Reply #492: Anyone who has served on a general staff knows the proper forms of address,

[MADem]

unless they were so far down the food chain, in a civilian capacity, that they never had any reason to interact with the public in any fashion.

It's just not believable that an offficer of the female gender would permit, or want, her subordinates to call her "Sir." It's also not believable that an officer who worked on a general staff would object to "ma'am" as a courteous and respectful form of address. This is taught in boot camp, in OCS/OIS, in ROTC and at the Service Academies. It's not just taught, either--it's DRILLED.

Finally, anyone with a commission, having served on a general staff, hearing the testimony on the radio would know, even absent a visual cue, that USAF doesn't testify on ACOE matters. Ever. The two just don't go together.