Posted on Sep 16, 2016
SPC(P) Information Security (Is) Analyst
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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
Posted in these groups: Rules and regulations RegulationCustoms and courtesies logo Customs and Courtesies
Edited >1 y ago
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SrA Vehicle Operations
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With the Air Force E5-E7 can be called Sgt. E8 is always full rank (SMSgt= Senior Master Sergeant) and E9 can be called Chief.
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Cpl Tony Vang
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Recruits calls everyone sir/ma'am they haven't earned the title to call them by their ranks...
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MSgt Frank Martin
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I was taught to call people Sir and Ma'am to people by my parents who were raised during the depression etc. It helped me call officers Sir or Ma'am very easily in my time in the USAF.

But when it came to enlisted, I tended to call folks "Airman XXXX" or "Sergeant XXXX" or "Chief XXXX" when it came be a Chief Master Sergeant in front of others.

I worked in a career field where I ended up working with other services from time to time.. same thing.. "private, sergeant, mister (in the case of warrant officers)" in the Army. Tried to do my best with the Marines, Navy, Coast Guard etc. Made a mistake once in front of a Gunnery Sergeant in the USMC who corrected me when I called him Sergeant as he preferred to be addressed as "Gunny". But I did not take the incident personally.. I just pressed on and got along just fine.

But there were times when I did not have to use titles in conversation, and I would revert to answering questions as "yes sir" etc.. But I never did it as a form of address and never had someone jump all over me for it.. It was just the way my parents taught me.. and to this day I still find myself doing it at times.
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MSG Michael McEleney
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LCpl William Perry
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I have never addressed any NCO as Sir or Ma'am, I would have been handed my heart on a plate. This is reserved for officers only. NCOs by rank and enlisted are by rank unless part of your team and then by name. Depending on Team: last name, or first name, or even nick name. Semper Fi!
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PO2 Mike Vignapiano
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Enlisted personnel, outside of basic training are NEVER referred to as Sir or Ma'am.
You address them by their rank. So an E7 in the corp will be addressed as Gunnery Sergeant, or for short, Gunnery. In the Navy? Chief.
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1SG Rudolph Watt
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You address them as you address NCO in the army which is by rank
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SSG Mark Franzen
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I would address them by there Rank like SFC Smith or SGT doe and so and so on. SSG MARK A FRANZEN
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Cpl Justin Goolsby
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If we don't know the rank, Sir or Ma'am is the go to. But we make it a point to address everyone by rank if they are enlisted. Now if we were on a more closer working relationship with them, we might call a GySgt a Gunny or a MSgt Top, or MGySgt Master Guns.

Now in the 2nd part of your question you mentioned recruits. Recruits do not rate to call anyone by their rank. Recruits will address everyone as Sir or Ma'am until they "earned" the privilege to address someone by rank.
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SGT Ronald Mitchell
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You can never ever go wrong by respecting the rank, and addressing him/her by such! Nothing hard about it, you just simply respect the rank! End of discussion, in fact, this shouldn't even be a thread, because common sense should've kicked in before you asked the question. I'm just saying. Enjoy the thread! :-)
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PVT Mark Brown
PVT Mark Brown
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Except if you are addressing a Naval person, officer or enlisted. I never did figure them out. "Hey You" works sometimes.
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