Posted on Sep 16, 2016
SPC(P) Information Security (Is) Analyst
226K
2.33K
878
83
83
0
062a0873
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
Avatar feed
Responses: 346
Votes
  • Newest
  • Oldest
  • Votes
LCpl Henry Morgan
2
2
0
Recruits are required to call their Drill Instructors "Sir". But after boot camp all enlisted marines are addressed by their rank
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
LT Naval Aviator
2
2
0
Personal experience: As a Marine, I was trained to use full rank. I was on an Air Force base for tech school and even though I didn't have to, I used full rank. The AF NCO's seemed to really like that.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
Lt Col Operating Room Nurse
2
2
0
I started out as an enlisted soldier in the Army. We only addressed officers as sir or ma'am. The NCOs, we called them Sargent from E-5 through E-8, unless you were a First Sargent. E-9s were addressed as Sargent Major. We didn't dare call any enlisted sir or ma'am. When switched to Air Force, I was shocked to hear the enlisted being called sir or ma'am. Being that I am a soldier airman, I call the NCOs Sargent, E-5 through E-8. The E-9s I address as Chief. I never address any enlisted person sir or ma'am, only by their rank.
(2)
Comment
(0)
SSgt John Carter
SSgt John Carter
8 y
I was in the Air Force for quite a while and never heard an enlisted person being called sir or m'aam. We called Officers by their rank and name Lt. *** and NCO's by their rank unless you were a fellow NCO then we addressed them by their first name.
(0)
Reply
(0)
MSgt Joseph Haynes
MSgt Joseph Haynes
8 y
Not sure what AF you were in. First names were used only if you were in private and you knew each other. Publicly it was Sgt, especially around junior ranks. The full rank was more of a formal title used during ceremonies.
(1)
Reply
(0)
SSgt John Carter
SSgt John Carter
8 y
I don't recall that. I actually got written up for telling a buck Sgt to call me Sgt
(0)
Reply
(0)
Sgt Zach Gibson
Sgt Zach Gibson
8 y
Being in the Air Force Sgt. and above were just Sergeant unless it was in a formal area. But I made the mistake of calling a Gunny a Sgt. and got a whole month full. I just replied sorry I'm in the Air Force and that's what I'm used to. Probably not the best answer.
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
MGySgt Personnel/Administrative Chief
2
2
0
Recruits address every Marine enlisted or Officer as sir or ma'am until they have earned the title of Marine. After they have become Marines they address fellow Marines by their rank and last name.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
Sgt Administrative Clerk
2
2
0
Recruits in Marine Corps boot camp call everyone Sir. If they didn't, they would be destroyed by their Drill Instructors. Once tte Recruit earns his Eagle, Globe and Anchor, they call eeveryone who is a higher rank than them by there respective rank. As a soldier addressing a Marine who is higher rank than them is the same way. It's all about respect. Marines do the same thing.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
Cpl Michael Burns
2
2
0
Marine recruits use sir to address an any Marine only in recruit status. Once Marines earn their E.G.A s they are taught to address Marines by their rank or rank and last name. In the Marines we usually just learn the ranks of other branches to make fewer headaches in the future. At first it can be some rough seas not knowing the ranks but after a while you have issue addressing any service member by their correct title. Even foreign troops.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
MAJ Jeffrey Frankart
2
2
0
I didn't realize Gunney was a "only when you know each other" kind of term. Thanks for the lesson on that.
I remember working in an office setting with two Army E7s (SFCs) when I was a 1LT. They always referred to each other as Sergeant Jones and Sergeant Smith. I finally asked them..."If I wasn't here, would it be Jill and Melissa" (I used their actual first names when I asked the question, but I don't remember them now). They told me yes. I thought that was interesting.
I worked very closely with a CW3. He was adament about being called Chief. We'd occasionally get soldiers from other units in our area who were not sure what to call him and they'd start with Sir. He always told them (in a fatherly way, not a butt-chewing way) that the LT (me) was Sir, but he was Chief. His other peeve was when he'd hear of a WO1 being called Chief instead of Mr.
(2)
Comment
(0)
CWO3 Retired
CWO3 (Join to see)
8 y
Major Frankart, we Gunnery Sergeants are referred to a Gunny's. We Chief Warrant Officers are either referred as Chief Warrant Officer Last Name or Gunner. A term that is used lightly because this refers to our Weapons Infantry Officer Chief Warrant Officers rank as the Bursting Bomb, sometimes referred to as an upside down pineapple but I personally wouldn't go around calling them that unless you want your six handed to you on a silver platter. Warrant Officers are just called Warrant Officer with their name last name. Hopefully when you do run into a Gunny, just call him Gunny. They'll understand.

