Why do so many MSGs insist on being addressed as Master Sergeant?

I don't know what but maybe just maybe I am a crackpot but didn't the United States Army made the rank and not the master sergeant him self so if the army made the rank I would guess they did it fora reason what is it with finding trivial crap to cry about with everything going on we are worried why the army made the rank of master sergeant and to the few that worked to get to master sergeant as hard as you worked for that you bring it down so low that you say you don't care wow were are we going anymore please believe I don't normally write this bad just check out my comments on other places on here but something like this and should we have to salute officers my God are you kidding me years and years of tradition respect you want it to all go away because why if you can honestly give me one great reason why this bugs you then I will concede but the traditions of all of the fallen soldiers in every single war does not deserve this crap

My ID says Master Sargeant on it. I usually wear a First Sergeant insignia on my hat. I know I shouldn't (technically) but I have a Very good reason. In 1990 I was a First Sergeant for a DISCOM unit in the 10th Mountain Division. It was a job I was very proud of. In the September or October '90 we received a new soldier. She was there, on active duty, because, as she explained, she'd joined and was in AIT slated to go to her home state's National Guard. When Operation Desert Storm occurred she was called into the in-service recruiter's office and informed that her national guard unit had been chosen to deploy to Iraq. She was told she'd probably go to war as soon as she finished. He said "of course if you changed to 10th Mountain, active duty, they're not slated to be deployed and you won't go." She, having joined only because of education benefits, jumped at the chance to not having to put her life on the line. After about 4 months, I was called into my Sergeant Majors office. He informed me that the CID had told him one of my soldiers had been accused of rape. The young man was my supply clerk. He was a young African-American who had the personality you couldn't help to like. The alleged victim, you guessed it, "Miss National Guard." For the next few months I was constantly harassed by not only my Sgt. Maj. but the other 1sg's in my battalion. Of course my clerk had come in to talk with me and with tears in his eyes told me the story of a girl who had called and invited him to her room in the barracks. He explained that he'd been very naive and when she started her seduction he'd been overcome and acquiesced to her every suggestion. I believed him! Of course my peers continued with their barrage of name calling, like scum, degenerate, and things to vile to mention. I was under so much stress that I was doubting my every decision. This went on as I got closer to my due rotation date. About a month before my deployment to Panama, I got a call from the CID, I needed to come to their office. They said their investigation into the rape case had ended. I told them that I still had faith in my clerk. The agent looked at me and said "so do we!" They push a sheet of paper at me and told me to read it. It was a new statement from my female soldier. In it she told the true story of how she had called him to her room because she had wanted sex. She told of his inexperience and how she had to guide him to do things I am too embarrassed to say aloud. After the session, she devised a plan to get her out of her 3 year commitment. She figured if she cried rape, she'd be believed and she could claim she was so emotionally damaged that the Army was sure to release her. The weight that came off my shoulders that day was so real I felt relaxed for the first time in a long time. I went back to my office and called my clerk in to inform him of the end of his nightmare. (And mine!) On the weekly 1sgt's meeting the Sgt Maj, told everyone the results of investigation. With sheepish looks they mumbled something that I took as an apology. Just days before I left, my admin clerk came to me with a piece of paper in his hand. It was my orders signifying my new designation of 63Z with the H identifier making it formal, I was a legal First Sergeant! He's name was Ralph and he looked at me and informed me that all it required was the CO's signature. He then looked at the trash can and knowing what I'd been through, told me, it could be lost. I said "what could be lost?" In retrospect I look back at that moment in my life and regret that I hadn't the courage to have that paper signed so my card would tell the truth. I wear the diamond because it reminds me of a time I stood by a person I trusted and felt vindicated of that trust a soldier gave me and my support of the truth. I was after all, his First Sergeant!

It's a matter of respect. When I was in back in the early 70's it seemed like everyone above SFC was called by their formal rank, 1stSgt was called 1stSgt or TOP, MSG was called master Sargeant. E7 down to E5 was just plain old sarge. Maybe it was different back then to now, but it's just a matter of respect. But, that's just opinion.

About 10 years after getting out of the USAF, an old buddy bumped into me and said, "Hi Sarge!"
It brightened my day and we had a long talk about our Korean tour, mostly about the good days.

Why did you post yourself as 1SG? I address myself as SFC, and most of the rest identify ourselves via rank. As you posted - "Because we earned it" - Some the hard way - some by attrition - some by other means.

Going by the comments I've read, only the Marine Corps stands on formality on this subject. Going by other comments, the other branches of the service, (especially the Army), just don't care. And if I'm not mistaken, the Air Force is even more relaxed than the Army on this subject. But in the Marines, if you know what's good for you, it's by the book.

I never ran into that

Respect in all things and depends on which branch one is speaking about.

I had plenty of Soldiers approach me and the question went "Master Sergeant, why does Sergeant Other Guy insist on us calling him 'Master' Sergeant? According to regulation, his title should be 'Sergeant'?". I told them it was a common misconception. I do not like belittling other NCOs to Soldiers, sets a bad example. Personally, just like others, I never required anyone to call me MSG. I also tried correcting it but it got tedious. Soldiers chose to call me MSG, I assume out of respect. MSG Other Guy was an egotistical sort and was insecure in his position and abilities. Should it change? I'm retired so either way it won't buy me coffee. But in the Army, we don't call SSGs Staff Sergeants or SFCs Sergeant First Classes. If we make the change for one, it should be for all. I was, however, throw aback when a retired gate guard called me "Smoke" when as a SFC, I first arrived at Fort Sill. Not being FA, that one snuck up on me.

I think the old joke is most illuminating. “Hi, my name is Master Sergeant Jones. You can call me by my first name. Master.”

Oh, and that “My name is (Rank) Name.” That’s something for an entirely new thread.