In the Marine Corps, which follows Navy traditions, we used the word skipper for the commander that most influence over out day to day lives. That was the company commander not the platoon leader. So we referred to the company commander as skipper.
We also used the Navy formality of calling O1 grade (ensigns and second lieutenants) officers mister Don't know about the ensigns, but second lieutenants generally wanted to be called lieutenant. While lower grade enlisted often addressed them as they preferred, we noncoms just could not resist calling them mister to make sure they understood that title has to be earned. Once they got over their new officer gloating we called them lieutenant.
Sounds good to me.
In the Navy, as I recall, a junior officer was addressed as Mister up through lieutenant (O-3). LCDR and above were addressed by rank. This ended in the seventies, I think, at which time all officers were addressed by rank, even, IIRC, gunners, whom the Navy and Army call warrant officers or chief warrant officers, as the case may be. Around the same time, or exactly the same time, E-4 to E-6 started getting called Petty Officer Whatshisname, instead of just Whatshisname, as had been the practice for the last few centuries.
Reminds me of the Chief grabbing some non-rate for a **** detail and asking him what his name was. The sailor answered, "John."
"John, is it, you ****-for-brains? You're in the ****ing Navy now. I call you by your last name, and you call me by my first name - Chief. Do you understand that, you dingleberry? Now what is your name, sailor?"
"Darling, Chief. John Darling."
"Thank you. Now here's what I need you to do, John . . ."
