USMC query - forms of address?

Timmypig

Timmypig

Well-Known Member
Hello Team

It appears that an instructor on a course I am about to attend is a USMC Gunnery SGT, on exchange at the Australian Army's School of Armour. Would one of you kind Jarheads please give me some tips about forms of address?

Junior officers typically address a Gunnery SGT as "Gunny", right? If not - any tips on how to tread in this matter?

Cheers, thanks in advance.
 
Timmypig said:
Hello Team

It appears that an instructor on a course I am about to attend is a USMC Gunnery SGT, on exchange at the Australian Army's School of Armour. Would one of you kind Jarheads please give me some tips about forms of address?

Junior officers typically address a Gunnery SGT as "Gunny", right? If not - any tips on how to tread in this matter?

Cheers, thanks in advance.
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Address as Gunnery Sergeant, until you know him. If you want your head removed from your torso, call him "Sarge".
 
Thanks Mike

The 'Sarge' thing doesn't really get done in the Australian Army - maybe in the RAAF, I'm not sure. I call my Troop Sergeant by his nickname; he calls me 'Boss'. There was little risk of me calling the Gunnery Sgt in question 'Sarge' - although by now he's probably used to being called all manner of things by Oz soldiers and officers. Everything from 'mate' to 'Gunnery Sgt Xxxxx'.

Your info is precisely what I was after, I appreciate it.
 
Marine NCOs always want to be called by their full rank - i.e. Staff Sergeant and Gunnery Sergeant instead of just Sergeant. The Army is simpler where Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Sergeant First Class, and Master Sergeants are all just called "Sergeant." First Sergeants are called just that unless you know them - then they are "Top." And then Sergeants Major are always "Sergeant Major."
 
Timmypig said:
Thanks Mike

The 'Sarge' thing doesn't really get done in the Australian Army - maybe in the RAAF, I'm not sure. I call my Troop Sergeant by his nickname; he calls me 'Boss'. There was little risk of me calling the Gunnery Sgt in question 'Sarge' - although by now he's probably used to being called all manner of things by Oz soldiers and officers. Everything from 'mate' to 'Gunnery Sgt Xxxxx'.

Your info is precisely what I was after, I appreciate it.
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Sounds like the American Air Force.
 

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Hacker15e said:
Sorta, but not really.
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Sorta? More like every Guard/Reserve unit I have ever worked with. When I was an E-4, I rolled up to this KC-135 Guard unit out of Fairbanks to work MOCC. I said hi and introduced myself to an E-7. The convo went something like this:

Names have been changed:

Me: Hi, I'm SrA Blah Blah
MSgt: Is SrA your first name?
Me: Uhhh, Mike
MSgt: Hi I'm Yah Yah...
Me: Hi...Yah Yah
 
The difference is, the cartoon refers to an active duty unit and an NCO addressing a Lt Col.

Your story is a senior NCO addressing an airman by first name...so not even in the same ballpark, I'm afraid.
 
Hacker15e said:
The difference is, the cartoon refers to an active duty unit and an NCO addressing a Lt Col.

Your story is a senior NCO addressing an airman by first name...so not even in the same ballpark, I'm afraid.
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It happens in the officer ranks too. Hell in the desert (our crew, along with several others) were on a first name basis. Lt's, Capt's, Majors, Light Colonols, all first name, after they told me to address them as such of course.

Ball park, center field. ;)
 
Marine NCOs are Corporals and Sergeants.
Staff NCOs are Staff Sergeants through Sergeants Major/Master Gunnery Sergeants.

Ian is spot on though, if you addressed a Gunny as "Sergeant", he'd probably tell you he's been promoted twice since he was a Sgt (if he ws being polite). You can never be wrong by calling someone by their full rank. Although it may be a bit formal, it's much better to start off that way and let them be the one to tell you to be more casual than the other way around.
 
Thanks for all your replies. I'll reacquaint myself with the ranks before I go on course, both USMC and US Army, as I've seen Army members at the School of Armour too.

We only have 2 types of Sgts in the Australian Army - Sgts and Staff Sgts. The latter is being abolished and the only SSGTs left are those promoted some years ago. So ANY type of Sgt here is called ... Sgt. Staff Sgts are called 'Staff' but Sgts are called 'Sarn', 'Sarnt', 'Sar'; rarely is the full 'Sergeant' pronounced.

Cheers
 
Timmypig said:
Thanks for all your replies. I'll reacquaint myself with the ranks before I go on course, both USMC and US Army, as I've seen Army members at the School of Armour too.

We only have 2 types of Sgts in the Australian Army - Sgts and Staff Sgts. The latter is being abolished and the only SSGTs left are those promoted some years ago. So ANY type of Sgt here is called ... Sgt. Staff Sgts are called 'Staff' but Sgts are called 'Sarn', 'Sarnt', 'Sar'; rarely is the full 'Sergeant' pronounced.

Cheers
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In the Army we usually call all the sergeants "sergeant" until they are a first seregeant or sergeant-major. Some liked to call themselves by their full rank, but to me it was like a 1LT answering the phone "First lieutenant so and so." For crying out loud, there's no rank among thieves and lieutenants.
 
As others have already said. ALWAYS Gunnery Sergeant. Gunny is informal and is still quite common though. You will not ever call someone Gunny unless you have established a rapport with them and it is known that it is acceptable.
 
Hacker15e said:
The difference is, the cartoon refers to an active duty unit and an NCO addressing a Lt Col.

Your story is a senior NCO addressing an airman by first name...so not even in the same ballpark, I'm afraid.
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This is allowed by AFI. Is is appropriate? Well, depends on the situation. While on the road and out and about the town, everyone on the crew goes by first name...and this is in the AD side of the house. In the office, it's a little more formal, but not by much! I will also say that the "flyers" side of the house is a bit more laid back that in some of the other shops.
 
HeyEng said:
In the office, it's a little more formal, but not by much! I will also say that the "flyers" side of the house is a bit more laid back that in some of the other shops.
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And to break that down further, generally speaking, the tanker/airlift side of the flyers are more laid back than the fighter side in this realm.
 
MikeD said:
And to break that down further, generally speaking, the tanker/airlift side of the flyers are more laid back than the fighter side in this realm.
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True 'dat. Probably since the sweaties usually don't fly with the fighter dudes. In the AMC world, we have the kind yoke actuators to chauffeur us from party to party...:laff:
 
Hacker15e said:
Ever seen Bay 5 right behind the cockpit in an Eagle? You could fit an entire cheerleading squad back there and have room to spare.
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You make it sound like you're speak from experience, I like your style! I must say however, I got room for the squad, their stalkers, college female band geeks (hotties only, ugly ones take the bus), and Ms. Gertrudes 3rd grade class!

I didn't realize you guys had that much room, I thought the -15 only had one of those "travel pods" or whatever their called.
 
G'day Team

For what it's worth the GySgt in question was happy to be addressed as 'Gunny' by us junior officers. The bloke in question is easily the coolest, funniest, most laid back instructor I've ever met. What a laugh! Good drills.

Asked him how he likes being here: "Oh man, Sir, it's great. I'm in my 3rd year here and I love it. I've asked to stay on but they said 'no'. My kids love school, I love my job, wife hates it - cool!"

Also, to our amusement and delight he bagged out the other US services with glee, especially the USN. Given his boss is also an exchange officer (US Army) he was polite about them.

Anyway, so there ya have it. Good to go? You betcha.
 
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