Posted on May 14, 2014
Should military courtesy be required in RallyPoint?
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For example, should enlisted personnel address higher ranking officers as "Sir" in discussions? Or is courtesy assumed? Do you think veterans "exempt" from courtesy?
Customs and Courtesies
RallyPoint
Policy
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 89
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Professional courtesy (not necessarily military courtesy) should be encouraged (not required) in any professional networking social site. By this I mean:
1. Clear, concise, and accurate statements / arguments.
2. Fact based statements / arguments vs emotion based opinions.
3. Vigorous debate on arguments vs attacks on a person.
4. Comprehensive and well thought out arguments vs redundant talking points that do not advance the conversation / thread.
1. Clear, concise, and accurate statements / arguments.
2. Fact based statements / arguments vs emotion based opinions.
3. Vigorous debate on arguments vs attacks on a person.
4. Comprehensive and well thought out arguments vs redundant talking points that do not advance the conversation / thread.
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MSgt Kevin McNulty
Good points...but misses HIS point. Believe his concern is about how to address each other.
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COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM
Agreed but proper salutations is a symptom. The more important issue is overall professionalism within the forum. If we have the latter then we will have the former but not necessarily visa versa.
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Eric Harshberger
Members of the Comments of the Response:
I believe this is a relatively civil forum, and is pretty much public. When making a statement on the internet, one is given the formalities that are truly due via the quality of program in the formatting of the website. Most of the military customs and courtesies I have learned are applicable in scenarios of direct communication and/or physical action. And since, points to be made here are of a military subject and whereas COMSEC is not feasible; I do agree with Colonel Smallfield that professional courtesy should be encouraged.
-I would appreciate riposte over the validity of my comment on COMSEC in RP.
I believe this is a relatively civil forum, and is pretty much public. When making a statement on the internet, one is given the formalities that are truly due via the quality of program in the formatting of the website. Most of the military customs and courtesies I have learned are applicable in scenarios of direct communication and/or physical action. And since, points to be made here are of a military subject and whereas COMSEC is not feasible; I do agree with Colonel Smallfield that professional courtesy should be encouraged.
-I would appreciate riposte over the validity of my comment on COMSEC in RP.
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I don't extend military courtesy because I think I "have to" online, I do it because it's what feels right.
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MSgt John McGowan
Maj. Sir i agree with you, I have always done it because it just feels tight. After I got out I ran into my old CO and he had retired also. When I called him by his rank he said to call him by name. It just didn't feel right. Coarse I was raised in the South and taught Sir and Mamn. I still use it.
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When I read questions like this, I think that someone must have really ticked someone off for this to even have to be a discussion topic. Some things are just common sense, Captain Obvious and don't need discussion.
As an 11 year veteran, do I go out of my way to say Sir, ma'am, Chief, etc? No, I don't. Am I a brat about it? No, I'm not. I'm courteous and polite, and I use titles in conversation when/where they feel appropriate, but I'm not going to use those titles when it doesn't feel like it's a natural flow of the conversation.
As an 11 year veteran, do I go out of my way to say Sir, ma'am, Chief, etc? No, I don't. Am I a brat about it? No, I'm not. I'm courteous and polite, and I use titles in conversation when/where they feel appropriate, but I'm not going to use those titles when it doesn't feel like it's a natural flow of the conversation.
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SSgt (Join to see)
I tell you, I just want to punkslap some of these guys coming in here posing as veterans and talking to SM and Veterans as if they had a higher rank.
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PO3 (Join to see)
Well, I also think that some SM need to realize that for those of us veterans who did not make a career out of the service and instead made a career elsewhere, your rank doesn't mean as much to me as it did when I was active duty. Sure, I respect everyone as a professional courtesy, regardless of rank, and I'm pleased to say that for the most part, I feel like everyone in here has treated me the same way. I'll be honest, when I first joined the site, I wondered how I would be treated - I wondered if it was going to be "Oh, well, don't pay any attention to her, she's "just" a PO3." Correction. I WAS a PO3, but now I'm a very successful civilian, and I attribute alot of my success to the discipline I learned while in the service.
If, however, some fresh out of college 20-something year old officer on here tried to talk crap to me ... 1) it wouldn't be very professional of that officer, but 2) to use one of your terms, SSgt, I'd probably have to punkslap them. :D
If, however, some fresh out of college 20-something year old officer on here tried to talk crap to me ... 1) it wouldn't be very professional of that officer, but 2) to use one of your terms, SSgt, I'd probably have to punkslap them. :D
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CMDCM Gene Treants
PO3 (Join to see) As much as I want to believe you Amanda, you are much to polite and ladylike to ever Punkslap anyone. But I would gladly do it for you - I remember the words even if I seldom use them anymore! :-)
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PO1 Jimm Mooney
NOt sure that Rank should have anything to do with anything, on here...if you are no longer serving. My highest rank was E-6...But served as Division Office, more than once...for over a year at times. Sometimes, that position was normally held by an O-3 or higher. Since leaving the military in 1987 I have done a variety of things, and have owend my own business for a number of years and have had people working for me.....Does that mean I outrank someone who works for someone else (including ex Officers)? I have rubbed elbows with some of the finest Flag Officers I have ever known (0-5 and above) both during my time in the service as an enlisted, and since I became a Veteran.....Does that make me better than any of you, regardless of rank?...or does that make any of you better than me because of Previous Rank or College degree?....NO!!! It just means that you went a different path than I did to get where you are today.......and...frankly some of the officer ranks and even senior enlisted ranks that I crossed paths with during my time in both the Army & the Navy, were not worth the time of day......and probably still aren't today as "Civilians". During my time in the military, I had to address with the proper "courtesy" due them because of rank...as a "Civilian", I do not.....Unless I think they are worthy of it.
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