Military jargon???

Looks like your friend was a former Aerial Warfare systems operator or an enlisted type crew member in the Naval Reserve for 10 years. Later on he went Army Reserves for 29 years (total?) and attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the transportation corps. Never seen anyone sign personal correspondence in that manner though. Usually if it's an official letter you give name, branch, rank and (ret).
 
RotorAndWing said:
Same as any doofus who expects you to refer to his military rank even though he's retired.
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A few years ago there was some woman who was retired Navy and got herself elected to a city council in Northern CA. She insisted that her fellow councilmen refer to her as 'Commander'.
 
Fearless Tower said:
A few years ago there was some woman who was retired Navy and got herself elected to a city council in Northern CA. She insisted that her fellow councilmen refer to her as 'Commander'.
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I'm guessing since I'm reading about it here it didn't go over so well. Good, screw her. People like that are annoying.
 
Depends on the culture. In Britain, they still refer to horse trainer Mark Phillips as "Captain Mark Phillips" in society, the newspapers, and professionally, even though he didn't even retire from the Royal Army. In the US, it's not such a big deal outside academia, where everyone has to have a title, and if you don't hold an earned doctorate, they struggle to find a title for you. Being just "Mr." doesn't cut it there -- that's what they call the students. When I was hired at the university, the dean was looking through my resume and saw my military status. "Oh," he said, "then we'll call you Captain Levy." I thought it was a bit weird, but later found out the head of the criminal justice department, a retired US Army BG, was called "General," and one of his instructors, a retired Maryland State Police major, was called "Major". Even someone with a Juris Doctor (JD) degree (the regular degree lawyers get from law school) was called "Doctor" (not something they do around the court house. :dunno: I went with the flow.
 
What's in a name? I'll take Captain over some of the other titles people have bestowed on me! Most of which I can't share on a public forum.
 
Most of this originated with the British who liked to impress. It's usually used by those who are impressed with themselves and are retired remfrs.
 
RotorAndWing said:
Same as any doofus who expects you to refer to his military rank even though he's retired.
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Not too smart, are you? Five minutes on Google would have told you that retired military are still carried on the rolls of the service and are entitled to be addressed by their rank.

Any etiquette book will give appropriate instructions on the use of titles. Don't need one you say? I have two friends that are married - one has a Ph.D. in Biology, the other is an M.D. She did not take his name when they married.

How would you address a wedding invitation to this couple? Which name goes first ?
 
Ron Levy said:
Depends on the culture. In Britain, they still refer to horse trainer Mark Phillips as "Captain Mark Phillips" in society, the newspapers, and professionally, even though he didn't even retire from the Royal Army. In the US, it's not such a big deal outside academia, where everyone has to have a title, and if you don't hold an earned doctorate, they struggle to find a title for you. Being just "Mr." doesn't cut it there -- that's what they call the students. When I was hired at the university, the dean was looking through my resume and saw my military status. "Oh," he said, "then we'll call you Captain Levy." I thought it was a bit weird, but later found out the head of the criminal justice department, a retired US Army BG, was called "General," and one of his instructors, a retired Maryland State Police major, was called "Major". Even someone with a Juris Doctor (JD) degree (the regular degree lawyers get from law school) was called "Doctor" (not something they do around the court house. :dunno: I went with the flow.
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Somehow I got a LinkedIn connection with a woman who lists her name as "Dr. ____". Upon review of her profile, she got her Piled Higher and Deeper degree in "management" from Capella university - an online university!!! That's someone who is quite full of herself.
 
I'll call anyone by any title they wish to be addressed as. However, I reserve the right to quietly think they're a doofus for requesting an outdated title, like Duke, Commander, Captain or the like.

I don't look down on current titles, ie. reverend, doctor, Captain (while sitting in the left seat and/or wearing the uniform).
 
Someone who constantly has to remind you of rank or position can't lead. The person charging out of a foxhole ahead of everyone else, that's a leader. Perhaps those today that call themselves leaders should consider this.
 
EdLarkin said:
Not too smart, are you? Five minutes on Google would have told you that retired military are still carried on the rolls of the service and are entitled to be addressed by their rank.
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Good grief. I think he is well aware of that.

