| How to Address an Officer with an Honorary Rank?
It is not unusual for the various state national guards to give honorary promotions to worthy officers upon retirement. These promotions are not federally recognized and do not entitle the recipient to increased pay in retirement. How should one address an officer who received an honorary promotion upon retirement?
-- BG Charles K. Hendershott
Dear General Hendershott:
If the promotion is honorary, not federally recognized, and does not entitle one to benefits ... perhaps it something granted informally and internally? Protocol officers I spoke to (two at the Pentagon and two at bases) suggest use of such a honorary rank in address be limited to verbal use within the granting organization.
-- Robert Hickey
How to Use an Academic Degree with a Military Rank?
I am wondering the proper way to format a military rank and academic degree on a resume. In question is a gentleman, "John Smith," who is a Captain in the USMC Reserves (active duty) who holds a masters degree in HR Management (M.HRM). Thank you for your assistance.
-- GB in Career Counseling
Dear GB:
No sort of post nominal ... professional, academic, religious .. is ever used with a U.S. military rank.
He is most formally Captain John Smith, USMCR ... nothing more.
You will have to note that he holds a Masters in Human Resources Management from (?) University in some way other than with an academic post-nominal abbreviation. Perhaps in a section on education? Or in a sentence describing his achievements?
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address a Major General?
I wish to write a thank you letter to a retired Major General- USAF.
I am responding to a letter that was written years ago. The letter was lost for many years, but has surfaced so I would like to respond.
-- Pauline Greenwood
Dear Ms. Greenwood:
Refer to address the form I suggest for a Major General elsewhere on the site.
If your note is more 'social' than 'official' ... e.g., addressed to his home rather than his office .... leave "USAF" off .... on social correspondence the branch of service is omitted.
A social envelope is addressed to:
Major General (Full name)
(Address)
An official envelope is addressed to:
Major General (Full name), USAF, Ret.
(Address)
Salutation is the same in either official or social ....
Dear General (Surname)
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address an Military Officer Who Holds a PhD?
How would I properly address a husband and wife who are both retired Air force Colonels and hold PhD’s?
Col John and Col Jane Doe, PhD, USAF (Ret)
And what would be a proper salutation for them?
Dear Colonels Doe,
-- Confused & Live Near The Base
Dear C&LNTB:
1) When a person has a special title ... like Colonel ... most formally he or she gets their (rank) + (full name) complete as a unit. So "Col John and Col Mary" is not correct.
2) Military ranks are never used with academic post-nominals
3) As you use it ... "Col" with those caps and no punctuation IS the correct USAF style.
4) The Department of Defense's guidelines say "USAF" is only used on official documents ... not on social correspondence. So if you are writing them officially regarding their official duties ... use USAF, if it is a social letter ... leave it off
5) The Department of Defense's guidelines also suggest either "Retired" or "Ret." .... but not "(Ret.)" but use it only on official correspondence after the USAF ...
Col John Doe, USAF, Retired
So most formally they would be socially
Col John Doe
and Col Jane Doe
(Address)
The salutation could be: Dear Colonels Doe,
-- Robert Hickey
How to List a "(Rank), Retired" on an Invitation?
Good afternoon. I have a question concerning the use of rank in a wedding invitation for a retired Chief Warrant Officer Four of the US Army.
Would the invitation start as:
"Chief Warrant Officer, USN Retired & Mrs. Richard Dean James" or " Retired USN Chief Warrant Officer & Mrs. Richard Dean James"
I've tried several etiquette books however, and can only find information on commissioned officers.
-- Ms. Wedding Planner
Dear Ms. WP:
I cover warrant officers in my book, but you are right, all the other books only cover commissioned officers.
1) The 1, 2, 3, 4 rankings of Warrant Officers don't appear on a wedding invitation.
2) Branch of service and active/retired status do not appear with the service member's name in social use.
Most formally and correctly it should read:
Chief Warrant Officer (full name) and Mrs. (surname)
If space is an issue, and this would would be shorter .... but also less formal ....
Chief Warrant Officer and Mrs. (man's full name)
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address Enlisted USN Personnel on an Invitation?
