Interesting thread in some ways. The comparison to a doctor as being stated as a qualification gained is somewhat spurious. I have had the privilege of meeting a number of medical personal that I would not call “Doctor” just because they had the degree hanging on the wall and to suggest doing so once retired is questionable. The qualifications gained in the civilian world that allows the individual to continue to wear the title after retirement but than to deride the doing so of an individual that served in the military not to do so is, without sounding too PC, lacking in fairness. Admittedly they are two different world’s where military rank has little no meaning in the civilian community. But I must admit if someone introduced themselves as Doctor so and so I would introduce myself as Mister so and so. If you are going to acknowledge someone’s qual’s by allowing them to maintain the title in retirement I don’t see the issue with allowing someone to do so after X amount of years in uniform. And although rank is an appointment it is not just given, unless you join with other qual’s (such as Doctor), and therefore earned. And before we have a retort that I must be one that uses my rank in retirement because of my post, no I do not (but I do love to argue the other side of the coin).