Posted on Jun 9, 2015
Why Does the Army Call NCOs "Sergeant" and Officers "Sir"?
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Throughout my Army career, I have been taught that we refer to NCOs as "Sergeant" (or, beginning with Master Sergeant, their full rank) but we refer to Officers as "Sir" or "Ma'am." However, recently I was challened by an E-9 in the Air Force (Chief Master Sergeant, I think) to find out more about this. Is this simply the unwritten rule, a part of Army customs and courtesies? And, if it is, where did this come from? Or is this actually written somewhere, in a regulation I have not found yet?
Note that at no point am I saying this is incorrect. I am just trying to get some actual facts on the tradition, so that, as an NCO, I know more about the facts behind the traditions/customs/courtesies.
Note that at no point am I saying this is incorrect. I am just trying to get some actual facts on the tradition, so that, as an NCO, I know more about the facts behind the traditions/customs/courtesies.
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 22
I honestly think that it was begun in the army to show a mark of respect to those in the enlisted ranks that had been selected as leaders, and promoted out from the ranks. The Title Sergeant, is an honored position dating back centuries, and I am proud to have earned the right to use it.
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Officers are made "gentelmen" by act of Congress. It is a throwback to the old English system that our Army is based upon. Plus like SGT William Howell said, it you called a Cherry Lieutenant "sergeant" he would likely go off by himself and sit in the corner for a week drooling and trying to figure out who you were talking to.
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Once again, different times, different services, different customs and courtesies. Colonial times defaulted to nobility practices as we explained earlier. Fast forward to 1812 and you see that dropping off except for commissioned officers; enlisted troops were called either by their rank or last names. By the time of the Civil war "Sarge" was an acceptable term among enlisted troops except for the titles of 1SG and Sgt Major and that continued during WWI, WWII, Korea (encouraged by Hollywood), including "familiarism" of first or last names. During 60s and forward we find a more "professional" NCO Corps that began demanding respect; a new SMA Position created, "integration" of the Women's Army Corps (which had more formal customs, courtesies, traditions)-leading to VOLAR and official policies in the 1980s--yes policies--to address soldiers by the actual rank and last name. The Navy (and Marines) of course long had tighter policies for key leaders; the Army Air Force was more lax until the Air Force itself was formed. However, most of the more formal addresses we see today arose in the 1980s as part of VOLAR.
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Sergeant comes from the Latin word serveins which means servant. They were assistants to the Knights and we're responsible for training and discipline of the soldiers.
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While I don't have an answer for the question, it did remind me of an exchange between me and an Army sergeant at Rhein-Main AB.
I was doing an ID check at the gate outside the base clinic when said sergeant approached me on his way to an appointment. I checked his credentials and said, "Have a good day, sir." Keep in mind that my training taught us to address everyone professionally by using sir or ma'am. This is how our post briefings would start regardless of who was doing the post check. Anyway, he paused and said very matter-of-factly, "Sir? I work for a living! You need to address me as sergeant!" The response took me by surprise because I wasn't sure if he was joking or not. It should also be noted that at the time both of us were E-5. I apologized citing training and the such, but I never forgot that day.
From that point on, I addressed every Army soldier by their rank, except for the officer corps where a simple sir or ma'am suffices.
I was doing an ID check at the gate outside the base clinic when said sergeant approached me on his way to an appointment. I checked his credentials and said, "Have a good day, sir." Keep in mind that my training taught us to address everyone professionally by using sir or ma'am. This is how our post briefings would start regardless of who was doing the post check. Anyway, he paused and said very matter-of-factly, "Sir? I work for a living! You need to address me as sergeant!" The response took me by surprise because I wasn't sure if he was joking or not. It should also be noted that at the time both of us were E-5. I apologized citing training and the such, but I never forgot that day.
From that point on, I addressed every Army soldier by their rank, except for the officer corps where a simple sir or ma'am suffices.
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SFC (Join to see)
Yeah, that's the issue where all this came up. An Army E-9 corrected an Air Force lower enlisted, and the Air Force E-9 I spoke of asked him about it. They got into a heated debate, and nothing was ever answered (other than the SGM didn't know and got upset about being questioned). So he asked me my opinion... and I wanted to give him more than just "I don't know". However... in the end, it's really looking like it is history, tradition, customs and courtesies. And thank you for your story, SSgt. Always appreciated!
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Speaking as a Air Force MSgt. I’ m proud to be a member of the senior nco tier. All of us try to reach the Chief Master Sargents rank. To me it is a position of honor!
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" Back in my day" we were all Sgt, except the 1st Sgt and Smaj. No one saluted you or stood on one leg when you came into the room.
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It's one of those hidden buried traditions from the revolutionary war that just continued on. I'm sure it's written somewhere but I can't recall.
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Jason!!!! Where have you been hiding??!! Look for my contact request in 7 hours, Yoda.
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SFC (Join to see)
Been in Arizona. Watching you from afar. Wishing... no, wait, just kidding! But I AM at Fort Huachuca, AZ, instructing, that part was serious.
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To find it's origin I would say British Army is where you might start. Throw on a little French and Prussian for seasoning.
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