Being called Chief vs Sir/Ma'am

SPC John Rickel — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 13:14:15 -0400

A question I always wondered was as a Warrant officer did you mind being called Chief? During my service in ADA it was a smaller branch so you would see our Chiefs working frequently and would talk to them on a semi regular basis. I was always told that either calling them Chief or Sir/Ma'am is acceptable. I called the ones that I worked with frequently Chief and when I was ever talking to one that I did not know I would call them Sir/Ma'am.

For you Chiefs out there did it ever bother you being called Chief, or do you prefer Sir/Ma'am?

Just to add an edit, I was just looking at another post and was reminded that they can be called Mr/Mrs also something I wouldn't find saying in a military environment.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 8 at 2015 11:23 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 23:23:39 -0400

I really wish someone with last name "Spock" would become a warrant officer so I can have fun calling him Mr. Spock. But that is another topic.

I call my motor chief "chief". Others I run across on base, I call sir/ma'am. When I become one (hopefully end of FY15). I don't know what my own personal preference will be. I wonder if WOCs get guidance on this at school.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 9 at 2015 4:37 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 16:37:28 -0400

In the Army, saying Sir / Ma'am to a Warrant Officer is the correct form of address. Using Mr. / Mrs. / Ms. is correct when talking about or referring to a Warrant Officer. In formal correspondence you would use Warrant Officer for WO1s or Chief Warrant Officer for CW2-CW5 always leaving out the number.

Calling a Warrant Officer “Chief” is like calling the First Sergeant “Top”. It is just a slang term that gets used. The guidance from the Warrant Officer Career College for WOCs is that “Chief” is not a proper title, and is not to be used. Everyone there is called Mr. / Mrs. / Ms.

Having said all that, I have never had a problem being called “Chief”. Most tech warrants don’t have a problem with it. Many flight warrants do have a problem with it, and do not like being called “Chief”.

I would recommend that if you don’t know the Warrant, call him / her Mr. / Mrs. Ms. or Sir / Ma’am. That will keep you out of trouble.

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Apr 9 at 2015 6:52 PM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 18:52:25 -0400

Chief means different ranks in other services: in USAF a Chief is an E9; Navy, an E7 (E8 is Senior Chief, E9 is Master Chief and you best not forget and call them Chief).

AF doesn't have WOs. How does the Navy address their senior Warrants?