Do members of the military ask for permission to speak freely?

[Frodo]

After all you were “Just asking questions”

[HMS_Irruncible]

Asking for permission to speak (at all) is a pretty common thing, depending on the situation. If in doubt, ask, but you’ll probably already know. If you’re speaking, you’re speaking freely. You’re expected to be candid and honest, but you’re expected to be respectful and to-the-point. There are no magic words that grant permission to speak insubordinately or disrespectfully.

There are some working contexts where everyone’s assumed to be speaking candidly and openly by default, not requesting permission, but you still have to keep your head about you as far as respectfulness. Tthat’s not really something professionals struggle with, though.

Ultimately, military courtesy is human courtesy with rank attached. It’s not that hard to figure out.

[LSLGuy]

Here are two prior FQ threads on topic. The answer now is the same as then: It’s a Hollywood trope.

Oct 2016:

To a senior officer: "Permission to speak freely, sir"--Do people IRL say this?

See query. It’s a Hollywood standard. I understand formal patterns exist for a reason in all communications, from everyday speech to “I Do” in a marriage. (In another thread I just asked about how to wake up a sleeping officer.) And mutually recognizing a conversation is taking a different turn is nothing unusual. But, like the exact words “off the record” between a journalist and a source, a switch is pulled. What gives, – does anything-- briefly, in the give and take of every single inter-r…

Sep 2014:

Asking permission to speak freely - really a thing in current military practice?

It’s a recurring scene in Starfleet in the various incarnations of Star Trek. You’ve probably seen it: a subordinate thinks the commanding officer is being an idiot, wants to say what’s really on his mind, and asks, “Permission to speak freely, sir?” Permission is invariably granted, and then the subordinate is able to talk to the C.O. much more bluntly than he would otherwise. Is that a question that would be asked in the contemporary U.S. military, or any others you know of? If not, is th…

[Chronos]

I’m surprised if it never happens. Even if it’s a Hollywood invention, well, a lot of the new recruits watch Hollywood movies, so I’d expect some to say things like that just because they think, from the movies, that they’re expected to say things like that.

[robby]

@Chronos

I’m surprised if it never happens. Even if it’s a Hollywood invention, well, a lot of the new recruits watch Hollywood movies, so I’d expect some to say things like that just because they think, from the movies, that they’re expected to say things like that.

If a subordinate had said that to me back when I was a Navy officer, I would have had to exert a tremendous amount of effort to not laugh.

I would probably just chuckle and tell them I expected them to always feel free to speak freely. Note that “speak freely” is not the same thing as insubordination.

But one of the strengths of the U.S. military (unlike many foreign militaries) is that subordinates are not penalized for speaking up. Which is not to say that their input will necessarily be followed…there may be larger issues that the subordinate is unaware of or not privy to. Ultimately someone has to make a decision, and that person is the one in charge, i.e. the commanding officer.

[Loach]

@robby

I would probably just chuckle and tell them I expected them to always feel free to speak freely. Note that “speak freely” is not the same thing as insubordination.

“Permission to speak freely” is Hollywood shorthand for “I’m about to be insubordinate.”

[muldoonthief]

Relevant SNL sketch

Permission to Speak Freely - Saturday Night Live