US Marines Told To Stop Using "Sir", "Ma'am" For Superiors: Report

The US Marines may ban "gender-specific salutations" for senior members, according to a report in Fox News. This means the recruits will not be allowed to address the instructors as "sir" or "ma'am" - "misgendering" that may offend them. This is based on an academic report that is recommending the Marine Corps to get rid of these salutations, the Fox News report further said. The report was commissioned in 2020 by the Corps form the University of Pittsburgh. It was completed this year.

"The Army, Navy, and Coast Guard effectively de-emphasise gender in an integrated environment," according to the excerpts of the 783-page report carried by Fox News.

"Instead of saying 'ma'am' or 'sir,' recruits in these Services refer to their drill instructors using their ranks or roles followed by their last names. Gendered identifiers prime recruits to think about or visually search for a drill instructor's gender first, before their rank or role," it further says.

The $2 million report has been prepared by a two-year study by the University of Pittsburgh's Warrior Human Performance Research Centre, said New York Post.

Though the report is being considered by the Marine Corps leadership, there is some pushback.

Chief of Staff for Marine Corps Training and Education Command, Col. Howard Hall told the Defence Advisory Committee on Women in the Services about the resistance, the outlet further said.

"Honestly, that's not a quick fix," Colonel Hall said in the meeting of the committee. "What are we inculcating in our young recruits that will or will not be reinforced when they graduate and enter the fleet Marine force?"

"So again, we want to avoid any quick-fix solutions that introduce perturbations down the line," he further said, according to the Post.

However, as soon as the news appeared online, users mocked the move, accusing authorities of "making a joke of our military".

"If captured by the enemy, at least we know our troops will be prepared to use the right pronouns," podcaster Craig Chamberlain said on Twitter.