In the Air Force it’s perfectly acceptable to say Sir/Maam to an enlisted person other than a Chief Master Sgt who gets called Chief as an honor to that position (The highest enlisted rank). But anyone of a lower rank should say sir or ma’am to womone of a higher rank regardless of officer/enlisted status.
Maj UncleBill, Sir, not to correct the Major but while in boot camp (at lease Marine Corps boot camp) you call anyone and everyone who is already a Marine Sir. Not sure if you are a mustang, perhaps your battalion did things a bit different.
Ooo-Rah - Semper - Semper Fi - Eerrrr - Kill - Check
and of course the Marine grunt are all acceptable responses.
I believe the Geneva Convention allows military types to reply “No, Sir!” – but only after being ordered to commit an act that would be a war crime (as defined by the Geneva Convention).
Not a Mustang, and your experience is much better than mine in this regard, I bow to your better knowledge. At OCS, we addressed enlisted staff (all former Drill Instructors) by their position and rank, just to make it hard. “Yes, Platoon Sergeant Gunnery Sergeant Szczepek!” I think they picked him for my platoon so he could yell at us for not having the common decency to know how to spell his name. But I never forgot how.
2nd Platoon, Golf-2 Company, OCS (Bulldog)
1987