I was at a DEP meeting/dinner last and I was sitting right next to a Master Chief.
Our recruiter in charge needing something signed from the Master Chief and I swear NC1 was calling him sir the whole time...

Question is, Do enlisted call Master chiefs sir or ma'am out of respect? Cause I heard that enlisted dont call other enlisted sir or ma'am.

I'd be interested to see the answer myself, as I'm sure mine would be old fashioned and NonPC in some way shape or form.

At one time, the Blue Jackets Manual or Coast Guardsmans Manual listed the proper forms of address. Unless "kinde & gentler" has taken hold completely, a Chief, Senior Chief, and Master Chief are addressed just that way. Petty Officers as "petty officer Jones or Jones" , Non rated as Seaman Jones or Jones.

Considering the setting, DINNER, the Master Chief may have been distracted for a moment,or wrapped up in the setting.

A normal response would have been along the lines of, " Cripes on a crutch sailor, my birth certificate says son of Mr & Mrs XXX not "We the people". It's CHIEF XX, I work for a living. Or something to that effect without spitting too much of said meal across the table.

Minor rant for just a moment.
On occasional runs up to NavSta Everett and CG facilities, I hear from time to time, Senior Chiefs being addressed as "Senior", without the chief. It took about 16 years to get the form of address changed to include the "senior" & "master" added on. It would be a shame if senior chiefs are going with this shortened title just for ease sake. From long ago, Chiefs worth their salt of all grades answered to CHIEF, a universally understood term. Don't let a shortened version creep in because it sounds "cool". Can you use that term "cool" anymore ?? Rant off.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mastersmate,

Last time I was among a bunch of senior enlisted personel the term was Master or Senior or Chief. However it was fun when you said Chief because they all looked.

Ran this past a Military Ettiquette person I know...

Correct is "Seaman Jones", or "Jones", "Petty Officer Jones" or "Jones" or (insert rate branch here) Jones without the "Third, Second or First", but always "Chief (Jones)", "Senior Chief (Jones)" or Master Chief (Jones)". This should apply to both sexes as well, but it IS permissible to answer a female Chief with a "Yes, Ma'am", although you'll raise the occasional eyebrow. Best to use the correct form of address shown.

He may have just not thought about it when saying it... I wasnt going to call him out on it though

I felt kinda honored cause he took one look at me and said I remember you from the pictures of your tattoos... Lets just say Master Chief knows me all to well... seems my tattoo waiver made him have some extra "paper work" that day (his words)

ALL
From my old CPO days, the proper title was Chief. Then it was Senior Chief. Affixing the rank prior to the title. Today, I can get heads turned by using Petty Officer XXXX or simply Chief XXXX, at the NEX.
A similar thing worked for the Warrants. The term "Gunner" was a Warrant call name by the USMC folks. Seemed to be a call of respect, as opposed to the MOS of the person called. This will probably get some calls from our brothers in arms USMC.
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I do believe tha there have been and will be times again when a Master Chief, male or female is speaking to you that "Yes sir" or "Yes ma'am"
would be very appropiate.
Sounds like the officer that once told me that he had TWO first names, "Lt" and "Sir, and feel free to use either one."

quote:

Originally posted by RiverRat139:
I'd be interested to see the answer myself, as I'm sure mine would be old fashioned and NonPC in some way shape or form.

I am not certain of this by any means, but perhaps the Master Chief is by way of "position" the "Officer in Charge" or OIC of the Recruiting Station and he rate a "sir" the same way a Chief standing OOD on a ship may rate it.

Be interesting to hear from someone who has seen this on recruiting duty.

I think when talking to a Master Chief, It is very easily to be intimidated. Master Chiefs should never be addressed by anything other than "Master Chief"............God, Old Great one or something to that effect............

quote:

Originally posted by c_galle:
I think when talking to a Master Chief, It is very easily to be intimidated. Master Chiefs should never be addressed by anything other than "Master Chief"............God, Old Great one or something to that effect............

Got to be honest; as the son of a WWII YN1, before I joined, my old man read me the riot act (the chiefs work for a living; never call them "sir"). The first time I called a Senior Chief sir (during a normal conversation), I heard those words again, along with the prefix "With all due respect...".

I laughed my *** off when he told me that, and I told him where I was coming from. From that day on, we agreed that one-on-one, I would still call him sir, out of respect, but in public, it was still Senior Chief.

BTW, living in the BOQ, my nickname became "Hey Doc" from all of the aviators living there at the time.

ALL
Once upon a time...
I was a newly Acting CPO, serving on a Lesson Curriculum board. This was Khaki days, and the room we entered had several Curriculum board members, Officer and Enlisted. I hung up my hat, turned to the BACK of an officer, addressed him as LT,sir.. He turned and laid into me.. " I will have you know, I AM A CAPTAIN USMC." I had misread his bars from a slant and distance. So I was now up to date on the insignia differences...
Can anyone recall the reason for the Acting Title for CPO's? I recall this was a duration of the first 3 years. It was also a Service Record entry...
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Man if I ever called any of the CPO's. SCPO"s, MCPO's "SIR"....I would get the same line every time...."Don't call me sir!.....I work for a living!!!!!".

A Bureau of Naval Personnel notice in the summer of 1973 announced the change in the oral form of address for CPOs, POs, and non rated men. The three CPO grades would be addressed as " Chief, Senior Chief, or Master Chief" as appropriate. Petty officers, instead of simply using the last name, would have "petty officer" added to the last name. Seaman & Firemen stuck with the last name. It was interesting to find that reference, in the CG and my recollections, all three grades of CPO were simply "Chief" up until about 1980, when the qualifiers started to be used.

Not familiar with the USN manuals system, but there might be a good source to get it from the horses mouth.