Posted on Sep 16, 2016
What is the proper way to address NCOs in different branches?
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As an E-4 in the Army, how would I go about addressing an E-7 in the Marine Corps or another branch? They call them Sir, do we as well?
Reason I asked I'm watching recruits from the USMC boot camp calling NCO's Sir/Ma'am, and for the Army we would call the cadre by their rank... But it was clarified below
Reason I asked I'm watching recruits from the USMC boot camp calling NCO's Sir/Ma'am, and for the Army we would call the cadre by their rank... But it was clarified below
Posted in these groups: 
Regulation
Customs and Courtesies
Regulation Customs and Courtesies
Edited >1 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 346
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OK, my earlier response may have been a little off track even if it was correct. Being Army, you are subject to ARMY courtesy and customs, not marine or any other. If you were to follow your own branches regulations for addressing an e-7, you would call him sergeant. That is probably the most correct answer, and its completely wrong...
The reality is that it would be disrespectful to call a Marine by anything other than what his branch requires. Every Marine I dealt with when I was working with 1 MEF understood after I explained OUR courtesy and customs for address. They also informed me in a very Marine manner before I got that explanation out as to what they were to be called. I found that it was best to take the ass chewing, and reply with something along the lines of:
"My apologies Gunnery Sergeant, I was following my branches regulations. I'll use your correct term of address in the future." you'll screw up because you've had 2.5-3 years of calling e7's sergeant, and he'll know you're doing what you were trained. Still probably an ass chewing, but it will be less severe in my experience. My company was the only Army unit on Camp Commando when I had to deal with this.. some Marines were less uptight about it than others once they knew we were trying to do right... Master Gunny, who I had screwed up about 4 times in the same sentence (sorry gunny, uhh, sergeant, uhh sgm, uhh... )he laughed. He knew we didnt have that title in our rank structure and we didnt have that formal address thing.. I'm sure I provided a lot of hilarious moments for the senior nco's in that NOC doing that a few times.
The reality is that it would be disrespectful to call a Marine by anything other than what his branch requires. Every Marine I dealt with when I was working with 1 MEF understood after I explained OUR courtesy and customs for address. They also informed me in a very Marine manner before I got that explanation out as to what they were to be called. I found that it was best to take the ass chewing, and reply with something along the lines of:
"My apologies Gunnery Sergeant, I was following my branches regulations. I'll use your correct term of address in the future." you'll screw up because you've had 2.5-3 years of calling e7's sergeant, and he'll know you're doing what you were trained. Still probably an ass chewing, but it will be less severe in my experience. My company was the only Army unit on Camp Commando when I had to deal with this.. some Marines were less uptight about it than others once they knew we were trying to do right... Master Gunny, who I had screwed up about 4 times in the same sentence (sorry gunny, uhh, sergeant, uhh sgm, uhh... )he laughed. He knew we didnt have that title in our rank structure and we didnt have that formal address thing.. I'm sure I provided a lot of hilarious moments for the senior nco's in that NOC doing that a few times.
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I learned that when the senior MC NCOs started calling me Skipper, they were comfortable enough for me to use Gunny and Staff. The more rare thing is I had a habit of calling CWOs "Guns". When queried, I'd tell them about the origin of the term. Back in the wooden ship days, a CWO was the Gunnery Officer that everyone relied on to stay alive through his skill. Hence "Guns" is an honorific. Never ran into a CWO that objected to it, but I'd make sure we knew each other first. I never got into using the term "Number One" for any of my XOs, but I did think about it on occasion. However, I hated, hence never used, "SMAJ".
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Navy you say "Anchors Aweigh Swabbie" Air Force "Aim High Wing Wiper" Marines use their full rank.
