# Proper Address - US Navy Petty Officer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 17, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-address-us-navy-petty-officer/698757 "2014-09-17T18:59:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-address-us-navy-petty-officer/698757/21 "2014-09-21T21:31:29Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > During boot camp, the phrases “Sir, yes sir!” and “Sir, no sir!” can become so ingrained in one’s psyche that it can be difficult to make the switch to “Ma’am”. > [@Chefguy](#): > > Or to stop calling everybody with a stripe on his sleeve “sir”, for that matter. When I went through BCT at Fort Knox, I was taught–correctly, of course–to address Sergeants as “Sergeant”, male officers as “Sir”, and female officers as “Ma’am”. It was made quite clear not to address a Sergeant as “Sir”. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-address-us-navy-petty-officer/698757/22 "2014-09-22T14:15:44Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > When I went through BCT at Fort Knox, I was taught–correctly, of course–to address Sergeants as “Sergeant”, male officers as “Sir”, and female officers as “Ma’am”. It was made quite clear not to address a Sergeant as “Sir”. Navy boot camp back in the day: you called everyone who wasn’t a recruit, “sir”. I don’t know what they do at present. We didn’t have drill instructors, we had Company Commanders. I guess ‘sir’ was easier to deal with than ‘Petty Officer First Class’, or whatever the rank was. I don’t think I ever saw an actual officer in boot camp. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-address-us-navy-petty-officer/698757/23 "2014-09-22T15:14:06Z")
**Chefguy** : My first hitch was in the Army, so, of course, there were Drill Sergeants. When I joined the Navy later on, I went through both NAVET/OSVET training and “A” School. In both of those, there were company commanders. The CCs were not addressed as “Sir”. They were addressed as “Petty Officer”. For those not in the know: the proper form of address for a Petty Officer Third Class, Petty Officer Second Class, or Petty Officer First Class is simply “Petty Officer”. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-address-us-navy-petty-officer/698757/24 "2014-09-22T15:24:47Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > **Chefguy** : My first hitch was in the Army, so, of course, there were Drill Sergeants. When I joined the Navy later on, I went through both NAVET/OSVET training and “A” School. In both of those, there were company commanders. The CCs were not addressed as “Sir”. They were addressed as “Petty Officer”. > > For those not in the know: the proper form of address for a Petty Officer Third Class, Petty Officer Second Class, or Petty Officer First Class is simply “Petty Officer”. Well, that’s a good change, IMO. So what happened to the “SIR, YES SIR?” stuff? Everybody used to leave boot thinking they had to call everyone ‘sir’, which led to embarrassing encounters as everyone within earshot would give a big donkey laugh. “Hur-de-hur, look at the boot!” ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-address-us-navy-petty-officer/698757/25 "2014-09-22T16:49:42Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Well, that’s a good change, IMO. So what happened to the “SIR, YES SIR?” stuff? Everybody used to leave boot thinking they had to call everyone ‘sir’, which led to embarrassing encounters as everyone within earshot would give a big donkey laugh. “Hur-de-hur, look at the boot!” I have no doubt the 4 responses for a recruit remain unchanged. For those ignorant of the 4 responses for a USCG recruit (we let the squids copy them), they are: 1. Sir. Yes Sir! B. Sir. No Sir! III. Sir. Aye aye Sir! 4th. Sir. No excuse, Sir! Numbers 1 and III are NOT redundant. Number 1 is an affirmative reply to a direct question. Number III is short hand for “I understand the order you have just given me and will follow that order to the best of my ability”. The Army and Air Force don’t have III; they use 1 for both. And as Chefguy has alluded, for a CG (and squid) recruit, the first and last words out of his mouth will be “Sir”. Unless “Ma’am” is more appropriate. And that really does take a while to wear off. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-address-us-navy-petty-officer/698757/26 "2014-09-22T18:19:37Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > > [@Xema](#): > > > > Usually “Chief” for any of these, except in a formal context. > > I always found it very unwise to address a Master Chief as “Chief”. It’s like addressing a Sgt. Major as ‘Sarge’: you’ll likely survive the encounter, but you may wish you hadn’t. My brother was a Navy officer & aviator. He \*always \*addressed the Senior and Master Chiefs with their full rate. The benefits of doing so are many, the cost nil. Besides, they worked a lot more years to earn that title than he had to earn “Sir” in return. Mutual respect is a professional lubricant so desperately lacking in so many civilian situations. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proper-address-us-navy-petty-officer/698757.md?page=1)