Posted on Sep 17, 2016
My Navy and CG SNCOs out there. How do you respond to a service member mistakenly calling you the wrong rank?
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Respond to their greeting or whatever and move on. It's not a big deal, I've been a Chief for 12 years, and whether or not I have a star in my anchor doesn't change the fact I'm still a Chief.
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PO1 Harry Champagne
WHEN I WAS IN THE NAVY ESPECIALLY SHIP BOARD WE USED THE TERM MR. OFTEN
EXAMPLE AN OFFICER WITH THE NAME OF SMITH WOULD BE CALLED MR. SMITH.
EXAMPLE AN OFFICER WITH THE NAME OF SMITH WOULD BE CALLED MR. SMITH.
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SCPO Bruce Petosky
SCPO (SW) Retired.
My response would depend on the rank and service of the other service member. It is certainly a teachable moment. One to re-enforce the difference in the rank insignia to a service member that should know, and two to educate a un-knowing service member of the difference.
My response would depend on the rank and service of the other service member. It is certainly a teachable moment. One to re-enforce the difference in the rank insignia to a service member that should know, and two to educate a un-knowing service member of the difference.
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CPO (Join to see)
The best response I ever got from a Senior Chief that I called "Chief" by mistake when I was a junior Sailor: "That's ok, you can call me by my middle name." It made me think for a moment, and then laugh. He corrected me without being brash or negative, which I appreciated.
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I was at the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune, NC about 20 years ago and a young marine walked up behind me and said, "What's up Army Duuuude!" When I turned around and he saw that I was a E-7/SFC, he snapped to at ease position and looked like a deer in the headlights. I told him that my rank was SFC, equivalent in rank to a Marine Corps Gunny, not Army Dude! I told him that if he is approaching someone from behind that he does not actually know, assume they are an officer or verify their rank first. He thanked me and I dismissed him!
SFC Port
SFC Port
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Sgt Carlos Barrera
That is a problem that I saw first hand in the Army while stationed there: everyone above the rank of Sgt is Sgt. Soldiers had to be reminded many times that an E7 is a Gunnery Sergeant or Gunny, not Sarge. Boy did I see many dressing downs by former D.I.'s chewing up soldiers for calling them by the wrong rank!!!
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SPC Justin Foster
Sgt Carlos Barrera - Per regulations, you're supposed to address E-5 through E-8 as "Sergeant" in the Army. There are some NCO's in the Army that feel that they should be addressed as Master Sergeant, Sergeant First Class, or Staff Sergeant, and they are all incorrect. If you were being addressed improperly by Army junior enlisted, it's because they were taught the Army way, which is different from the Navy/Marine Corps way.
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SPC Justin Foster
Sgt Carlos Barrera - I somehow posted the same thing twice, so I'm editing this one to mean nothing. Haha. Apologies!
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Sgt Carlos Barrera
SPC Justin Foster - IS all good, I just found it ironic that an E5 and an E7 are addressed as Sergeant, I know Marines do things different, but while aboard the Army base I was stationed, I addressed a SSgt as Staff Sergeant, and E7 SFC as Sergeant First Class, yeah I know it was a mouth full but I addressed them by their rank, our E7 Gunnery Sergeant do not have a problem, actually encourage us to addressed them as Gunny.
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