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A question I always wondered was as a Warrant officer did you mind being called Chief? During my service in ADA it was a smaller branch so you would see our Chiefs working frequently and would talk to them on a semi regular basis. I was always told that either calling them Chief or Sir/Ma'am is acceptable. I called the ones that I worked with frequently Chief and when I was ever talking to one that I did not know I would call them Sir/Ma'am.
For you Chiefs out there did it ever bother you being called Chief, or do you prefer Sir/Ma'am?
Just to add an edit, I was just looking at another post and was reminded that they can be called Mr/Mrs also something I wouldn't find saying in a military environment.
For you Chiefs out there did it ever bother you being called Chief, or do you prefer Sir/Ma'am?
Just to add an edit, I was just looking at another post and was reminded that they can be called Mr/Mrs also something I wouldn't find saying in a military environment.
Posted in these groups: 
Warrant Officers
Aviation
Warrant Officers Aviation
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 3
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In the Army, saying Sir / Ma'am to a Warrant Officer is the correct form of address. Using Mr. / Mrs. / Ms. is correct when talking about or referring to a Warrant Officer. In formal correspondence you would use Warrant Officer for WO1s or Chief Warrant Officer for CW2-CW5 always leaving out the number.
Calling a Warrant Officer “Chief” is like calling the First Sergeant “Top”. It is just a slang term that gets used. The guidance from the Warrant Officer Career College for WOCs is that “Chief” is not a proper title, and is not to be used. Everyone there is called Mr. / Mrs. / Ms.
Having said all that, I have never had a problem being called “Chief”. Most tech warrants don’t have a problem with it. Many flight warrants do have a problem with it, and do not like being called “Chief”.
I would recommend that if you don’t know the Warrant, call him / her Mr. / Mrs. Ms. or Sir / Ma’am. That will keep you out of trouble.
Calling a Warrant Officer “Chief” is like calling the First Sergeant “Top”. It is just a slang term that gets used. The guidance from the Warrant Officer Career College for WOCs is that “Chief” is not a proper title, and is not to be used. Everyone there is called Mr. / Mrs. / Ms.
Having said all that, I have never had a problem being called “Chief”. Most tech warrants don’t have a problem with it. Many flight warrants do have a problem with it, and do not like being called “Chief”.
I would recommend that if you don’t know the Warrant, call him / her Mr. / Mrs. Ms. or Sir / Ma’am. That will keep you out of trouble.
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CW2 Pamela (Carpenter) Wolf
You mentioned that flight warrants DO have a problem with being call "Chief." I can't speak for all flight warrants, but in the case of myself and my fellow warrants back in the day (1978), you are right. We didn't like being called "Chief" at all. I think it was because we often called our crew chiefs "chief" and they liked that.
Also, being called "Chief" (which is only used to address enlisted personnel in other branches of the service,) was taken as a sign of disrespect because we had worked hard to become an officer and wanted to be recognized as such. We had gone through a rigorous selection process and went to WOC school and Flight School to become officers.
As a female flight warrant, a lot of soldiers had trouble coming up with the right title to address me (of course, it was Ma'am or Ms. Carpenter.) That was many years ago when it was so very new to see a woman coming out of flight school, so I certainly understood the hesitancy; but I never failed to correct those confused, misguided soldiers so they could learn the correct terms and stay out of trouble. *grin*
Also, being called "Chief" (which is only used to address enlisted personnel in other branches of the service,) was taken as a sign of disrespect because we had worked hard to become an officer and wanted to be recognized as such. We had gone through a rigorous selection process and went to WOC school and Flight School to become officers.
As a female flight warrant, a lot of soldiers had trouble coming up with the right title to address me (of course, it was Ma'am or Ms. Carpenter.) That was many years ago when it was so very new to see a woman coming out of flight school, so I certainly understood the hesitancy; but I never failed to correct those confused, misguided soldiers so they could learn the correct terms and stay out of trouble. *grin*
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I really wish someone with last name "Spock" would become a warrant officer so I can have fun calling him Mr. Spock. But that is another topic.
I call my motor chief "chief". Others I run across on base, I call sir/ma'am. When I become one (hopefully end of FY15). I don't know what my own personal preference will be. I wonder if WOCs get guidance on this at school.
I call my motor chief "chief". Others I run across on base, I call sir/ma'am. When I become one (hopefully end of FY15). I don't know what my own personal preference will be. I wonder if WOCs get guidance on this at school.
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Chief means different ranks in other services: in USAF a Chief is an E9; Navy, an E7 (E8 is Senior Chief, E9 is Master Chief and you best not forget and call them Chief).
AF doesn't have WOs. How does the Navy address their senior Warrants?
AF doesn't have WOs. How does the Navy address their senior Warrants?
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CW5 (Join to see)
When I worked with Navy personnel, they called me Warrant. That was my title to them. They called officers Mr. or Ms. After a while of them being in our Army unit, they converted to our language. They ended up calling me and their Chief Petty Officer "Chief".
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PO3 Chris Wright, MBA
In the Navy Warrant Officers are called "Warrant". However, I would call them Sir/Ma'am if I did not know them. We also called the warrant in our division Mr.
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