Talk:Gunnery sergeant

Untitled

The only time the term "Gunny" is unacceptable is in ultra-formal situations.

I added that some Gunnery Sergeants don't like to be addressed by that term, I personally knew one in my time in the Corps. Most Gunnies understand that the term is an expression of respect and appreciation. Del arte 19:04, 10 May 2004 (UTC)

I concur that historical examples of Gunnery Sergeants should be included. As a Gunnery Sergeant I do not agree that it is only inappropriate to call a Gunnery Sergeant "Gunny" in ultra-formal settings. It is inappropriate unless the Gunnery Sergeant asks you to call them Gunny, or refers to themself as Gunny. When addressing a Gunnery Sergeant with whom you are unfamiliar you should ALWAYS address them as Gunnery Sergeant and not risk the butt chewing you may receive by calling them Gunny.

Expansion

This article should be expanded to include the roles and responsibilities of an average gunnery sergeant, famous gunnies, etc. It's pretty bare bones.

Notable Gunnery Sergeants

Should Leroy Jethro Gibbs really be listed as a "Notable Gunnery Sergeant?" This is a fictional character, not a real Gunnery Sergeant. Such a designation would seem to better belong in a "Gunnery Sergeants in Popular Culture" section that could also reference the character R. Lee Ermey played in Full Metal Jacket and other fictional Gunnys. As it stands now, the Gibbs link detracts from the real Gunnys listed above him Echtoran ^(talk) 03:59, 24 April 2007 (UTC)

• I agree and I removed the fictional gunny. Windyjarhead 20:19, 24 April 2007 (UTC)

• • Is there any source for George Peppard's place on this list? On his own page, he's listed as having reached only Corporal. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.101.62.41 (talk) 14:39, 12 March 2010 (UTC)

Nick Popaditch should be added to this list. He was the subject, of a fairly well known photo, wrote a book, and is running for congress. I'd argue, hes about as well know, if not more so than Brad Colbert. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.231.239.198 (talk) 19:05, 4 August 2010 (UTC)

Quote did not match source

The use of He/She is a neologism that has been inflicted upon us by the politically correct speech movement, and could not possibly have been used in 1912 testimony. The source you provided confirms this. I have corrected the quoted material on the page to match the original. Amccray (talk) 14:42, 4 December 2010 (UTC)

Field First Sergeant

I think this reference to "field First Sergeant" is referring to "a First Sergeant" who happens to be stationed out in the field as opposed to a desk on a base. Field First Sergeant, as the name of the rank, I agree with this revert Mlpearc (open channel) 23:39, 14 April 2015 (UTC)

@CobraDragoon: I believe your latest references just strengthens my rational. Mlpearc (open channel) 23:57, 14 April 2015 (UTC)

• Well, think whatever you want, but you are wrong. A "real" First Sergeant (E-8) is a rank and a title. He is the senior enlisted advisor to the Commanding Officer and along with the Executive Officer handles the day-to-day administration of the company/battery/troop. Even when the unit is deployed in the field and/or in combat he may be "in the rear" so to speak (i.e., not out on the line or on patrol with the rifle platoons, but at the company command post). The Field First Sergeant is usually a senior Sergeant First Class (E-7) and the position is an ad hoc one, not officially a slot in the TO&E, but "created" by the CO with the advice of the 1st SGT, because it is practical, efficient, and effective, especially in combat or during field exercises. The "Field First" is usually an experienced Platoon Sergeant, and he serves as the COs "eyes and ears" reporting back to the CO as he monitors the tactical situation out with the platoons and "supervises" the platoon sergeants regarding NCO and enlisted matters and advises the officers on the tactical situation. He usually supervises various logistical and support details such as ammo resupply and redistribution. The Field First Sergeant performs duties and has responsibilities very similar to a Company Gunnery Sergeant in the USMC. The difference is that all USMC companies/batteries (there are no troops in the USMC) have a TO billet designated as Company/Battery Gunnery Sergeant. Most Company/Battery "Gunnies" are GySgt (E-7) but some units, such as the Weapons Company of a Marine Infantry battalion, a Tank company, or an AAV company are authorized a MSGT (E-8) as the Company Gunnery Sergeant. In these positions he serves as essentially an Operations and Training Chief for the company and as the "duty expert" on infantry, tank, or AAV (as applicable) tactics, training, and employment. CobraDragoon (talk) 00:28, 15 April 2015 (UTC)

References

I noticed a number of references using the url to a Google Book link. I though editors might be interested in a tool which takes a link as input and creates a (usually) properly formatted ref.

Wikipedia citation tool for Google Books

I used it to improve two such references.

It really helps creates a much cleaner list of references. I hope you will try it. S Philbrick(Talk) 17:27, 14 March 2016 (UTC)

Fictional Gunnery Sergeants

What, pray tell, is this fascination with fictional characters of any military rank? In this article alone, we now have almost twice as many fictional gunnery sergeants listed as we do real ones. As Wikipedia purports to exist as an encyclopaedia, why do we allow this proliferation of "pop culture" references, which in my view, does nothing more than promote the denigration of our product into a compendium of useless information. Seriously, if one is researching "gunnery sergeant," for example, is it really important that Frank Sutton portrayed GySgt Vincent Carter in Gomer Pyle, USMC?

I tend to remove all pop-culture cruft in comic book articles unless there is some significance to it. I think we should remove it in articles like these to. The thing about rank is that people tend to change go up or down in them so listing any kind of person who's had or is the rank at the moment is problematic.★Trekker (talk) 20:29, 11 April 2017 (UTC)

Well, I don't believe fictional characters should be listed at all. For real rank-holders, while it is possible that one's rank may change after a signal event in that same one's life or career, generally speaking the reason one would be "notable" would be for an achievement or event while in the rank in which the article concerns, or by the rank the cited individual was most famous for holding. A couple of examples: Sergeant Alvin York was actually a corporal when he performed the heroic actions in WWI for which he is honored (and later served as a major and a colonel during WWII) and "General" (Brevet Major General) George Custer was actually a lieutenant colonel when he was killed at the Little Big Horn. However, Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone was killed on Iwo Jima while serving as a gunnery sergeant and GySgt Carlos Hathcock, while he was medically retired as a gunnery sergeant, did not perform all of his sniper duties in that rank. So, for real rank holders it would depend upon the rank held when that person did whatever it was, or was most "notable" for, holding at the time of the event, during their career, or at the time of their death. For York and Custer they were not "most notable" for having served as (and for Custer died as), a corporal or lieutenant colonel, respectively, while both Basilone and Hathcock are both most well known as gunnery sergeants.CobraDragoon (talk) 14:51, 12 April 2017 (UTC)

I completely agree with you, but remember to sign your posts man.★Trekker (talk) 14:17, 12 April 2017 (UTC)

Thanks. CobraDragoon (talk) 14:51, 12 April 2017 (UTC)