Semper Fi, Major Frankart.
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
LCpl Dan Miller
2
2
0
A Marine recruit is not a Marine. In fact, a recruit is nasty, worse than a civilian because they have the audacity to aspire to be a Marine. Therefore they address all as sir or ma'am.
Once a Marine actually becomes a Marine, then enlisted Marines are addressed by rank.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SFC William McCoy
2
2
0
Years ago when I was and army E5, I was assigned to the ID card section. A USMC Staff Sergeant came in to get an ID card. I addressed him politely as 'Sergeant' and he proceeded to correct me in a very derogatory tone, "that's Staff Sergeant'. Now I was a good NCO being respectful in my office. Perhaps I should have know how to properly address this NCO, but I made a mistake. I felt his tone was out of line and within moments my system 'crashed' and I could no longer help him. Moral of the story: do your best and be respectful and if you do make a mistake, the other party should have the decency to either let it go or politely correct you.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SSG Ruben Montiel
2
2
0
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that in training, the cadre are called sir by the trainees.
(2)
Comment
(0)
PVT Mark Brown
PVT Mark Brown
>1 y
Back in the 60's calling a drill sergeant "Sir" would always be worth and ass chewin and a couple dozen push ups.
(0)
Reply
(0)
SSG Ruben Montiel
SSG Ruben Montiel
>1 y
I think that is in the Army, and to this day also. The Marines; however, are different I think, they are sir in training. I think...
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
GySgt Carl Rumbolo
2
2
0
Back in the day - 1990's - when I was a Gunnery Sergeant, shortly before I retired, a sailor on board the USS Nassau called me "Sarge" .... I leave it to your imagination as to the response - and he was a Senior Chief.....
(2)
Comment
(0)
PVT Mark Brown
PVT Mark Brown
>1 y
So - He was E-8 and you were E-7, is that correct?
If so what was your response, imagination is slowing down with age.
(0)
Reply
(0)
LCpl Stephen Arnold
LCpl Stephen Arnold
>1 y
I imagine the Senior Chief pissed his pants while getting his ass chewed by a Gunny!
(0)
Reply
(0)
GySgt Carl Rumbolo
GySgt Carl Rumbolo
>1 y
My response was direct and to the point - that if as a Marine I couple understand the navy rating system and address sailors appropriately it was reasonable to expect a minimal level of courtesy and intelligence from a beer belly slob of a chief who couldn't was both personally and professionally incompetent....
(0)
Reply
(0)
PO2 Robert Moore
PO2 Robert Moore
>1 y
That reminds me of a time in "A" school. Our classes were both Marines and Sailors. This one sailor kept referring to one instructor as " Staff".....period. As in "Hey, Staff, whats' this?" IOne day the "Staff Sgt" had just about enough. When the sailor referred to him as "Staff"......he let loose and dressed him down good. Starting with "IT"S STAFF SERGEANT, NOT STAFF!!!!!! Do I look like some kind of disease? Are you saying I am a disease? Would you like to see what a disease can do to you? .......... and much much more. LMAO. I had all I could do to keep from cracking up.
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
SSG Robert White
2
2
0
If your looking at a senior NCO, it's by Title. But if your looking at E4-E6, the naval ranks (Coast Guard and Navy) are the most difficult since they don't have a rank like Sargent. Instead they identify rank by position. So if they are a cook you'll call them one thing, and if they are a cryptanalyst, you'd have to call them something else. A simple what of addressing them is calling the Army, Air Force and Marines as Sargent and the Navy and Coast Guard by Chief until they correct you. Then call them by the title they tell you to address them by.

Also remember, there are two other services, US Public Health Service and NOAA. These services don't have enlisted, but their officer ranks are the same as Naval Ranks. You should address them as such.
(2)
Comment
(0)
LCpl Stephen Arnold
LCpl Stephen Arnold
>1 y
I didn't see a lot of USPHS personnel in the desert when I was there.
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
SGT Alan Dike
2
2
0
You address an E-7 in the Marine Corps as Gunnery Sergeant. There is no other officially authorized term of address. Unlike in the Army where you would call an E-7 Sergeant in address and Sergeant First Class or Sergeant when talking about them in 3rd person...
(2)
Comment
(0)
LCpl Stephen Arnold
LCpl Stephen Arnold
>1 y
Gunny works just fine.
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
1stSgt Edward Jackson
2
2
0
Address them as Gunny Sgt., MSgt., Chief (Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard), etc.
(2)
Comment
(0)
LCpl Stephen Arnold
LCpl Stephen Arnold
>1 y
"Gunny" works just fine.
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
Sgt Dale Briggs
1
1
0
Lol, you call a Marine E 7 properly as Gunnery Sgt, especially being out of unit. You know him he’s Gunny.
(1)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
Sgt Dale Briggs
1
1
0
MC E7 is Gunny, I’ve never heard of anyone ever getting bent about that.
(1)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SSG Byron Howard Sr
1
1
0
I was Army stationed on an Air Force base one of my boss' was a gunny.
(1)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
LTC Jason Mackay
1
1
0
The DoDI (50110-04-M) has the way to address each rank of each branch. The Salutation for a written letter corresponds to the service etiquette of verbal address.

https://execsec.defense.gov/Portals/34/Documents/511004m_v2.pdf?ver=2013-03-02-045134-443
(1)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
CSM Charles Hayden
1
1
0
By their rank!
(1)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SSgt Signals Intelligence Analyst
1
1
0
Marines: Full Rank, according to MCO 5060.20. It wouldn't be a bad thing to call him "sir" out of politeness unless he's extremely salty. Gunny and Gunnery Sergeant are preferred forms of address for the GySgt.
Army: SGT - MSG may be addressed as "Sergeant" or by their full rank, according to AR 600-20.
Air Force: SSgt - SMSgt may be addressed as "Sergeant" or by their full rank, according to AFI 36-2618.
Navy is a little different. Petty Officers from 3rd through 1st class are referred to as "Petty Officer" or by their rating ("CTR1" for a Cryptologic Technician Receiver 1st Class Petty Officer). Chief, Senior Chief, and Master Chief Petty Officers are generally referred to as Chief, Senior Chief, and Master Chief respectively. The Coast Guard, PHCC, and the NOAA, since utilizing Naval Rank structure (though some do not have enlisted, like the PHCC and the NOAA), follow suit.
(1)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.