However, what someone is 'entitled ' to use and what they outright demand are two very different things.
 
Ron Levy said:
Depends on the culture. In Britain, they still refer to horse trainer Mark Phillips as "Captain Mark Phillips" in society, the newspapers, and professionally, even though he didn't even retire from the Royal Army. In the US, it's not such a big deal outside academia, where everyone has to have a title, and if you don't hold an earned doctorate, they struggle to find a title for you. Being just "Mr." doesn't cut it there -- that's what they call the students. When I was hired at the university, the dean was looking through my resume and saw my military status. "Oh," he said, "then we'll call you Captain Levy." I thought it was a bit weird, but later found out the head of the criminal justice department, a retired US Army BG, was called "General," and one of his instructors, a retired Maryland State Police major, was called "Major". Even someone with a Juris Doctor (JD) degree (the regular degree lawyers get from law school) was called "Doctor" (not something they do around the court house. :dunno: I went with the flow.
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It's a British thing. They call people Captain not out of respect, but just as a mock title. Has nothing to do with any former rank.
 
Anyone with an ATP is entitled to be called 'Captain'. But unless he or she is in the cockpit of a an airplane that requires an ATP to fly then he's a dofus.

Jim Howard, Major, USAF (ret-dofus)
 
Used to work with an overly prideful former Navy Chief (he was a couple years active, 28 in Reserve).

He wanted to be called "Chief".

He had a personalized license plate on his car "NVYCHF".

We used to ask him for recipes that he cooked when he was a Navy Chef....... ;-)
 
nddons said:
Somehow I got a LinkedIn connection with a woman who lists her name as "Dr. ____". Upon review of her profile, she got her Piled Higher and Deeper degree in "management" from Capella university - an online university!!! That's someone who is quite full of herself.
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Capella is accredited by the North Central Association of the Higher Learning Council -- that's the same accreditation held by my alma mater (and that of many of my family), the University of Michigan. You think my niece is "full of herself" for listing herself as "Dr. ________" based on her PhD from Michigan? The major university where she is now an assistant professor (almost associate) doesn't seem to think so.
 
Sac Arrow said:
It's a British thing. They call people Captain not out of respect, but just as a mock title. Has nothing to do with any former rank.
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Really? I only lived there for six years, and I never heard anyone called "Captain" as a "mock title" -- they're very careful to use correct forms of address, far more than we Americans are. OTOH, I can assure you that Mark Phillips really was a Captain in the Royal Army.
 
Ron Levy said:
Really? I only lived there for six years, and I never heard anyone called "Captain" as a "mock title" -- they're very careful to use correct forms of address, far more than we Americans are. OTOH, I can assure you that Mark Phillips really was a Captain in the Royal Army.
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My experience with Brits puts me with Ron on this one. Another example is Major Ferguson (father of Sarah Ferguson) and former polo manager to Prince Charles. He left the Royal Army in 1968 as a Captain and was made an honorary Major later and was still referred to as Major Ferguson when I met him in the early 90s.
 
Ron Levy said:
Capella is accredited by the North Central Association of the Higher Learning Council -- that's the same accreditation held by my alma mater (and that of many of my family), the University of Michigan. You think my niece is "full of herself" for listing herself as "Dr. ________" based on her PhD from Michigan? The major university where she is now an assistant professor (almost associate) doesn't seem to think so.
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Lots of universities are accredited by North Central. You kind of have to be accredited by them. That doesn't change that Capella is an online university. Most PhD candidates have to student teach, etc. that's a little tough in the online setting.

As for your niece, If she held herself out
to the public as a PhD in a non-academic setting, yes, I would say she's full of herself.

However, the fact that she's an assistant professor, she deserves to use that title. My late father-in-law was a professor in the college of education at Illinois State University. He earned his PhD at Michigan State (sorry) and except for when he was in the university setting, he NEVER used the word "doctor" and was embarrassed when others used that term for him. He was a very humble man.

I've always felt that unless you were in academia or one of the health professions, anyone holding themselves out as Doctor are full of themselves.

Last Thursday I met with a new client. The principal owner was a PhD from India, and expected us and everyone in the organization to call him "doctor", and everyone did, including me. But even though he was preeminent in the biotechnology industry, I thought that was pretentious.

