Posted on Oct 5, 2015
Who do you call sir [or ma'am] when you are out of uniform?
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In uniform most service members know who to salute and who to call sir or ma'am. Out of uniform some service members salute higher ranking officers while others show their respect for those they personally know and some do their best to avoid eye contact with higher ranking people.
Some of us have been trained to address people older than us as sir or ma'am but this seems to be becoming rarer.
Who do you address as sir or ma'am when you are off duty or a veteran?
Some of us have been trained to address people older than us as sir or ma'am but this seems to be becoming rarer.
Who do you address as sir or ma'am when you are off duty or a veteran?
Respect
Honor
Edited 10 y ago
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 81
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I think as a cultural norm, "sir" & "ma'am" tend to be regional. Specifically, I've seen it used more often in the south and west. Here in the frozen north, those terms aren't used with great frequency among the general population. That's not to say we don't sometimes use them, just that their use isn't second nature in this part of the country.
I'm a Reservist now so I tend to find myself using those terms more frequently with the public--when not in uniform--immediately following drill weekend.
I'm a Reservist now so I tend to find myself using those terms more frequently with the public--when not in uniform--immediately following drill weekend.
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I usually address anyone older than me as sir or ma'am until they give me reason not to do so or they tell me otherwise.
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Sir, Anyone who I know is (or was) in the military and anyone who is older than I am 100% of the time - and most other people when meeting them for the first time.
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