It really doesn’t.
What does work, in every military scenario, is addressing someone by their rank and surname. Then when(if) they reply, having a pronoun section in the signature makes things a lot easier. Well, as long as people actually read them.
English second person pronouns are not gendered, so you don’t need their pronouns to reply.
In the third person, you can always just use rank & name.
Dear AVM Baldrick,
Great to hear from you. I am glad you are feeling better.
Fg Off Blackadder is unwell and will not be in work before Monday.
Thank you for your kind words…
etc.
But that’s fine for an opening gambit, but you then have to keep it rather formal. There’s a Sqn Ldr in the paddling sphere whose first name is completely gender neutral, so until I had a steer on their gender, I had to keep everything formal and first person. Sticking your pronouns in the signature is just an easy way of helping people out.
Ive got my pronouns in mine.
But then i have to… Paracetamol is gender neutral.
I’d use Dear Sir/Ma’am
The civilian equivilant has been acceptable for centuries.
I use that if I’m emailing a group email, or similar role email where I don’t know the name at all. But if I’m replying to someone who’s emailed me, or sending an email to someone who’s name I know only, then it’s a bit rude using ‘Dear Sir/Ma’am’.
For example, emailing someone that just signs their email off with Les or Alex. Could easily be male or female…
If people sign off with their first name, I tend to assume that I can reply in kind.
If they then get uppity, they might take the hint to revise their signature.
When you assume… &c
Defence writing standards are to address a senior by Sir/Ma’am/other appropriate/rank. It doesn’t matter whether they sign off with their forename, or even if they address you by yours.
An equal can be addressed by forename if you know them well enough. The same for a junior.
Getting ‘uppity’ about it is perhaps a touch uneccesary; but if someone politely points it out, just be aware that it’s you who may be in the wrong, and not that they need to rethink their signature.
I find 99% of regular/FTRS are totally comfortable with this - usually they sign off with their first name and I return the email signed off with mine, and bingo we just use first names.
Within the RAFAC (actually, I really mean within the ATC) CFAV community, it’s more like 50%. Lots of you seem to love your ranks.
Very few CCF colleagues start with ‘Dear Sir’, unless they want something…
in my experience it is the WSOs who like their rank (Sqn Ldrs) and having felt they worked for it and thus deserve it, are entitled to the correct compliments.
having been scolded in the past for being to casual in emails i now make sure I am Dear Sir/FS etc to not fall down that trap again (and have often been told, you can drop the “Sir, you can address me as Robert”)
Exactly the same here. I only use first names with those staff I consider friends. It’s such an easy thing for certain WSOs to have a go at me for.
Imagine being a CI, someone who isn’t in the rank chain, being moaned at to use rank with someone who, if they were real military, would have to call you sir as the go to military to civilian etiquette… Baffling.
Welcome to my Wing I guess. OC wing was once visiting an AT activity, and whilst the staff were having a discussion, a CI referred to our WATTO by his first name. OC wing told him off for not using rank. It was staff only, and all staff who knew each other pretty well too. Absolutely mad IMO.
Sorry… Do they forget we are volunteers at a kids club and not in regular service basic training? That’s rediculous!
This is the main reason I have an issue with demanding how to be addressed, whether in person or in emails
I defer to one person only in RAFAC for rank - & that’s the Commandant. 
Absolutely gross.
Lot to be said about that wing.
I sometimes chuck up a salute and “sir” to my contingent commander, but only because I know he hates it from fellow staff unless on parade. If it was demanded then I doubt I’d ever do it
There is more guidance coming on this… but it’s Windows only still. Doesn’t seem that there is a mac version of the cert signing program that is used in Word.
Don’t worry I’ve not forgot though and we’re still digging.
A guide for Mac has just been added to the SBN for this. Give it a whirl.