I am engaged to a member of the Marine Corps and have several military invitations that I'm trying to address. I seem to have all the Marine's under control with their ranks; however, I have a couple of members of the Navy and am unsure how to address their outer envelope. I know that enlisted Navy personnel have rates (such as HM2) instead of an actual rank, but do not know how you use this on the invitation. Thank you in advance for your help!!i
-- Katie (and Todd)
Dear Katie (and Todd),
I cover the Navy on pages 215-224. The USN has both officers and enlisted personnel. All are addressed the same way on social correspondence: Rank + Name. The most formal way to address an envelope is to do so without abbreviations, spelling out every word. So, for example, Hospital Corpsman Second Class (name) is preferable to HM2 (name) for example. But when a name gets very long and space becomes an issue ... using the abbreviation HM2 is acceptable.
USN (the post-nominal abbreviation for the branch of service) is not included after a name on social correspondence. It is used on official correspondence.
You don't say which ranks/ratings your guests have so I can't be much more specific ... but Cranes Blue Book of Stationery has lots of information on addressing wedding invitations and place cards for your reception. I updated the book with Pamela Eyring (Director of The Protocol School of Washington) in 2008.
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address a Gunnery Sergeant?
How would I address Gunnery Sergeant Jim Wilson and his wife Anne?
-- Connie Clark, (XXX) Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida
Dear Ms. Clark:
I cover all the enlisted ranks in my book, because I was enlisted .... and typically sources only include how to address the officers!
You don't say if you want to addressed them verbally or in writing .. or if it's an official situation ... and I am going to guess (since you are a resort) it's more of a social than official.
Marines used the FULL rank ... so Gunnery Sergeant is never shortened to just "Sergeant" like the do in the some ranks in other services ..... So here's the right way for a formal social situation:
Envelope, social:
Gunnery Sergeant (full name)
and Mrs. (surname)
(Address)
Invitation, inside envelope: Gunnery Sergeant and Mrs. (surname)
Place cards: Gunnery Sergeant (surname), Mrs. (surname)
Introductions and conversation: Gunnery Sergeant (surname), Mrs. (surname)
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address a General who is an Adjutant General?
How do you address a letter to the Adjutant General of a state’s National Guard Force? He is appointed by the Governor of the State. Is he General Ortega or Adjutant General Ortega, or another form of address? I think he actually has the military rank of General. Thanks so much for your help, and for this website!
-- Paula Saverin
Dear Ms. Saverin:
Hickey's First and Second Rules of Forms of Address are:
1) Address by rank
2) Identify by office
So following those rules the formula is...
(Rank) (Full Name) + (Identify the office held)
.. so if he has the rank of "General" and holds the office of "Adjutant General"
General Javier Ortega, MNG (check what the correct post-nominal is)
Adjutant General
Maryland National Guard Headquarters (or whatever)
(Address)
Dear General Ortega:
-- Robert Hickey |
| How to Address a Retired Officer Who Is A Professor?
Dear Mr. Hickey:
Would you by any chance know the proper form of address for a USN Captain who is now a university professor with a PhD? I read the note on your website regarding context (Captain when he's my commanding officer, Doctor when he's bandaging my foot, or something to that effect), but I wonder what would be suitable with an academic doctor, and in a more formal usage. I've encountered "Captain Doctor [name]" once or twice on the Internet, but it seems a bit of a mouthful.
--- P. L. Scott
Dear Mr. Scott:
In the United States:
1) We only use just one honorific at a time. So he would be "Captain (name)," "Dr. (name)," or "Professor (name)."
2) If he's a retired Captain he probably prefers to be orally addressed as Captain (name). In writing use Captain (full name), USN, Retired, Professor of Mathematics
3) Military ranks are never used with academic degrees, so he'd never be "Captain (full name), PhD" . I cover this on page 99 in my book
4) He's probably never "Dr. (name)."
All this said, it's never inconsiderate to ask what he prefers! Ultimately it is his preference in which you are most interested.
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address a Retired Officer Who is A Dean?
Hi Robert,
How would I address an envelope to a captain retired from the US Navy, who now is the dean of a college?
--- O.S.
Dear O.S.:
It depends on what he likes to be called. If you find he likes to be addressed as "Captain (name)" at the college ... then address him (see page 217 in my book) as:
Captain (full name), USN, Retired
Dean of (name of school, college, etc.)
(Name of College/University)
(Address)
If you find he prefers to be addressed as "Dr. (name)" at the college ... then in writing I would address him as:
(Full name), (Post-nominal abbreviation for his degree)
Dean of (name of school, college, etc.)