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Toy address all enlisted persons by their appropriate rank. For E-7 that's Gunnery Sergeant. Only officers are called sir
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Army:
E4 - Corporal (2 chevrons, not the sham shield)
E5 - Sergeant.......... 3 chevrons
E6 - Sergeant.......... 3 chevrons and a rocker
E7 - Sergeant.......... 3 chevrons and 2 rockers
E8 - Sergeant w/o start, star in the middle First Sergeant 3 chevrons and 3 rockers
E9 - Get the hell away! lol but you call all E-9's Sergeant Major, including the SMA
E4 - Corporal (2 chevrons, not the sham shield)
E5 - Sergeant.......... 3 chevrons
E6 - Sergeant.......... 3 chevrons and a rocker
E7 - Sergeant.......... 3 chevrons and 2 rockers
E8 - Sergeant w/o start, star in the middle First Sergeant 3 chevrons and 3 rockers
E9 - Get the hell away! lol but you call all E-9's Sergeant Major, including the SMA
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SGT Bryon Sergent
Caveat:
E-4 Corporal, 2 Chevrons (2 up) - Corporal
E-5 Sergeant, 3 up - Sergeant
E-6 Staff Sergeant, 3 up and 1 Rocker (down)- Sergeant (unless being introduced then use full title)
E-7 Sergeant First Class, 3 up and 2 down - Sergeant (ditto)
E-8 Master Sergeant 3 up and 3 down - Sergeant (ditto)
E-8 First Sergeant, 3 up and 3 down w/ Diamond in the center - First sergeant
E-9 Sergeant Major, 3 up and 3 down/ Star in the center - Sergeant Major
E-9 Command Sergeant Major, 3 up and 3 down / Wreath with a star in the Center - Sergeant Major (unless being introduced, then full title)
E-9 Sergeant Major of the Army, 3 up 3 down W/ Eagle with a star on the right and left of the Eagle - Sergeant Major (unless being introduced then full title)
Air Force, Navy and SNCO's in the Marines hang me every time!
E-4 Corporal, 2 Chevrons (2 up) - Corporal
E-5 Sergeant, 3 up - Sergeant
E-6 Staff Sergeant, 3 up and 1 Rocker (down)- Sergeant (unless being introduced then use full title)
E-7 Sergeant First Class, 3 up and 2 down - Sergeant (ditto)
E-8 Master Sergeant 3 up and 3 down - Sergeant (ditto)
E-8 First Sergeant, 3 up and 3 down w/ Diamond in the center - First sergeant
E-9 Sergeant Major, 3 up and 3 down/ Star in the center - Sergeant Major
E-9 Command Sergeant Major, 3 up and 3 down / Wreath with a star in the Center - Sergeant Major (unless being introduced, then full title)
E-9 Sergeant Major of the Army, 3 up 3 down W/ Eagle with a star on the right and left of the Eagle - Sergeant Major (unless being introduced then full title)
Air Force, Navy and SNCO's in the Marines hang me every time!
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SGT Alan Dike
Once got into a severe butt chewing by a Marine SSGT for demoting him to SGT. I then pointed out that proper courtesy and customs for the ARMY state I address him as SGT. He said he'd ripped a few folks up about it, and I was the only one that actually replied back with a reason. We got along great after that, and never had an issue calling him SGT again (I did flip between SSGT and SGT frequently, but no more butt chewings). Gunny, on the other hand, was Gunny.
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SCPO Joshua I
PO1 John Crafton - Only dress blues. Dress whites have a metal anchor insignia similar to khakis.
And the star on the dress blue insignia is a replacement for the rating, unlike the stars above the insignia (MCPON has four stars on that insignia if you were to count that, but we don't count the center star in that context as it confuses things).
And the star on the dress blue insignia is a replacement for the rating, unlike the stars above the insignia (MCPON has four stars on that insignia if you were to count that, but we don't count the center star in that context as it confuses things).
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SCPO (Join to see)
They should not take offense to being called Chief, we are all Chiefs. There are a few special ones out there though which is why I said "should not take offense".
Also for Senior Chiefs just "Senior" is acceptable.
Also for Senior Chiefs just "Senior" is acceptable.
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SCPO Joshua I
Right... Again -- the star in the center isn't even the same star if you look closely. MCPON's blues insignia has 3 stars across the top and his anchors have three stars. All other 9's in the Navy, CMCs included, have two stars above their insignia on their dress blue insignia and their anchors on every other uniform.
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