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

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.

Recruits calls everyone sir/ma'am they haven't earned the title to call them by their ranks...

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.

Gunnery Sergeant

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!

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.

You address them as you address NCO in the army which is by rank

I would address them by there Rank like SFC Smith or SGT doe and so and so on. SSG MARK A FRANZEN

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.

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! :-)

I grew up in a Navy family. Dad was BM1 and spent his last seven years training recruits at Bainbridge and San Diego NTC. Things may have changed since the late 50s, but he would address anyone E-7 or higher as "Chief". He used the same form of address toward anyone likely to be Navy in civilian clothes, and I never saw a negative response to it. Perhaps sensitivity has changed, but no one seemed to mind the assumption that they were a chief petty officer.

I have worked with all 4 branches at one time or another. When in doubt, just ask the NCO. Grow a set and just ask them. We won't bite. But otherwise, by observation, I learned that the Navy Petty Officers I met went by last name unless they were E-7 and above. Then, it was Chief, Senior Chief, Master Chief, respectively. Marines were always full rank. Staff Sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant, etc. unless they liked you, then you could use gunny or such nicknames (but don't get creative or assume. Make sure they are okay with it first or you will get "sternly" lectured, lol). Army E-5 to E-8 is just Sergeant unless they were 1SG or a SGM/CSM. Then it was First Sergeant or Sergeant Major. Again, if the 1SG liked you, then you could call them Top (again, don't assume, get permission). Every Air Force Sergeant I met went by Sergeant. I sometimes heard Chief used for anyone above Chief Master Sergeant. This is solely from my own experiences but I hope it helps somebody perhaps.

I call him gunney.

I always addressed them by rank. NEVER by sir or ma'am. Those titles are for Officers. The only times an enlisted person is addressed as sir/ma'am is by recruits in basic training.

In the Marine Corps, recruits (because they are in bootbcamp) are required to call every Marine or Sailor Sir/Ma'am. Once a recruit has graduated and earned the title of US Marine, then they are allowed to address a person by their rank.

I usually, for the Navy, ask them what their rank is and how they are addressed. Recently I binge watched JAG. Between that and NCIS, I have a much better idea of what they are called. :)

ONLY THE BOOT ADRESSES THE D.I.AS SIR,AND ONLY IN BOOT CAMP.
REGARDLESS OF THE RANK OF THE NCO HE/SHE ARE ADRESSED AS THEIR RANK,PVT,CPL,SGT,ETC.ETC.ONLY OFFICERS ARE ADRESSED AS SIR/MAAM........
OR AS GUNNY OR SGT/MAJ.FIRST NAMES OFF BASE.....

I was always called "Petty Officer" by my subordinates and the chiefs in my department always referred to my rank before my name when talking to someone about me.
It is my title. The E6's above me were also called "Petty Officer" to me.

We only called petty officers Sir, or Mam in boot camp in the CG. I'm sure that's was the case when you wittnessed those Marine recruits.

Commission Officers these are Sir or Ma'am, Non-commission Officers these are NCO's. There is only three "3" ways to address an NCO, these are - Sergeant / 1st Sergeant and Sergeant Major.