Roger that, Dog! The "Sir" is a product of long years as a proud Enlisted. I always taught my lads that the "Sir", and the Salute are as much for their OWN respect as for that of the Officer's rank. One of the ways, as I preached, that an Enlisted man shows his own pride is with a snappy salute and proper protocol.
BTW, like my new tagline?
I do like that tag line, though NATOPS has caused me many a nightmare.