NGS Style Manual - M -

Military titles are capitalized and abbreviated before the full name on first mention, thereafter capped and spelled out before the surname: Gen. Reg Murphy, General Murphy, Gen. Reg Murphy (Ret.). Without a name, a title is spelled out and lowercased: the general. When a military rank is used with a title of nobility or royalty, spell out the military rank: Admiral Lord Mountbatten. Although the military puts the entire abbreviation in caps with no periods, it is standard for nonmilitary publications to use forms more familiar to readers, such as those in the Associated Press Stylebook or the Chicago Manual of Style.

After a name, USA, USAF, USMC, USN are set off with commas: Lt. William T. Douthitt, USN, presided.

Military ranks are abbreviated or not, according to the following guide:

With full name or initials

With last name only

     ARMY

	Gen. of the Army, Gen., Lt. Gen., Maj. Gen., Brig. Gen.	General
	Col., Lt. Col.	Colonel
	Maj.	Major
	Capt.	Captain
	1st Lt., 2nd Lt. (First Lt. or Second Lt. at beginning of sentence)	Lieutenant
	Chief Warrant Officer, Warrant Officer	Warrant Officer
	Sgt. Maj.	Sergeant Major
	1st Sgt. (First Sgt. at beginning of sentence), Master Sgt., Sgt. 1st Class, Staff Sgt., Sgt.	Sergeant
	Specialist	Specialist
	Cpl.	Corporal
	Pvt., Pfc.	Private

     NAVY and COAST GUARD

	Fleet Adm. (Navy only), Adm., Vice Adm., Rear Adm.	Admiral
	Commodore	Commodore
	Capt.	Captain
	Cmdr., Lt. Cmdr.	Commander
	Lt., Lt. (j.g.)	Lieutenant
	Ensign	Ensign
	Chief Warrant Officer, Warrant Officer	Mr.
	Master Chief Petty Officer	Master Chief
	Senior Chief Petty Officer	Senior Chief
	Chief Petty Officer	Chief
	Petty Officer 1st Class (or 2nd or 3rd)	Petty Officer
	Seaman (includes Seaman Apprentice and Seaman Recruit)	Seaman

     MARINE CORPS
     As for Army, except:

Chief Warrant Officer, Warrant Officer Master Gunnery Sgt., Gunnery Sgt. Lance Cpl.

Mr. Sergeant Corporal

     AIR FORCE

Gen. of the Air Force

General

     As for Army, except:

Chief Warrant Officer Chief Master Sgt. Senior Master Sgt., Tech. Sgt. Airman (includes Basic Airman), Airman 1st Class

Mr. Chief Sergeant Airman