Are there are titles or abbreviations you might use to adress a Petty Officer, other than just 'PO', their name or their full rank?
How to Adress a Petty Officer
- Thread starter Grendelsbayne
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I'm not sure how they would do it in starfleet...because seems the shows only have chiefs, and the whole enlisted rank structure is pretty much assumed. But there is not really another way to address them that I know of, based on current Navy usage (well usage as of 20 years ago, LOL.
@beeman: Yes, exactly. Enlisted sailors are only very rarely referred to by their "rank" title, almost always by their rating.
This is the exact opposite of how it's done in, say, the Marine Corps where you always use a person's rank in formal situations, and don't refer to them by their MOS. (In fact, the USMC is anal about people using the whole rank in speech. You do NOT ever call someone "sarge" or the like. If they're a staff sergeant, you call them "staff sergeant". In very rare cases, like with Gunnery Sergeants, you can call them 'gunny', if they allow it, but only in informal situations and only if you actually know them.)
This is the exact opposite of how it's done in, say, the Marine Corps where you always use a person's rank in formal situations, and don't refer to them by their MOS. (In fact, the USMC is anal about people using the whole rank in speech. You do NOT ever call someone "sarge" or the like. If they're a staff sergeant, you call them "staff sergeant". In very rare cases, like with Gunnery Sergeants, you can call them 'gunny', if they allow it, but only in informal situations and only if you actually know them.)
I'm inclined to think that after a few centuries and being a different kind of navy, Starfleet might do something a little different. Petty Officer Jackson might be addressed directly as "Petty Officer Jackson," or simply "Jackson." If you're equal or senior in rank and don't know the person's name, it might even be acceptable to call the person simply "crewman," which could be Starfleet's equivalent of "sailor."
So, in a formal but urgent setting (IE, the kind of scene where orders are flying around and people are just saying 'Ensign, do this, Lt., open hailing frequencies), would it be acceptable to refer to a petty officer via an abbreviated form of their rating, like, say 'Specialist'?
Or they could go with the age old "Mr".
"Mr. Sarvok, your analysis report please" or "Ms. Rayner, report to transporter room three."
So long as it wasn't, "You, minion" then I'm sure any form of address would be acceptable (PO, Petty Officer, Specialist, etc).
"Mr. Sarvok, your analysis report please" or "Ms. Rayner, report to transporter room three."
So long as it wasn't, "You, minion" then I'm sure any form of address would be acceptable (PO, Petty Officer, Specialist, etc).
Mr. probably would be the one way NOT used, as it is a term used now for Officers. Also, as far as rating goes, it's almost always used as an abbreviation. OS2 for Operation Specialist Second Class. or FC1 for Fire Controlman First Class. So in order to use that form, one would have to know all the enlisted rating specialties used by starfleet. Could be around twenty, given current practice as they will be more specialized than the officer ranks with their easily distinguishable branches.
Of course, that assumes also a rank insignia that denotes both rank and rating, as the Navy does.
Of course, that assumes also a rank insignia that denotes both rank and rating, as the Navy does.
Petty Officer is usually just that.
Chief Petty Officer is shortened to "Chief" at least in the RN.
Master Chief Petty Officer I think only exists in the American naval system and I think is 'master chief'.
Basically only PO's are adressed as that, all higher ranks use the additional title and drop the rest.
Chief Petty Officer is shortened to "Chief" at least in the RN.
Master Chief Petty Officer I think only exists in the American naval system and I think is 'master chief'.
Basically only PO's are adressed as that, all higher ranks use the additional title and drop the rest.
I don't see why not. It wouldn't really contradict anything we've seen so far onscreen. And it wouldn't be that farfetched if Starfleet may do things a little differently here and there than today's navy.
Din't know that, learn something new everyday
I was just thinking of the times that O'Brien was referred to as "Mr O'Brien" and thought it applied to anyone.
Let's be honest, true consistency with naval tradition has never been Star Trek's forte. Oh, sure, it talks a big game occasionally, but rarely delivers. The Undiscovered Country was the closest to that ideal I've seen so far.
Usually, you don't necessarily need to know their rating as you are just giving orders based on position, especially during emergency situations:
Example: Hard to port! Evasive maneuvers! or Helm, come to heading 180.
Also, in Star Trek, there wasn't a lot of interaction with enlisted crew. I agree with Dulak in that Mr. is usually reserved for Warrant Officers and Officers, which O'Brien was depicted as a warrant officer on occasion.
Example: Hard to port! Evasive maneuvers! or Helm, come to heading 180.
Also, in Star Trek, there wasn't a lot of interaction with enlisted crew. I agree with Dulak in that Mr. is usually reserved for Warrant Officers and Officers, which O'Brien was depicted as a warrant officer on occasion.
By all rights, he should have been a warrant officer, especially with the job they gave him on DS9. The work and responsibilities he had were a perfect fit with what a warrant officer is used for in the U.S. Navy. Perhaps the production folk didn't want to confuse the audience with a new set of ranks that had never existed before on Star Trek, and just made him senior enlisted instead.
(In my continuity, O'Brien is a CWO.)
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Totally agree!
Okay, my wife is retired US Navy (Reserves), and she heard all sorts of different ways. Some addressed her with just her last name. Some addressed her as "Petty Officer Smith" (not our real last name) , or "YN2 Smith", and occasionally as Yeoman Smith". Many rating titles are too much of a mouthful, such as Operations Specialist or Aerographer's Mate, so in those cases it's almost always OS1 Smith or AG2 Smith. It's never "P.O. Smith".
Once someone makes CPO / SCPO / MCPO, they are Chief / Senior Chief / Master Chief Smith. Only rarely would someone attach their rating, Senior Chief Yeoman Smith, when addressing them, typically during an official function (e.g., award a medal).
Once someone makes CPO / SCPO / MCPO, they are Chief / Senior Chief / Master Chief Smith. Only rarely would someone attach their rating, Senior Chief Yeoman Smith, when addressing them, typically during an official function (e.g., award a medal).
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I did 4 years in the Army and I think I ove saw a petty officer.
I'm not sure I spoke to him though.
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