JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Many wonder what protocol is and how it is relevant to us as military members. Protocol can be defined as "the set of rules, customs and regulations, prescribing good manners in official life and in ceremonies involving governments, nations and their representatives." (Sand, 2002)
Examples include: when to salute, how to give an introduction and what is appropriate to say. This may seem like common sense, but can easily be forgotten. For most, protocol is the initial and continued impression you give to others you interact with. In 628th Joint Base Charleston Protocol Office we have a saying, "impression is everything" and can be interpreted either good or bad regardless of your intentions.
For most members of Team Charleston, you have only known the Air Force Protocol. However, with the emergence of Joint Base Charleston there will be many new ways of conducting protocol. The Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force have all developed their own ways of protocol since the founding of their respective service. The term "you're on our base, you follow our rules," will no longer suffice. It is imperative that we show each military member their due respect, regardless of their service or location. During the weeks to come, protocol will provide tips on what members should know.
For this week it is important to know the other service's rank, especially those we will be working with. While the Army and the Air Force share similar rank structures, the Navy is very different from ours. Just as we address e-mails and letters with rank abbreviations, the Navy abbreviations differ significantly from ours.
Also, there is an approved form when addressing certain ranks. Just as we may say, "hello, Chief" to a chief master sergeant in the Air Force, there is certain forms of addressing those in the Navy. While the Go-By column provides the generic forms of address, the Navy Go-By's can change significantly by their "rating" -similar to the Air Force's Air Force Specialty Codes. These ratings can be identified on their rank. Identifying these ranks can be difficult, as they vary in shape, color, and design. Altogether, it is necessary to be able to identify and properly communicate with those we are working with or those we will be working with in the future. Next week we will cover the rank structure of the Naval officers. Please refer to our Enterprise Information Management website to download this publication -
https://eim.amc.af.mil/org/628ABW/default.aspx?PageView=Shared.