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

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.

The only time we called an NCO sir in the AF was during basic.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.