Posted on Apr 14, 2016
What courtesies are required when the Secretary of the Army walks into your office/building and how do you address him??
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Customs and Courtesies
Customs and Courtesies
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 24
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The chance that the SoA "walks" into your office/building totally unannounced and out of the blue are about ZERO. Their schedules are managed by their handlers down to the minute. If the SoA is scheduled to visit your installation or unit, it will be a Dog and Pony Show of epic proportions. He will have an entourage to take care of every detail, and people of much higher rank than you will ensure that the proper protocol is rehearsed and followed. If a demonstration or briefing is part of the visit and you are chosen to participate, you will be given a script to follow, and instructions on how to answer questions. As a Soldier, you will only address him or her as sir or ma'am. Generally, they are in and out as they got a tight schedule to keep.
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SSG Lloyd Becker BSBA-HCM, MBA
While I agree with SSG Heise, though the person is not an officer, if this person walks into your office, you stand up give proper courtesy as though he was a commissioned officer.
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SFC J Fullerton
Unless your office is at the Pentagon and you are an important enough officer for the SoA to "walk in" unscheduled and unannounced, that scenario is probably not going to happen. However, if you are Specialist Snuffy on Bde staff duty at Fort Riley, and at 2300 the SoA "walks in" to the building, and you are the only one there, then yes, stand up and render the proper courtesy.
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"Sir" is just fine, or "Secretary" if you want to be more formal. There is nothing in place for him like there is for the President. Of course, wherever the Secretary goes there will most likely be a high ranking officer close behind which you will have to render proper courtesies for.
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LTC Paul Labrador
SP5 John Pratt - CJCoS is a advisory position, not a command one. Cabinet positions outrank them.
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SP5 John Pratt
The cabinet is advisory to the President also. the CJCoS is over the General of the Army, so how is that not a command position?
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1SG (Join to see)
CJCoS cannot directly issue a command to the General of the Army. He can only advise POTUS on a course of action. The President will then issue commands to his senior military generals as he sees fit
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MAJ Bill Darling
SP5 John Pratt - The joint chiefs are an advisory committee essentially, although they have manning and resource responsibilities for their respective branches. The chain of command however runs from the president to the secretary of defense and to the combatant commanders (formerly the CINCs). The CJCoS may communicate orders on behalf of the president but have no command authority the civilians or military members of those commands.
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Immediately Call the office to attention just as you would do for a GO entering and address him as Mr. Secretary or if it were a female, Madam Secretary. Introduce him/her as the Honorable Sec of the Army... so and so. :)
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MSG Antonio Giuliano
There after we address the SecArmy or SecDef or SecState as Mr. Sec or Madam Sec.
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http://www.formsofaddress.info/Secretary_Defense.html Check out this website. It might help.
How to Address the U.S. Secretary of Defense
Honor and Respect: Names, Titles, and Forms of Address
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I would imagine Sir would suffice. Honorable Secretary of the Army Murphy will get old.
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I had the Under Secretary of the Army come to our DFAC for lunch and it was not a huge dog and pony show but none the less we know that he was coming and all. I got a coin from him he was a cool guy and very down to earth
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Render the proper military courtesy. Chances are that he/she is accompanied with couple Stars, so, you immediately will come to attention anyway. This bring up a funny story that happened to me while deployed to Kosovo. During a heavy snow storm, we heard an Aircraft coming to our hangar/clamshell. My commander, other NCOs and I ran to the door to see who was the crazy individual that took the chance in that snow storm. Well, the aircraft’s door opened and there was Gen Shinseki (Army Chief of Staff). He got off the aircraft and He thought that we were the receiving party and gave everyone a coin. I talked with the crew chiefs and they told us how scare they were and promise not to do it again. He came unannounced to our location.
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