What is the proper way to address NCOs in different branches?

When my national guard brigade was in Iraq in 2005, we belonged to the 2nd MEF. We didn’t belong to the Army. When we were around Marines, the E6 and below addressed me as Gunny. E7 and above addressed me as my full rank, Sergeant First Class. I could have been an Army prick and corrected the lesser ranking guys, but I just left it. No big deal since we refer to anything from MSG down to SGT as just sergeant. By the way, the marines were good people and treated us as equals. I have a lot of respect for them.

Never been addressed or heard the term BigSarg and would never be referred to nothing less then Sergeant.

I have found that full rank and last name is never out of fashion. Sometimes that applies to interaction between NCOs of the same grade. Familiarity can seem to be unprofessional. Leaned that while
assinged to a joint service unit. Just call a navy E-8 or E-9 “Chief” and see what response you get.

Address everyone by their rank, if they wish to be addressed differently, they will let you know. As for calling Air Force by their first name, I accepted that from those of equal or higher rank, if I worked with them. An E-9 in the Air Force is ALWAYS Chief, until he/she says otherwise. I never answered to “Dude”, “hey you” (a Squid tried that once), or anything else that I found inappropriate.

In Basic Training, a fellow recruit addressed the Drill Sergeant as ‘Sarge’. To which he replied, “ A Sarge is a marine creature that ingests detritus from the ocean floor. Do I look like a s**t-sucking fish to you, Private?” We all became intimately familiar with the red clay of Georgia that Day!

Yep, when I was in all ranks above E4 were addressed as Sgt. And all officers were addressed by their rank. And those officers who we were friends with called us by name.

In th navy you address them by rate (specialty + rank). Example: I’m a Fire Controlman and a third class Petty Officer, I’m called FC3. If they’re a chief or above, they are called by their rank.

I once worked with an Army Sergeant that I had to put in his place because he was disrespecting me as a Petty Officer First Class. He was a lesson between the Navy base and a nearby Army Reserve unit

He was there frequently and at first I explained the Navy rank/rate structure. I explained that I at the time was an E6 and blah, blah, blah ... Anyway he continued to not get it and told me that Navy rank was confusing and he didn't either have time to learn it nor did he have to.. or something like that. That's when I about lost it.

As a Navy sailor and Hospital Corpsman I took the time to learn the rank structure of the Army, Marines, and Air Force. I was frequently working with other service members from other branches of service.

The best I can tell you is ask when in doubt. Pull up a chart with military pay grade/rank and study it. The charts usually have pictures that you can study. It takes time and practice but eventually you will get it. You will gain more respect from the member of the other branch.

I addressed by Army venecular. Sarge

All NCO’s in the Air Force are called Sergeant, excepting being E9’s or Chief Master Sergeants, they ar addressed as Chief.