(Name of College/University)
(Address)
"Dean (full name)" is a more informal form of address -- use it to address him orally. Call him "Dean (name)" in interactions with him as a dean. Both Captain (name) or (Name), (degrees) are more formal forms to use in writing.
The final determination in every form of address is "what is the preference of the bearer" so in this case: What is the preference of this particular dean? In a conversation with a British protocol expert familiar with all the titles and honors you encounter in London, he said people are never offended if you acknowledge too many of their honors -- but may be if you acknowledge too few!
-- Robert Hickey
How to List an Officer Holding an Academic Degree?
Dear Mr. Hickey:
I recently attended a funeral for a retired Rear Admiral who was also a Navy doctor. Was it proper to refer to him in on the cover of the program as:
Honoring
RADM (name), M.D.
Was that correct?
-- Vic M. in Pew #44
Dear Mr. M:
"RADM (full name), Medical Corps, USN". would me correct by DOD guidelines.
1) Abbreviating "Rear Admiral" to the military abbreviation RADM is standard at military events.
2) Most formally the appropriate form of his branch of service follows the name, in this case -- Medical Corps, USN.
3) Finally there's a rule "no academic degrees" are used with "military ranks" -- so M.D. or any other academic post-nominal abbreviation never follow a name preceded by a rank. ... so never use "Captain (full name), MBA" "General (full name), JD" or "Major General (full name), PhD"
-- Robert Hickey
Which Form of Rank Should I Use for a
USMC Second Lieutenant on an Invitation?
Dear Sir:
Why is it that when you need a current military protocol handbook you can never find one? My Department of State handbook mentions nothing about this particular question, so, a friend referred me to you.
In particular, concerning an invitation, and proper format, for a soon-to-be commissioned Second Lieutenant, USMC, for his graduation and commissioning invitation, the question is...on the return/RSVP and on the personal "calling card" enclosed, which is more proper...Name, followed by "Lieutenant, USMC" or "Second Lieutenant, USMC?"
Back in my youth, it was common for Lieutenants to abstain from including either "Second" or "First" in invitations, or on calling cards. But, what is the current format?
My brother, a West Point graduate, insists that simply "Lieutenant" is proper, while I, a former NCO, hold that the proper format is to include either "Second" or "First" Lieutenant on all invitations or calling cards and related items.
If you would, could you make a call on this and provide a reference or two...have to get these items off to the printers soonest and wish to make sure that the young officer gets off on the right foot?
Thank you,
-- Sincerely,
JWE in Bowling Green, OH Dear JWE in Bowling Green:
FIRST about whether it's "Lieutenant" or "Second Lieutenant."
In the past, forms of address for USA lieutenants varied slightly from USAF and USMC lieutenants which I think is the source of the various “right forms” you are encountering. But, current DOD directives show forms of address in writing to be identical for all services. Use the form I give on page 209:
Second Lieutenant (full name), USMC
(Address)
1) E.g., The Air Force uses “full ranks” in writing, and “basic ranks” orally. So a (non-com) USAF Technical Sergeant is “Technical Sergeant (name) in writing, and “Sergeant (name)” orally.
3) The Army, as your brother notes, had used “basic rank” in both instances, but the USA currently uses “full” and “basic” the same as everyone else. FYI ... here's the current USA document .... see Table 6.1: http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/p600_60.pdf
SECOND .. All that said .... On a formal invitation (like a wedding invitation) it is typical for junior officers to have their names presented as:
(Full name)
Second Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps
Note that this is all spelled out (no abbreviations), on two lines.
This sort of thing is one reason I prepared my book the way I did: I give you the answer, not the history of every form -- That would have made the book 1,576 pages rather than just 576!
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address a Retired Rear Admiral?
Dear Robert Hickey:
How would I address a retired admiral who now holds another position. Here's what I have in mind for the envelope and for the salutation. What do you think?
ENVELOPE:
Rear Admiral William Smith
Director of the Executive Residence and Chief Usher
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
United States of America
SALUTATION:
Dear Rear Admiral Smith:
-- C. MacP., Toronto, Canada
Dear C. MacP:
Use the form I show on page 216.
Write "Rear Admiral (full name)" ... which is the full rank on the envelope .... but use "Admiral (surname)" as the salutation.
All admirals are orally addressed as "Admiral" which is the "basic rank" ... the "full rank" -- Fleet Admiral, Vice Admiral, Rear Admiral -- is used in writing.
