye, Sir". I imagine, "Yes, Sir" or "Roger, WILCO" would be equivalents.
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Cpl Chad Weekley
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Navy and Marines
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Sgt William Tobin
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Thats just navy
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Sgt John Crahen
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Just Marines and Navy. Army would probably say yes sir or no sir. Aye aye sir or Ma'am means I will comply.
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LCpl MAGTF Planning Specialist
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In the marine corps it’s aye aye sir, although many get lazy and don’t say the second aye.
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PVT Patty Mike Figueras
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Hello Kitty! Lol
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Maj John Bell
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"Aye" is NOT the correct response to a command. A single "Aye" means "That is correct."

"Aye, aye sir/mam" is the correct response to a command and means "I understand and I will comply."
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