this is pretty messed up

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

SuNmAN, you need to get your facts strait before you open your mouth. You just managed to show everyone here that you are totally clueless. As a Recruit, you will address EVERY MARINE as sir or ma'am, without exception. Poolees, for the most part, are expected to follow suit when dealing with recruiters and the like.

Rank has nothing to do with it. Once you are a Marine you are not to call ANY enlisted person Sir or Ma'am, they are addressed by rank or billet and last name.

As for this being a messege board.. you are correct. That is why Marines here are as lenient on the wannabe's and gonnabe's as they are. However if the lowliest private or the Commandant tells you to call him sir, you simply respond by saying "yes sir" and leave it at that.

[SuNmAN]

sorry.

My recruiter Gunnery Sergeant made it a point that we should not call him "sir", but just call him Gunny, and also I read somewhere (like a book at Banes and Noble or something) that "First segeants have the right to be called "sir"" or something along those lines.

Sorry if I was misinformed...and you're right, I am a little confused.

Honestly though, I am under no illusions about the chain of command.

If this was a face to face conversation,or even a phone conversation, I'd have nothing to say except "Yes Sergeant", "No Sergeant", and "Aye Aye Sergeant"

But in my own personal opinion, since we're on an online message board, it is really unnecessary to emphasize the "Sirs and Ma'ams" since the only thing that distinguishes us is a little icon under our aliases (we don't even have real names here !), and it'd be easy for anyone with internet access to claim that they're a 4-star general when they are simply a lowly poolee.

But since what I think and believe has no value whatsoever to the Marine Corps (respectfully said and no sarcasm intended), all I can say is that -

I'm sorry for sounding disrespectful, I really hold all Marines who have worked so hard for their Title in the highest regard. In the future I will do my best to follow the unwritten rules of this board whether I agree with them or not.

Sincerely,

Poolee "SuNmAN"

[SuNmAN]

Originally posted by Echo_Four_Bravo


Rank has nothing to do with it. Once you are a Marine you are not to call ANY enlisted person Sir or Ma'am, they are addressed by rank or billet and last name.

Question, Corporal Echo_Four_Bravo: Do you mean that A Private wouldn't call the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps "sir" ?

[Sgtj]

SuNmAN,

You better check yourself right here before you leave for bootcamp. While your in the pool program and all the way until you graduate bootcamp you will address all Marines regardless of rank by Sir or Ma'am. So why don't you do yourself a favor and square your Sh*t away. You will only be helping yourself. You may not know this now, but the Corps is a very small place and you never know who you may run in to later on.

As far as the way your addressed your last post to Fade2black, you need to have your a$$ handed to you. I don't care if this is a forum or not. But it's all good poolie, you will learn. TRUST ME!

[SuNmAN]

Originally posted by Sgtj
SuNmAN,

You better check yourself right here before you leave for bootcamp. While your in the pool program and all the way until you graduate bootcamp you will address all Marines regardless of rank by Sir or Ma'am. So why don't you do yourself a favor and square your Sh*t away. You will only be helping yourself. You may not know this now, but the Corps is a very small place and you never know who you may run in to later on.

As far as the way your addressed your last post to Fade2black, you need to have your a$$ handed to you. I don't care if this is a forum or not. But it's all good poolie, you will learn. TRUST ME!

Sgtj, if I am not mistaken, I addressed Sergeant Fade2black as exactly "Sergeant Fade2black"

but in any case, I will do myself a favor by not posting anymore on this forum but continue to absorb as much information as I can.

Yes, I will learn, but I believe that I am very dedicated and I would make a good recruit as well as a good Marine.

Hopefully one day I can earn my place amongst you as a US Marine.

[fade2black]

Thanks E4B and Sgtj for replying while I was away. See Marines have each others backs....especially the NCO's!

SuNmAN -Don't back down and go away crying because you got corrected. It's all part of the learning process. Take it all in and learn from it. But don't forget you are a poolee, so every Marine is entitled to respect from you whether it's on here, by phone, in a friggin letter, or in person. It doesn't matter how you converse, you respect Marines.

[Patrick8605]

SuNmAN you should do just as fade2black said: "learn from the correction" don't pout by not posting anymore, just take it in and be thankful that Marines are teaching you something.

[cjwright90]

Sunman,
Correction is not a reason to stop posting. These men and women on these forums that are already Marines have been through the muck of boot camp, and know the indoctrinations of becoming a Marine. In boot camp and as a poolie, you call everyone Sir or Maam. In the Fleet, you call them by Rank and last name. As far as your Gunny recruiter telling you to call him Gunny, that is his doing, to make you feel a little more comfortable with him. He is the beginning of your new way of life. Officers and Warrant officers in teh Fleet get called Sir, or Maam, but that is all. The Sgt Major of the Marine Corps is a Sgt Major, not an officer. Get it now?

[SuNmAN]

yes sir, thank you.

[enviro]

I haven't had my chance to weigh in on this topic yet, so here goes....


First, you Poolees need to call Marines what your recruiters are teaching you to call Marines. I believe at this point you are calling Marines by their rank and lastname. The purpose is to help teach you the ranks before you ship off. Again, do as your recruiters tell you.

WHEN and if you make it to bootcamp, your Drill Instructors will inform you to call EVERYONE sir or ma'am (unless they are another recruit). This means if you are talking to the guy in the exchange that's mopping the floors, you will call him sir.

Second, this is a message board. Normal protocols of message boards should apply. Abbreviations, smilies, etc... are a part of this forum but not in real life. If you are addressing someone in particular call them by their rank OR by their username. Don't call me Sgt Enviro. It's not my name. If I wanted to be called Sgt Haferkamp on this forum, I would change my username to that.

Third, get thick skin. You'll go through a lot worse in the fleet than someone "griping" at you in a message board. Stick around and make your mistakes here in this forum instead of making them in the fleet. You'll be better off.

[echo3oscar1833]

k I dug up my random thread from the past. Actually it could be something that might be helpful to the Poolees. Man I love this purple koolaid