While at a prior firm, I worked with a number of PhDs at the research farm of a large dairy, feed, and grain cooperative. You all have used their butter. Anyway, their PhDs, who were inventing new food products, never wanted me to call them doctor. They introduced themselves with their own name. I respect that.

So, how are the Wolverines going to do in the Big 10 this fall?
 
Fearless Tower said:
My experience with Brits puts me with Ron on this one. Another example is Major Ferguson (father of Sarah Ferguson) and former polo manager to Prince Charles. He left the Royal Army in 1968 as a Captain and was made an honorary Major later and was still referred to as Major Ferguson when I met him in the early 90s.
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Come over to asia, the locals are ate up with titles, in fact, they live for it.
 
Funny story heard on radio. Guy, a PhD, was taking about his mom. She introduced him as follows: this is my son, the doctor, but not the kind who helps people....
 
Ron Levy said:
OTOH, I can assure you that Mark Phillips really was a Captain in the Royal Army.
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He's remarkably well preserved, then...there hasn't been a "Royal Army" in Great Britain for about five centuries. :yes:

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Army)

I've got two co-workers with PHDs. One insists that he be referred to as "Doctor" in all formal settings (not around the office, though), and the other demands that she never be referred to as "Doctor." Her doctorate is in Computer Science from the 70s, and she feels it really doesn't have any applicability to today.

Ron Wanttaja
 
I'm reminded of a visit to Los Alamos NM. I was told that by long custom the only 'doctors' there are either medical or veterinary.
 
Ron Levy said:
Really? I only lived there for six years, and I never heard anyone called "Captain" as a "mock title" -- they're very careful to use correct forms of address, far more than we Americans are. OTOH, I can assure you that Mark Phillips really was a Captain in the Royal Army.
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Well let me put it this way, we have a local community of ex pat Brits and I personally know three of them that use the title "Captain" as a way of addressing acquaintances in a slightly condescending manner.

Separate issue from yours though I guess.
 
From Latin: docere, to show or teach. Doctoris: teacher. I have a PhD in economics. The only time I ever use it in earnest is in school where I teach, though my students typically address me as professor, or at formal functions. While the Latin root refers to teaching, doctoral degrees come in three flavors: 1. Doctor of Philosophy, the most common type, where the candidate is expected to make an original contribution to the body of knowledge in their discipline; 2. Professional doctorate, where a candidate masters a craft such as medicine, law, education, engineering, etc.; 3. Honorary.

So if we consider the root being the concept of teacher, I would suggest that any CFI is worthy of the same respect and consideration as most doctors. It is an absurd notion to me that any of my flight instructors would ever address me as doctor.
 
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Years ago I was good friends with the first Mennonite woman ever to hold a PHD. ( Biology) she taught for some time in D.C. She said, in the 70s, " when I received my doctorates, one had to contribute to their particular field to get one. Today they are passed out like popcorn." Unquote. She never mentioned her status and if anyone addressed her as "Doctor" she immed. Told them to stop it. She was also on the cover of life magazine years ago for her work in germ transmission from human to human.
 
The brightest guy I ever worked with, PhD, a technical resume as long as your arm, and a couple of hundred (!) patents, went by "Bob."
 
Like others with letters, I spent a fair amount of time and energy on my education. I don't have any of my titles on any correspondence. When I was doing my post-grad, I worked in a place where 5 guys had the same first name. They started calling me 'doc' then as a way to differentiate. It stuck in an industry where you get known pretty well no matter who you work for.

I've never taught in my discipline(Philo), except the required courses for matriculation. I've taught a bunch of other stuff. I'd be intimidated now to teach anything related to Philo. The closest I came was business ethics and that turned out to be quite fun. We used the Harvard case study method and I actually think some of the kids got a bit a value from it when all said and done. Meh - I hope so anyway. :)

As for the OPs example, that seems a bit much. The only place I use my letters are on published documents where I author or co-author and they are becoming more rare as I learn less each year.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Good grief. I think he is well aware of that.

However, what someone is 'entitled ' to use and what they outright demand are two very different things.
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Lol, I demand to be payed, what someone calls me is completely optional.
 
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