I wouldn't mind doing something combat related, but Star Trek is kind of vague as to which branches participate... in DS9, it seemed that everybody did, but that's because it was a total war type thing. (that would also go in line with the war we're fighting right now, in which there is no "rear" line and everybody can be engaged. Scawwy.)
but in actuality I'd never survive any post that put me in harm's way I was thinking about that too... the ships seem really dangerous. o_o
In the American military, do subordinates refer to their female commanding officers as "Sir" like they do in the Star Trek universes? Okay now that is something that I was curious about too. Star Trek is based on the US Navy, and so far just about everything is in line with reality except for that, to my knowledge. I'm not in the navy, so it's hard for me to say, but every higher ranking female in the navy I've ever spoken to, I've addressed as "ma'am" or by their rank. (Other interesting thing about the Navy that confuses the shit out of me is that anyone outranking you--not just officers, but enlisted too, like Chief O'Brien--are referred to as "sir/ma'am." The other three branches don't follow this practice.)
Know what? Lemme ask my brother real quick.
... I got laughed at. Petty Officer Johnson says, "No, it's ma'am, like your mum. ... hahahaha XD"
All of this -- this whole post -- is inspired (or re-inspired) by the fact that I'm watching all of DS9. Yeah, no matter who you are, Starfleet, Bajoran, or non-enlisted in anything, you are AT WAR, and must join in. I want to be safely on Earth or at a research station or something where I'm not going to be maimed. I just hope that if I were in Starfleet, I could just rack up educational degrees or something like that.
Goddamnit, that "ma'am" thing is pissing me off. See, as someone who thinks that marking ANY distinction between people automatically inserts a divide between gender/age/creed, creates a level for discrimination, I is not pleased.
I suppose "sir" is a branch from "monsieur" which is male. (But I don't know that. Just speculating.) But there's no reason it couldn't just become the form of address for a superior officer. Janeway didn't prefer "ma'am"; she liked "Captain." Chief O'Brien sticks to the rules (perhaps unneccarily), and wants to avoid it.
Damn. That's too bad. But thanks a lot. I was torn between feeling stupid for not knowing how the military REALLY does it, and curiosity. Thanks!
Rewatching DS9? I wish I could join you. (I joined the DS9 rewatch community but... it's weird watching with people I don't know. ._.)
I just hope that if I were in Starfleet, I could just rack up educational degrees or something like that. Ahhh the dream life. *_____*
The ma'am thing is... weird. o_o It doesn't infuriate me because... I dunno, gender roles or something like that, but when I actually have to say it in a military context, it's weird as shit for me and I try not to. Like Janeway prefers, I try not to call female officers "ma'am" and simply by their rank, which is equally respectable and in my mind, puts them on the same level of "toughness" as their male counterparts. (I still can't get past calling male officers "sir" -__-;; I suck.)
Chief O'Brien sticks to the rules (perhaps unneccarily), and wants to avoid it. That was actually intentional on the side of the writers, I believe. Chief O'Brien is as close to the actual military as Star Trek could possibly get--he not only represents the everyman in family life, but the everyman in the military--that is, us enlisted folk. "Sir" carries with it across branches a connotation that refers to the so-called officer "elite," all of whom are college educated and sometimes tend to (even unwittingly) look down on enlisted people. There's a kind of weird cult type thing around the word "sir," and enlisted members try to avoid it as much as possible.
I was torn between feeling stupid for not knowing how the military REALLY does it, and curiosity. Thanks! You welcome, bb. And why should you feel stupid? I DIDN'T KNOW EITHER LOL
but in actuality I'd never survive any post that put me in harm's way
I was thinking about that too... the ships seem really dangerous. o_o
In the American military, do subordinates refer to their female commanding officers as "Sir" like they do in the Star Trek universes?
Okay now that is something that I was curious about too. Star Trek is based on the US Navy, and so far just about everything is in line with reality except for that, to my knowledge. I'm not in the navy, so it's hard for me to say, but every higher ranking female in the navy I've ever spoken to, I've addressed as "ma'am" or by their rank. (Other interesting thing about the Navy that confuses the shit out of me is that anyone outranking you--not just officers, but enlisted too, like Chief O'Brien--are referred to as "sir/ma'am." The other three branches don't follow this practice.)
Know what? Lemme ask my brother real quick.
... I got laughed at. Petty Officer Johnson says, "No, it's ma'am, like your mum. ... hahahaha XD"
Reply
Goddamnit, that "ma'am" thing is pissing me off. See, as someone who thinks that marking ANY distinction between people automatically inserts a divide between gender/age/creed, creates a level for discrimination, I is not pleased.
I suppose "sir" is a branch from "monsieur" which is male. (But I don't know that. Just speculating.) But there's no reason it couldn't just become the form of address for a superior officer. Janeway didn't prefer "ma'am"; she liked "Captain." Chief O'Brien sticks to the rules (perhaps unneccarily), and wants to avoid it.
Damn. That's too bad. But thanks a lot. I was torn between feeling stupid for not knowing how the military REALLY does it, and curiosity. Thanks!
Reply
I just hope that if I were in Starfleet, I could just rack up educational degrees or something like that.
Ahhh the dream life. *_____*
The ma'am thing is... weird. o_o It doesn't infuriate me because... I dunno, gender roles or something like that, but when I actually have to say it in a military context, it's weird as shit for me and I try not to. Like Janeway prefers, I try not to call female officers "ma'am" and simply by their rank, which is equally respectable and in my mind, puts them on the same level of "toughness" as their male counterparts. (I still can't get past calling male officers "sir" -__-;; I suck.)
Chief O'Brien sticks to the rules (perhaps unneccarily), and wants to avoid it.
That was actually intentional on the side of the writers, I believe. Chief O'Brien is as close to the actual military as Star Trek could possibly get--he not only represents the everyman in family life, but the everyman in the military--that is, us enlisted folk. "Sir" carries with it across branches a connotation that refers to the so-called officer "elite," all of whom are college educated and sometimes tend to (even unwittingly) look down on enlisted people. There's a kind of weird cult type thing around the word "sir," and enlisted members try to avoid it as much as possible.
I was torn between feeling stupid for not knowing how the military REALLY does it, and curiosity. Thanks!
You welcome, bb. And why should you feel stupid? I DIDN'T KNOW EITHER LOL
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