U.S.S. Elysium :: Wiki - Military protocol

Military Protocol and Customs
Addressing
1. The use of "sir" will always be used with an OFFICER of higher rank. It is a plain show of respect for rank, even if he/she is "outranked" in terms of position. Enlisted personnel are never addressed as "sir" unless they are a Warrant Officer. Warrant Officers are considered enlisted personnel with commissions as officers in their specific specialty fields.
2. The use of "ma'am" in Starfleet is used only if it is the known personal preference of the female officer — "sir" is used for all genders and all races in Starfleet out of respect to asexual races (not all races have just male or female genders).
3. The commanding officer of a starship is referred to as "captain," as he/she is the captain of the ship, regardless of rank.
4. When asked a question by a superior officer, the proper response is "yes sir" or "no sir" (substitution of their rank in place of "sir" is also approporiate)
5. When given an order, the response is "aye aye sir." ("aye aye" stands for "I understand and will obey")
6. In addressing personnel by rank, it is not necessary to call them by their full rank. In other words, you do not walk down a corridor and say "Good morning, Lieutenant Commander," or "Hello, Petty Officer First Class." Therefore, the following are abbreviated addresses for both officers and enlisted: