Posted on Mar 8, 2019
E5 - E8 rank names USA vs. USMC. Why are they so different?
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Why is E5 - E8 are referred as SGT (1SG is the exception) in the Army while in the Marine Corps the same group are referred by their full rank name (Sgt, SSgt, GySgt, MSgt, 1stSgt)?
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Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 8
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Because of 244 years of mindless traditions ;^). I like the Marine Corps way of calling NCO's by their full title. Shows more respect IMO.
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SN (Join to see)
I agree. I know plenty of USMC vets and I call them by their ranks. I know two retired MGySgts.
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Others may know better than me, but a Staff Sergeant, Sergeant, Master, and Top are the same. However, some of the variations come from the Marines being a naval service and the influence of the British Royal Marines. Gunnery being important on a sailing man-of-war with cannon, beyond what an average gun crew could ordinarily achieve. Marines from the Constitution to the Missouri have manned the guns alongside sailors. Why use the complete rank in conversation? I dont honestly know, other than respect and, I guess, Marines being Marines. Maybe same cultural reason as to why they wear Service Uniforms instead of MARPATs in many instances where the Army wears ACUs; just a cultural thing.
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LCDR, the Marines are a different breed themselves. My older brother and a late uncle are Marines. Their attitudes and mindsets set them apart from a lot of people besides other Marines, regardless when they served.
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MSG in the Army are sometimes referred to by their full title of Master Sergeant. I use it out of respect, but I don't use it all the time. Because in the req's we only have to refer to them as SGT, I use it very selectively.
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