My two co-workers in the new job were Navy lieutenant commanders, one a retired combat systems officer/mustang, the other a straight-stick helicopter pilot who left the service at the 12-year point. They call me “Lex” at work.
The government servant I work closely with left the Navy as an O-4 as well. He flew H-46s, and calls me Lex as well. The program manager I directly support is an active O-4, who I hope will soon make commander. He calls me Lex.
I used to be a captain in the Navy. I had seven awards of the sea service medal, strike and strike/flight air medals and numerous campaign awards, among the other things you tend to accumulate along the way. Now I’m just a guy that used to be a captain. I’m also part of team that includes civilians, government servants, junior officers, ex-military and retirees. Emphasis on team.
But then again, I’m not a retired reserve captain working on a local school board. If I was, I might insist on the courtesy of being addressed by the highest rank I held as a reservist by the civilians around me, the great majority of whom have probably no idea what a captain is:
A retired Reserve captain is threatening to sue her local California school board if the board’s members do not address her by her military title.
Retired Reserve Capt. Noreen Considine, 64, was elected to the Jurupa Unified School Board near Riverside, Calif., in November. She claims her political foes are deliberately disrespecting her by not using her rank when discussing school business.
“It’s a way to diminish me. If they take away my title — the one I ran on and the one I’m entitled to — then they have a better shot at demonizing me,” Considine said in an interview.
At a Jan. 20 meeting, Considine told the school board they were harming her reputation, violating her civil rights and may be liable under California state laws.
“None should doubt my resolve in this matter,” Considine told the crowd, according to the minutes of the meeting.
It’s not your resolve we doubt, captain.
“Academic politics are so vicious precisely because the stakes are so small.” — Henry Kissinger
MajH:
Come December – you will have no doubt earned it.
But can we just shorten it to something like
MARCH (MAjor Reverend CHaplain) for short?
For those interested in the “technical analysis,” here’s a link to O-6 Considine’s whine…excuse me, I meant complaint (courtesy of Popehat at http://www.popehat.com):
http://www.popehat.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/thats-captain-considine-to-you-sir.pdf
Here in Jersey we had a pompous school superintendent insisting on being called “Doctor” even after it was discovered he had obtained his Phd by means of an online “school”. I don’t think anyone paid any attention to his title after that episode.
For some reason this thread has me thinking of Colonel Sanders.
She’s certainly off to a great start, impressing her fellow board members. She was only sworn in on the 8th of this past month. From a local news article on a debate during the election: “The school board needs to work together as a team,” Considine said.
Taxi, how right you are. It was indeed the Colonel but I’m not sure of the weapon nor the room. So long as we address him by his rank, surely he will recognize our worth and confess immediately.
Would anyone like to explain why lawyers with a Juris Doctor degree don’t run around demanding to be called “Doctor”? For most of us, that would be the final indignity of dealing with them!
You make an interesting point about whom you work for. I attended a briefing last week by a retired three star, now ambassador type at State, who works for a 32-year-old.
It happens, eh?
Wow–agree with Cap’n Lex and the others here that if she has to insist on it, much less sue for it, she lost the battle for respect long ago.
BigFootTom: “all the Phd’s that … probably insist their marital partner call them ‘Doctor’ in bed,”
Yeah, they’re out there. But I used to be an academic type–hard sciences–and most of the profs I knew were extremely informal. Basically they’d allow you to call them Professor once, and then if you were ever going to have further dealings, it was “Call me [first name].”
In my experience, the less prestige attached to the job of the Ph.D., the more likely the Ph.D. was to insist on being addressed as “Doctor.” I’m not being snide here. Some of the instructors really didn’t get the respect they deserved from students, and some of the faculty treated them as second-class citizens. Naturally it bothered them, and they tended to insist on titles.
Personally, I always used titles until told otherwise, but any student who knew me at all addressed me by first name. Now that I’m in the military and it’s considered unprofessional, I have to fight the tendency to tell subordinates to call me by first name.
Anna,
My father went back to school later in life and got his J.D.
He also told me that if I ever called him “Doctor” in the hearing of any person, I would regret it most profoundly, if briefly. He didn’t explain further, either.
Not much one for titles; he may have been atypical amongst his colleagues.
I have a 80 year old neighbor I address as Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate, now there is an earned title you sould die with. And I am a little afraid not to!
You know, I was wondering how long it owuld take the good Captain Lex to weigh in on this one.
I agree with everyone here.
““…I get worn out by MDs that insist on being called “Doctor” in every setting.””
I would get worn out as well, but I can understand because they are Doctors of Medicine. It makes sense to me. What gets me is people with PhD’s in something like history. I don’t call them “Doctor” because they can’t fix my boo-boo’s. Only real Doctors can.
snark
I would point out that historians were earning doctorates while medicine was the province of barber surgeons.
/snark
However, some of the phenomenon of MDs insisting on “doctor” may be related to the same insecurity that JPS notes among low-ranking and insecure academics. More and more non-doctors—nurses, physicians’ assistants, medical technicians—are fixing boo-boos. (“A New Degree and Exam Create ‘Doctor Nurses,’ Irking Physicians” http://chronicle.com/weekly/v55/i19/19a00701.htm (subscription required))
I would second Danger—I don’t use my retired rank, and I don’t use my academic title. Perhaps one reason is that a common reaction to those who insist on being called “Doctor” is, “That idiot has a PhD?”
Other random notes on “doctor”:
(1) In some academic settings, the snobbish use Mr./ Ms. because it is assumed that everyone has a doctorate.
(2) PhD physicist, in examing room, with new MD. MD: “Hi, Norm, I’m Dr. Soandso.” “Hi, Tony, I’m Dr. Suchandsuch.”
Anna Keppa, Re the final line of your comment # 56 above…the mind indeed reels in contemplation of the “indigntities”… oh the horror!… imagined or not , that you might have suffered in dealing with those dreaded lawyers… a/k/a “them” … clearly suffering a fragile flower such as yourself should not have to endure …you’ll be in my prayers. Best
PS, In the Anglosphere lawyers are generally not referred to as Doctors although they are in some other parts of the world…around here in my professional circles I’m usually referred to as ” The Great Exalted All Knowing One”…of course I’ m less formal with family and friends where a simple ” Supreme Leader” will do.
Yup, just exactly like a laywer I use to work for. Gee,
come to think of it, I do miss His Excelllency aka His Lordship aka …
Michelle, I thought you might appreciate the PS… still eagerly awaiting comments from the “fragile flower”. Best
I came across this quote today. Somehow it seemed appropros to this thread:
“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” Margaret Thatcher
Oh, I would get in trouble.
“Noreen, would you get me that …”
“Excuse me, but I insist you call me by the title I have earned!”
“Bitch, would you get me that …”