PDF Officers

Son_of_Belial

I work near the Curragh Camp and I’d often see higher ranking officers about the place. I had an incident where I was kicking myself and just a little bit embarrassed - as a preface I did my stint in the RDF so I recognise the rank flashes and still even now clock them without realising what I’m doing. Flash forward to an awkward incident where the words “Good morning, Sir” (no I didn’t salute haha) were out of my mouth before I could stop myself. This resulted in an awkward “Good Morning” and the Commandant I met obviously trying to place me among all the bodies’ faces he had in his head! It was quite clear with my beard and I’m sure plenty of other things about me that I was an out-and-out civilian! Was my “Good morning, Sir” the wrong thing? Apart from the awkwardness of trying to place me (I’d never come across him before) did I commit a huge faux pas?!

Pat Dunne

So, you walk by a total stranger and say Good morning sir, are you expected to be greeted like a long lost comrade or what?
Now, try doing the exact same on any street in Dublin and let us know your experiences.

Bmw123d

Pat Dunne wrote: »

So, you walk by a total stranger and say Good morning sir, are you expected to be greeted like a long lost comrade or what?
Now, try doing the exact same on any street in Dublin and let us know your experiences.

There is a rank structure in the army. U respect the rank not the person. Hence why he was calling him sir as all officers in the army are called sir.

Why would u say it out on the street to normal people. Any one having served in the military would know officers are referred to as sir.

So relax there about something u know deck all about.

tac foley

Son_of_Belial wrote: »

Was my “Good morning, Sir” the wrong thing? Apart from the awkwardness of trying to place me (I’d never come across him before) did I commit a huge faux pas?!

It's not the 'Good morning' that got the wheels going around, it's the 'Sir' that you tacked on the end.

Most civilians don't say 'Sir' when greeting somebody with the time of day. That's what foxed him.

A simple 'Mornin', would have done just fine, and would not have been thought of as anything more than a civil pleasantry. As it is, you probably have the poor man as puzzled as a one-armed man with a Rubic cube.

tac

Son_of_Belial

Pat Dunne wrote: »

So, you walk by a total stranger and say Good morning sir, are you expected to be greeted like a long lost comrade or what?
Now, try doing the exact same on any street in Dublin and let us know your experiences.

No Pat, far from it, as BMW123d explained below, there’s a rank structure and it was a reflex reaction from something that was drilled into us, even as RDF, and no, I don’t literally say hello to everyone I meet. To be fair maybe even more so BECAUSE we were RDF? I addressed him as sir as you would an officer in the morning as I had been taught, I was just interested to know if it’s a weird faut pas coming from a bearded civilian

Son_of_Belial

tac foley wrote: »

It's not the 'Good morning' that got the wheels going around, it's the 'Sir' that you tacked on the end.

Most civilians don't say 'Sir' when greeting somebody with the time of day. That's what foxed him.

A simple 'Mornin', would have done just fine, and would not have been thought of as anything more than a civil pleasantry. As it is, you probably have the poor man as puzzled as a one-armed man with a Rubic cube.

tac

Haha thanks! Yeah it was the Sir part I was talking about, thanks for the response

Bmw123d

Son_of_Belial wrote: »

Haha thanks! Yeah it was the Sir part I was talking about, thanks for the response

But they are referred to as sir so I don’t see what the issue is at all

tac foley

Bmw123d wrote: »

But they are referred to as sir so I don’t see what the issue is at all

The poster, who is a bearded civilian, said it.

I've never heard a civilian call any military officer 'sir'.

Other lower-ranking members of all three armed services, and, of course, AGS, and customs officers, routinely call people 'sir'.

But not a civilian talking to or addressing a military officer.

tac

arybvtcw0eolkf

Just a reaction/reflex and you're most likely thinking about it more than the officer.

Claw Hammer

I once overheard a retired Colonel call a retired General "Sir". It happens quite a bit that people who have retired call their former superior officers "Sir". That Commandant was probably trying to place the O/P. Alzheimer's is probably beginning to set in for the Commandant as well so it is little wonder he looked confused.

tac foley

I wouldn't dream of calling my old boss, a retired Major General, anything except 'Sir' or 'General'. I know what his name REALLY is, but for me he will forever be 'Sir'.

On the other hand, the lady in his local Lidl checkout calls him by his name.

tac

arybvtcw0eolkf

tac foley wrote: »

I wouldn't dream of calling my old boss, a retired Major General, anything except 'Sir' or 'General'. I know what his name REALLY is, but for me he will forever be 'Sir'.

On the other hand, the lady in his local Lidl checkout calls him by his name.

tac

Same goes for me, and as for the Lidl lady, I always say that once we're outside the gates civvies don't know the difference (or care) between a Private soldier and a Brig.Gen ~ we're all soldiers with first names.

Claw Hammer

"You will always be Sir to me, Sir."