Re: [OT] A variety of terminology/history questions

I'll try to answer what I can.	Mind you, I'm a civilian, but have
oodles of 
friends and family in several branches.

>1) USMC (or US military in general): What ranks are accorded the title
>"sir"? This seems like an odd question except that I think the US
>military differs notably from British traditions here. IIRC, in
Canadian
>tradition, an officer (carrying a commission from the Queen) is called
>"sir". Non-commissioned members are not. Generally, if you call a
>Sergeant "sir" here, you get a lecture about how he works for a living
>and not on his knees. There are certain rare occasions where it might
be
>okay to call a Canadian NCO "Sir" (I believe some officers holding a
>Warrant from the Queen find this acceptable) but there aren't many
>cases. From a lot of the Hollywood products I've seen, I've seen people
>calling NCO D.I.s and other senior non-coms in US forces "sir". What
>actually is the US tradition in this regard?

AFAIK, this is the same in the US Military.

>2) Cavalry soldiers are called "troopers". Cavalry forms themselves
into
>"troops". What organizational level is a troop equivalent to
>(Platoon/Company/Battalion)?  Does "Squadron" enter into the picture or
>is that uniquely a UK/Canada armoured organizational element? Where
does
>it fit? (Platoon/Company/Battalion)?

I believe that US Cav,, at least Air Cav, still uses the Squadron 
designation. YMMV.

*snip*

>6) (USMC) "Every Marine is a Rifleman". Is this still true? Does it
>apply to Marine Aviators etc. too?

Again, AFAIK, yes.  Even basic rifle qualifications for the USMC are 
somewhat more stringent that the US Army, and even commissioned officers
are 
required to maintain their qualification.

>7) (USMC) Does the Marine corps still use Navy Doctors and Corpsmen? Or
>do they have integral marine medics or life-savers?

Still using the Navy.  Remember, even though for practical purposes it
is an 
independent force, the USMC is still "officially" part of the Department
of 
the Navy.  This rankles Marines to no end, especially if you are brave
or 
stupid enough to tell them that MARINE is an acronym for My Arse Rides
In 
Navy Equipment.

I'm a little more familiar with USN & USMC issues, since I lived for 12 
years in San Diego, which is Spanish for "Hi, Sailor."

Brian B2

"The Irish are the only race of people on Earth for which psychoanalysis
is 
of no use."

				 - S. Freud

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