On page 94 I include everything about how to write the branch of service and note his retired status. Here you include the branch of service USN and Retired after his name. At the White House, there are probably active-duty "admirals" ... so do include Retired for clarity and completeness.
So here's how I would do it:
ENVELOPE:
Rear Admiral William Smith, USN, Retired
Director of the Executive Residence and Chief Usher
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
United States of America
SALUTATION:
Dear Admiral Smith:
He will be pleased when he sees that you used his Naval rank as a courtesy.
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address a General?
Please settle a dispute. When sending a letter to a Major General, I know that the address at the top of the page should read Major General Robert McCaw. But in the greeting, which is correct: Dear Major General McCaw or Dear General McCaw?
--- Kathleen Kruckle
Dear Ms. Kruckle:
The full rank is use to be specific on the envelope the letter’s address block .... General, Lieutenant General, Major General, or Brigadier General
Major General Robert McCaw, USA/USMC/USAF
Use his branch of service on the envelope and in the address block: USA or USMC or USAF.
The basic rank General is used in conversation ... and since what you would call the person in conversation ... is what you use in the letter’s salutation ... you open the letter with the greeting:
Dear General McCaw:
"Admirals" "Colonels" "Commanders" and "Lieutenants" have the same issue ... and all follow that same pattern.
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address a Medal of Honor Recipient?
Above and beyond saluting a Medal of Honor recipient before anyone regardless of rank, how would other military personnel address a Medal of Honor recipient?
-- Cindy
Dear Cindy
I have never seen or heard of a directive stating that a Medal of Honor recipient is saluted first, before everyone present, regardless of rank, so I don't believe that is true.
At a ceremony where their Medal of Honor is pertinent they would receive special courtesies because of their status at that particular event. At other events they don't receive special status.
Medal winners don't receive a special form of address. The medal is not noted in correspondence.
It would be mentioned after their name in an introduction as would any special honor or decoration.
-- Robert Hickey
How to Address a Captain in the US Army?
My future son-in-law, a West Point grad who is now a Captain in the Army, visited our home last weekend for the first time. I am writing him a thank you note for his thoughtful hostess gift. My question: on the envelope do I write Mr. William Smith or Captain William Smith? I know from referencing my copy of your book Honor and Respect that I would write Captain if this was official business -- but this is personal. Which title would be correct?
-- Rennie Hendricks
Dear Ms. Hendricks:
He's always a "Captain (name)" except when you are addressing him on a first-name basis!
Use the form I show in my book Honor and Respect listed as "Envelope, Social" ... just below "Envelope, Official."
Social envelope:
Captain William Smith
Address
Officially the salutation would be ...
Dear Captain Smith,
But I hope you are on a first name with him, so inside start your note ...
Dear Bill,
-- Robert Hickey
What Do I Write a Return Address with a Military Rank?
I have recently married a retired USN commander. What is the proper way to have return mail address labels printed? We would like to use them on our Christmas cards. Should it be ...
Commander and Mrs. Franklin Harrow, USN, Ret.?
Cmdr. and Mrs. Franklin Harrow?
-- Mary Ann Harrow
Dear Mrs. Harrow:
Socially ... you might want to use
Commander and Mrs. Franklin Harrow
(Address)
Nothing wrong with Cmdr. if you are pressed for space on a label.
FYI
1) The social books -- I edited the most recent version of the the Crane's Blue Book of Stationery -- give the "social" answer which is to spell out the rank:
Commander and Mrs. Henry Anderson
But some people want to use the USN's abbreviation for Commander:
CDR and Mrs. Henry Anderson
2) Most formally one does not break up "CDR" from "Henry Anderson"
So these are not strictly the most formal:
Commander and Mrs. Henry Anderson
CDR and Mrs. Henry Anderson
Ultra most formally it should read:
Commander Henry Anderson and Mrs. Anderson
CDR Henry Anderson and Mrs. Anderson
But I think they'd be a bit stilted in this usage.
3) USN, Ret. after his name isn't required on social stationery like a holiday card ... IT IS used on official stationery. So if your husband were writing a letter to the newspaper's editor, and he wanted to be sure everyone knew he was not writing it as an active duty 'Commander" or if were being invited to a military function where there were "active duty" officers involved he'd be
CDR Henry Anderson, USN Ret.
-- Robert Hickey
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