Would you prefer to be addressed as 1SG or Top?

Ok, history lesson.  Some are close on this.  TOP dates back to our Army forefathers.  I believe around the Civil War time frame.  TOP stands for "Trainer ofPersonnel".  This title was given to the senior enlisted Soldier in the unit.  It has become interchangeable  with 1SG.  Remember that NCOs have not always been the technical experts, no laughing, that we are today.  Remember the  "profession of arms" campaign.  The reason it is used primarily for 1SGs is NCOs are more or less "functional".  This is a dated term, but some 1SG positions require them to be SME in their field.  Disclaimer here, all jobs in the Army are important.  The difference lies in the consequences that occur if mistakes are made.  Example: I am an EOD guy, I will stay in EOD organizations for most of my career.  So I would not be the 1SG of a Medical unit or a Combat Arms unit.  I don't know anything about them.  Me being in a leadership position in those type of units would not be pretty! LOL  Our Officer counterparts used to be functional, but now when they reach a certain grade, they become multifunctional.  Like ORD Soldiers become Logisticians. I digress.  Point I am making is TOP is a term of respect.  It's not a given in my book.  It has to be earned.  I have had several 1SGs and few Tops.

I prefer it when my Soldiers call me Top and everyone else addresses me as First Sergeant. I am your Top, therefore that is the priveledge given solely to you. That is, of course, after I have "earned" that Soldier's respect and confidence. 

For me it was situational based. Obviously, if it was a formal setting like UCMJ or boards, or reporting, it was always 1SG. But down in the motor pool, or walking through training, or on a road march, either Top or 1SG was fine with me.

I prefer to be addressed as 1SG and reserve the right to be called Top to my soldiers once I have earned their respect and confidence. 

I won't refer to a 1SG as 'Top' unless I have a personal relationship with him/her and I'm reasonably sure that it is okay for me to do so.  Otherwise I stick with rank and name.

SSG Woodard, I did not mind being addressed by either one when I was a 1SG.  It was a personal preference though and I would advise anyone to refer to a 1SG that you have just met as "1SG ___ ."  Once that relationship is established then you can broach the "Top" subject with him/her. 

SSG Woodard,<div><br></div><div>1SG is my first name Haro is my last.... No really I try to call every First Sergeant, 1SG Top isn't something I hate but to be professional Soldiers should use First Sergeant my opinion.</div><div>V/R</div><div>1SG Haro</div>

I love this question! The term "TOP" stands for Trainer of Personnel. In the early days of the Army, this Trainer of Personnel was often times the Senior Enlisted Soldier. TOP NCO in the company. Technically First Sergeants have been around since the beginning of the Army. But there wasn't an official 1SG or 1SG rank until 1847 or 48. (I have to check the date to make sure). So the two naturally came to be synonymous because the 1SG was, in most cases, the Senior Enlisted Soldier and unit SME. Prior to 1847 (Checked the date! LOL!) this was the Trainer of Personnel.
I, like many of you have heard the, "Do I spin on my head?" phrase when someone is called TOP. Those individuals don't know the historical meaning of the term. It is a term of deep respect in my opinion. Most Soldiers I have worked with don't know the history, but do know the difference between a 1SG and a TOP. Anyone can put on 1SG rank, but not everyone can be a "TOP". If I were a 1SG again, I wouldn't mind being called Top, I still have some of my old Soldiers call me TOP and I haven't been a 1SG since 2009.

SGM Smith

Personally, when I'm addressing them, I address MY 1SG as Top and all others as First Sergeant.&nbsp; Never put much thought into it, but I guess I think that Top is, not really a term of endearment, but a closer name that shows the closer working relationship with the individual.