Posted on Sep 16, 2016
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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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Responses: 346
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SSG Ralph Moran
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Mostly called by rank, E3 and below by their last name, E4 and up by their rank unless they are Officers and the answer is yes Sir or no Sir. My men called me sarge others would say Sargent
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PV2 Infantryman
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In the army, E-1 through E-3 you can just call them by their name, E-4 has the lateral promotion so if the soldiers is a corporal you you call them corporal, if they are a specialist you dont have to call them by their rank u less they are a team leader. E-5 and up is just sergeant until you hit sergeant major, then you have officers which is just sir/ma'am.
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SSgt Aircraft Structural Maintenance
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I know in my unit it’s normal to call someone by their first name, as long as you out rank them and it’s within your work center. But technically, you should address people by their rank or abbreviations. Master Sergeant or Sergeant, Chief Master Sergeant or Chief, etc...
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SSG Fred Campbell
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I’ve always called em all by their rank, the only one I throw a “sir or ma’am” to is officers..
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SFC William Huse
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When they are going through training, as you did, it's a whole different world. As an E4, you greet those of other branches with the same respect you deserve.
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CPO Tom Kilgore
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I ark have people calling me Sir!! I tell that just because you’re my sons-in-law, you don’t have to call me sir. Chief is good
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SSgt Boyd Herrst
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While in training Boots call Their NCOs Sir
Or ma’am... only then.
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1px xxx
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As an Air Force SNCO I preferred Master Sgt. In today's joint environment it's an excellent question.
PO1 Rick Serviss
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You are hearing NCO's being called sir/ma'am in boot camp so they get used to the word sir or ma'am. In the fleet, you call E-7 Chief.
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SGT Tom Burgess
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If I addressed my PSG as Sergeant, with him actually being a SFC. Ain’t no damn way I’d disrespect him by calling a marine of the same rank something different. My PSG deserves all the respect in the world and if he was fine with Sergeant then a gunny would have to deal with it too...
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TSgt Aerospace Maintenance Craftsman
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How about? "Hey man?" or ma'am. "I don't know how to address you but could you help me?
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SFC Richard Baerlocher
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As an E-4 in the Army to an E-7 would be Sergeant. To an E-8 Master Sergeant it would be Master Sergeant, to a First Sergeant it would be First Sergeant. To an E-9 it would be either Sergeant Major or Command Sergeant Major as appropriate. They are never addressed by their first names. Show respect where respect or due!
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SGT Joshua Bressel
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In the Army, in all seriousness, all NCO's, E-5 to E-7 are referred to as Sergeant, with E-8 1SGs referred to as First Sergeant or "Top", if they are ok with that, most are, and E-8 MSGs rendered to as Master Sergeant, though, often, you can get away with referring to a MSG as Sergeant, though it's respectful to add the "Master". Any Army E-9 is referred to as Sergeant Major. Period. End of story. Don't get that wrong.

Marine NCOs are referred to by full rank, i.e, Staff Sergeant. As stated above, you can call an E-7 Gunny, most of the time, or an E-8 Master Gunnery Sergeant, Master Guns, and an E-9 is Sergeant Major.

Navy E-5/E-6 are usually rendered to as Petty Officer, E-7 is Chief, E-8 is Senior Chief, and E-9 is Master Chief(with delusions of HALO, LOL).

Air Force, E-5 and E-6 are reffered to as Sergeant, E-7 is referred to as Master Sergeant, E-8 is reffered to as Senior, and E-9 is Chief.

