That's entirely the case, don't 2nd Lts generally like to refer to themselves as just Lt while 1st Lts will almost always use the 1st so that nobody confuses them for a 2nd Lt? As for Sgts, in the Corps we're taught to always address all Sgts. by their full rank or appropriate nickname like Gunny for Gunnery Sgt. or Top for Master Sgts (and maybe for 1st Sgts too but I'm not absolutely certain on whether it's appropriate to address a 1st Sgt. as Top even if they are the same grade as a Master Sgt.), and Master Guns for Master Gunnery Sgt but Staff Sgts are always addressed as such and the same with Sgts Major. If I'm not mistaken the Navy follows the same or similar practice with Chiefs and address them by their full ranks.
2LT and 1LT alike are usually referred to (self & others) as "Lieutenant" in my experience. Naval lieutenant junior grade/lieutenant follow a similar pattern, as well as lieutenant commander/commander.
LTCs (lieutenant colonels) usually self-refer as "colonel," and are variously called by subordinate either "colonel" or "sir" (and usually "phone colonel," "short colonel," or "*******" behind their backs...)
"Top" is reserved for the first sergeant, not master sergeants in general.
"Chief" may be used to refer to Navy senior non-coms (chief petty officer, senior chief petty officer, master chief petty officer,) or for Air Force chief master sergeants. Naval chiefs are usually "chief" informally, or "chief," "master chief," or "command master chief" in formal (reporting, in open ranks, &c. I don't know why "senior chief" is often skipped, but I've seen that one go either way.)
Marine staff sergeants are addressed as "Staff Sergeant," while Army and Air Force staff sergeants are usually simply "sergeant." (Kudos on the proper pluralisation of "sergeant major," tho!)
General officers are usually referred to as "General" (Army/Air Force/Marines) or "Admiral" (navy) - which covers pretty much any O7-O10 rate (even O11, if we ever have any again. O11 is a wartime only rank, and there is no O11 billet for the Corps.)
Marine lance corporals have been referred to as "lance," and corporals simply as "corporal."
Other snippets of protocol:
- When a group of junior personnel encounter a superior
and both parties are in uniform, the
entire junior party is expected to assume attention and march until the superior has passed. If the superior is an officer, the
entire party assumes marching order, but
only the senior of the junior party is expected to render a salute (this is held until the officer has returned it, the officer has passed, or if the officer dismisses the salute - often before it is rendered, for the good officers.) NB: This generally only applies in rear areas.
- When a superior is passing an individual standing a post, the junior is expected to assume the position of attention until the superior has passed or he is relieved of the position of attention (at which time, the position of parade rest is assumed until the superior is out of view.) A salute is rendered to a commissioned officer. Further, the individual, unless under a specific or general order to the contrary, is expected to maintain/resume the position of attention and execute facing movements necessary to keep the superior in sight until the superior has left, unless the junior has been
ordered to attention (which is not to be broken unless ordered to do so.)
(Yes, this means that when the Marine at the foot of the ramp off of Marine One wasn't facing to follow Clinton, or doesn't face to follow Obama, that means the C-in-C is being snubbed - although most civilians won't catch it. My wife noted the difference in behaviour between Bush41 and Clinton, and asked me why. She's learned a lot about military protocol from me...)
As far as proper wear of the uniform? AFR35-10 can be found online easily, as can the relevant Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard regulations (I just don't recall the numbers offhand.) The Order of Precedence for medals and ribbons is standard across the services, and is in so many places as to be not worth specific mention (and yes, ALL services use the SAME order of precedence. Why? "Retreads" - guys who muster out of one service, and later sign up with another. I did USAF Basic with two Marines and a soldier - who wanted to become Airmen instead.) I could probably find current regs for correct wear of any military uniform inside of five minutes - including cold-starting the computer - I'd need maybe an hour to dig up a "period" regulation. So, what's the problem?
(And not just because I'm prior-service, either. I once - just on a whim, after discussion of uniform inaccuracies - tasked my wife with giving me regs for correct wear of the Army Service Dress uniform, United States, 1917. Took her ten minutes.)
