Sir and Ma’am are terms used by military members when speaking to officers of superior rank. A CDR doesn’t call an Ensign ‘Sir’, even though he is also an officer, he calls him ‘Mister’ because of the rank differential. A flag officer is, of course, never referred to as Mister even by a superior.
Using the rank of a superior officer in any sort of conversation is considered awkward. You would, generally, use the rank nomenclature at the beginning of a conversation, and possibly again at the end.
It is always proper to use rank when referring to a third party.
The General does not expect to be called by his rank every time someone speaks to him.
This is nothing more than a verbal power play by Senator Boxer in an attempt to assert herself. Sadly, she doesn’t recognize that in the military Ma’am is a term of respect reserved for use when addressing a superior who happens to be female.
The General should have answered, "Senator, I'd be delighted to refrain from using Ma'am when addressing you!"
Reckon' she'd have picked up on the insult?
It's a shame that all those years of *hard work*, her time on the Armed Services Committee in the House, she seems not to have learned the very BASICS of Military Protocol.
She also forgets that fact that respect is not an entitlement, it must be earned.