Disclaimer: I'm an Army NCO, who spent a lot of time in JSOC, so if I have made any errors, please let me know, but I tried to be very diligent, in learning how to address fellow NCOs, from other branches, and that is how it was taught to me, I'm a Ranger, but I'm not COMPLETELY perfect, Lololol.
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SN Greg Wright
SN Greg Wright
7 y
No. Just no. Halo has delusions of Master Chief. That rank and rating predates that video game by a significant amount of time. Do not denigrate it.
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PO2 Charles Hall
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While in boot camp, just about everyone is a sir or ma'am. I was in the USCG and our ranks are the same as the Navy. E-4 through E-6 are petty officers. E-7 is a chief, E-8 is senior chief, and E-9 is master chief. Do not and I repeat do not call a Chief petty officer , Senior Chief, or Master Chief "sir". They work for a living.
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Sgt Matt Gladden
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Sgt . Always worked for me . As for my thoughts on others . If I did not know you , I called you by your rank
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PO1 Raymond Sauter
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Enlisted in the Navy typically refer to each other by first name regardless of rate in informal, professional settings. When someone becomes a Chief Petty Officer, their first name is officially changed to “Chief!”
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Capt Chaplain
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It's been my experience that you're never wrong in the Air Force with using the rank. Having said that, for E-1 through E-4, Airman works, for E-5 through E-7, Sergeant works, for E-8, Senior is now an authorized form of address, and for E-9, there's Chief. Also, unlike in other branches, I see "sir" or "ma'am" used regardless of rank.
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SMSgt Frank Shaw
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Senior Thank You
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CPL Cat Crew
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Across my dealings with different branches it varies but not by much.
Marine enlisted full tank ie staff sergeant, gunnery sergeant...etc
Army enlisted E-5 to E-7 you call them Sergeant unless it’s an E-7 in artillery you call them smoke..E-8 either TOP OR FIRST SERGEANT E-9 Sergeant Major
Airforce enlisted sergeant until E-8 Master Sergeant E-9 Chief
Navy enlisted by the rank until E-5 chief petty officer is reached and you call them chief or until E-9 command master chief is reached then call them that
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SPC Greg Campbell
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NEVER EVER EVER call a Navy Captain Colonel
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SPC Greg Campbell
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E1 Goddamn crute
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SPC Greg Campbell
SPC Greg Campbell
7 y
E1 goddamn crute
E2 crute
E3 hey come here
E4 hey dud
E5 sarge or buck
E6 staff
E7 sergeant (unless he is about to be promoted and will be your first sgt,)
E8 Top (see above)
E9 sgt major
2nd Lt goddamncrute or Sir or maybe even 'ya lost AGAIN?
1st LT, sir, imo your really a dick today
O3 captain
Interacted with a few Majors. Majors and above where Sir
And thats my opinion
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SFC Agr Recruiter
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Real Simple...
Marine- Hey Jar Head
Navy- Hey Squid
Air Force- Hey Fly Boy or Dude...lmao
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LTC Michael Garrison
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The use of "Sir" when addressing a USMC NCO is for recruits that are not yet Marines. We all work hard to earn our rank and position so most I believe would prefer to be addressed by that rank. If working with civilians who may not be sure how to address someone, either ask or use Mr.
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SGT Combat Engineer
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Just call them Sergeant. In the Army, every NCO (aside from corporals) are addressed as “Sergeant” until the rank of First Sergeant or higher. There are some Master Sergeants out there who like to be addressed as such, but the correct answer is to call them Sergeant as well. Unless referring to them, then you would say “Master Sergeant such and such...”
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CSM David Draughn
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“Big Sarge, Sarge and Top” are insults to those professionals who hold these positions. Officers who use these degrading words neither appreciate or understand the Senior NCO. Call these same officers using slang, e.g. “El-Tee, Mage, Half or light Colonel” or any other term and prepare yourself to get your heels locked, and receive a speech about their college education, “superior” knowledge and how they are “in charge.”
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Cpl Rc Layne
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I cant speak for the other branches, but yes, you should call every Marine you meet Sir or Ma'am, no matter their rank. The only way out of it is to join us.
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SFC William Evans
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Never call a true NCO in the Army Sarge I would vaporize you where you stand
