Military ranks such as rifleman and guardsman could be scrapped as defence chiefs embrace gender- neutral language. The Ministry of Defence is drawing up an ‘inclusive language guide’ that could change many traditional titles and terms for the Army and Royal Navy. There is even speculation among some in the Armed Forces that the drive to modernise the services could mean personnel no longer address senior ranks as ‘sir’. The Army has several ranks that include the word man, such as guardsman, used by the Brigade of Guards, and rifleman, which dates back to the 19th Century and the war against Napoleon.