R Lee Ermey has reported.

[JoeH]

Ombligo wrote:
He was actually a staff sergeant in the USMC. His gunny rank was honorary after he made it big. he joined up after a judge gave him the choice of enlisting or going to jail when he was 17. He made the right choice.

The Commandant of the Marine Corps gave him the honorary promotion to gunnery sergeant in 2002. Given his career he might have made that rank if he had not been medically discharged due to injuries.