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MSgt Nick Weizman
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No not by thier names, in the AF it's full rank and last name.
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SSG Adam Tarrance
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For the Navy you start addressing E4-E6 as Petty Officer, E7 as Chief, E8 as Senior or Senior Chief, E9 as Master Chief.
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CPT Gordon Berkstresser
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It never hurt me when I was uncertain to ask. “Could you please tell me the proper way to address you?” always worked for me. NCOs take pride in being experts and trainers. And they give respect when shown respect.
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SPC Travis Grizzard
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LCpl Stephen Arnold
In the Army it is possible to earn your rank, and sit in the same slot as "promotable" until you do finally get your 5. Kind of like when you work two weeks, you have slready earned the money, but you don't get it for another week.
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SSgt Frederick Nelson
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The only time we called an NCO sir in the AF was during basic.
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SSG Jeff Gerfen
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I spent four years in the US Air Force and sixteen in the US Army. While in the Air Force I never addressed an NCO with “Hey Dude!” Or by their first name, I addressed them by their rank or rank and last name. I don’t know what Air Force these guys are in nowadays but back in 1974 went I went through basic that was unheard of. In the Army it was pretty much the same way. When I made buck sergeant then staff Sergeant being called sarge was fine with me, but most of my squad called me by my complete rank. While in Desert Storm back in 1991, I had to pick up some paperwork from a Marine bivouac area out in the desert and all the lower rank Marines called me Staff Sergeant. They were very respectful. For me, I would never call another soldier by their first name unless he or she was of the same rank as me, period
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Shane Harnett
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Coming from the Australian Military you always called them by their rank no matter what Service until told otherwise. But then again the Aussie Military teachs all Service ranks at Recruit Training. I retired as an E9 equivalent and was called Sarn’t Major by the Army, Sir by AF and Navy guys.
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SSgt Marc Carpenter
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We always called all NCOs sargeant. or for y'all southern or country dudes Sarnt. Except for First Sergeants or Sergeants Major then they were called what they were
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Sgt Michael Rogers
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In the Marine Corps you only address an enlisted Marine as Sir or Ma'am IF you are a recruit in basic training. If you're a service member of another branch you address then by their full rank, i.e. Staff Sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant, etc. The only exception to this is a.) unless you are familiar with them, and b.) they allow you to address them less formally.
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CMSgt Senior Enlisted Advisor, Joint Operations And Chief Enlisted Manager
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As an Airman (though a rank in the Air Force, also the generic term for an Air Force member) who had been in joint units for over 27 years, I learned the ranks and terms of address of the other services early in my career. I have learned in the interest of getting the job done to politely correct them - if appropriate - and press on. Chewing someone out is not a productive method, especially if they truly do not know the correct term. As an E-9, I have been called a Sergeant, Air Sergeant Major, Sarge, and hey you in addition to the appropriate term, Chief. If it isn't worth my effort, I just let it go. When it is the correct setting, I will correct them. I am in a joint office now, and make a point to address learning the correct terms whenever possible.
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Lt Col George Roll
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As a professional Military Member I would use the term of address that persons service employes Marine Gunnery Sergeant or Gunny. Navy E 7 Chief or Chief Petty Officer etc.
My personal favorite cring worthy mis address is when Civillian Reporters adress a O5 as Lieutenant Colonel repeatidly during a conversation instead of calling the individual as Colonel. Or calli g a Sergeant Major as Major.
Doing eithermakes them appear ignorant.
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2d Lt Physicist/Nuclear Engineer
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For the Air Force, NCOs can be referred to as “Sergeant”; E-9 can be Chief or Chief Master Sergeant. And per the newest AFI, E-8 can be referred to as “Senior”, “Sergeant” or Senior Master Sergeant”

Junior enlisted can be called “airman” or their full rank
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Cpl Rifleman
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All E-4 through E-6 in the Navy are petty officer. NCOs in the Marines go by full rank with the exception of gunny and master guns. Air Force- seargent works.
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