greetings

[Tubacap]

^ Never knew that.  Good to know.

[SamFranklin]

I can tell you I have chewed out more than one RM officer (a few pompish Lt Commanders and Lt Colonels come to mind) that made appointments with my XO to see me over the phone using their "form of address" instead of their RANK in order to get squeezed into my schedule.   One tradition most RM Officers follow is to correctly identify themselfs to other people.    And that is what we are talking about here, how to identify yourself to someone else.

Yup. Attack of the "telephone colonels."  Great point.

[brasda91]

There have been some very good points mentioned here.  I'm not ashamed of my CAP grade.  I have been there/done that and I feel I have earned my grade and don't mind using it.  It's just when I go over to the armory and talk with the NG guys and they are being polite by saying "Sir", I don't feel worthy of the courtesy.  I've been on active duty and the NG as an enlisted member.  I know the respect you give to officers on active duty/reserve/guard.  I guess it's my respect of them because of the sacrifices they are making for us, that makes me feel unworthy of the "Sir".

[mynetdude]

I have never been enlisted, nor could I legally.  I like earning my grade, but it doesn't feel a whole lot of worth sure spending 6 months TIG to get to 2nd Lt and then spending 12 months TIG to get 1st Lt (which I will be in April).

It would be different if I earned it via the RM it would be worth something to me. I'm not saying that my grade isn't worth anything I'm saying it has a different worth than it would have for someone who enlisted/served time as an officer.

I am called Lieutenant because that is what everybody sees on my shoulder, especially cadets.  If these things didn't mean anything why are we screaming "Ten Hut!" everytime I walk into the room (the first time they did it when I walked in was a bit embarrassing for me but quite fun).

When I went to my first encampment at the Oregon Military Academy we had NCOs who did our cooking for us (awesome bunch of guys too!) I have totally no military experience and my first year+ (almost 2 years) has been an awesome military learning experience (that hasn't stopped yet!).

One day out on the black top in front of the OMA building, a food service truck driver was talking to one of the NCOs outside and I knew that the truck driver would be wanting to manuever his truck while I had two flights of cadets outside marching in circles... so naturally to make sure I understood and the driver was aware (of course he knew! Who wouldn't when you can hear the cadets singing the cadet oath?)

Anyway... I approached the NCO and he stood at attention and called me "Sir" and I just replied that I had a question for the truck driver and then after I got my answer I told the NCO to "carry on" (I don't know if that was appropriate) but I had a bit of fun there not to be demeaning or anything to the NCO but having no prior military experience gave me a small glimpse of what/how the real military would do and they see you wearing THEIR uniform! (regardless of what color your epaulettes are!)

I remember working communications from Medford on the Steve Fossett search when we had an aircraft airborne enroute to the search area, I had to call the ICP every 30 minutes to relay position reports from the aircraft to whoever answered the phone on that end.  The first time I called in, I stated my grade my full name and where I was from and each subsequent call I made if it was the same person I just said that "This is Lt Mason calling to report in CAPFlightXX's position reports" I believe I got a call from one of the Majors at the ICP and I addressed her as Ma'am naturally.

We have a LtCol here in ORWG is really uppity about her grade and about how we address her and especially cadets.  I don't see anything wrong with being so uppity about it, we are civilians we are to uphold our professionalism, etc.  She doesn't like it when anybody calls her by her first name AND she introduces herself to the parents as LtCol XXX only she doesn't give them her first name (although when she gives out her business card it has her full name).

She came to visit our squadron one night, one of the cadets asked her what her first name was and her response was simply "LtCol XX" and the whole squadron laughed because of how the question was asked and how she responded in a non demeaning way.

Although I do have to say this... in informal communication with other CAP members within my squadron or those whom I know well I will call them by first name unless they ask me not to.  Everybody in our squadron go by first name except cadets unless like I said under formal situations where first names would be unprofessional.

So working internally with grade isn't any different than working with grade externally I'm not sure how much of a difference it makes I don't have enough experience to see that.  I would just have to play it out as the situation goes, if it warrants addressing by the full name, grade whatever the situation deems appropriate will predict how/what should be done.

[notaNCO forever]

I don't have a problem with SM's calling eachother by their first name as long as it's only in an informal situation and theirs only SM's and senior cadets around.