Boxer, the U.S. Senator, Chides Brigadier General for Calling Her 'Ma'am'In case you forgot, Barbara Boxer is a senator.
The -snip- California lawmaker felt the need to remind an Army brigadier general of that fact Tuesday during a hearing before her Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, where the military officer testifying had the apparent gall to call Boxer "ma'am."
Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was testifying on the Louisiana coastal restoration process in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He began to answer one of Boxer's questions with "ma'am" when Boxer immediately cut him off.
"You know, do me a favor," an irritated Boxer said. "Could say 'senator' instead of 'ma'am?'"
"Yes, ma'am," Walsh interjected.
"It's just a thing, I worked so hard to get that title, so I'd appreciate it, yes, thank you," she said.
"Yes, senator," he responded.
However, Walsh surely meant no disrespect, as military protocol advises that officers may use "sir" or "ma'am" when addressing anybody higher than them on the chain of command.
"We would call them 'sir' or 'ma'am' or 'senator such-and-such'," Army spokesman Lt. Col. Nathan Banks said. Banks said any of those terms would be "appropriate" when addressing a senator.
According to one guide, the Navy and Coast Guard typically use "mister" or "miss" to address officers below the rank of commander, and "sir" or "ma'am," or a specific title, to address anyone at that rank or higher.
"You can never go wrong by using 'Sir' or 'Ma'am,' but it is a nice touch if you can properly address a senior officer," says the guide, Military Protocol: Uniformed Services.
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Tuesday's hearing was hardly the first time a military officer used those terms during sworn testimony.
The same day at a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing, two Navy officials repeatedly referred to Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., with the title, "sir."
"Yes, sir," Navy Vice Adm. Bernard McCullough said when answering questions.
Wicker raised no objections.
Actually, I'll have to agree with ole Barb, General Walsh should not refer to her as ma'am because that term of address implies respect. A more appropriate term for her would have been, B*TCH.
Everyone must be in a severe depression these days. Not much posting going on it seems. I do the best I can to ignore it. Not terribly effective, but the job keeps me distracted almost to the point of consumption, so I don’t really have time to think about much else. Impossible to avoid altogether though...unless you’re a complete moron. Of course, that’s what got us into this mess in the first place....morons vote in large numbers. I suppose they all think that things are just fine and dandy.
I had a wonderful vacation though, even though I had to squelch a couple of potentially heated political arguments. Just ddn’t want to go there. I stay stressed out with work too much of the time as it is. I darn sure don’t want to deal with it in my precious few times of relaxation.
I hope all are doing well and finding acceptable ways of coping the current state of affairs.