Has anyone ever been in a screaming match or any altercation with their superiors?

When I was a primary staff officer at the brigade level, one day our Colonel had the XO and me in for something and he just lost it screaming. But that was his favorite way to command, scream at someone, usually Captains. As he was screaming, the XO and I just looked at each other like this guy had lost his mind. It was the only time he did that to us and he later made three stars. My wife and I had the Bde Cdr and his wife to our quarters for dinner one night and he happened to mention they didn't get may invitations. I couldn't imagine why!

As a Combat Medic in Vietnam 67/68. Yes many times

some thing that will get them to hit you in front of witness

While in Basic, the CC,informed us we could have family visit for Thanksgiving dinner.As you can imagine,after last formation,everyone headed for the only 2 phones in the company area.I had duty that did not end until 8 pm.After calling My wife,I was late getting back to the barracks.My platoon Sgt stopped me.Some words ensued, and I was told to get out of his sight.In formation the next morning,in a loud voice,he informed me l would not be going to Thanksgiving dinner,but not to worry as he would entertain my wife.I lost it as I busted formation.He lost a stripe and I cleaned the Battalion floors the rest of Basic.Fair trade.

I was an Infantry Captain on my 2nd tour and was the Headquarters Commandant. A 1st tour LTC (Chem Corp) Dep G3 called me and wanted to know why he didn’t have new clean sheets. I commented that it was Vietnam and I couldn’t shit sheets. The G3 SGM was in the background laughing his butt off and the LTC locked my heels and told me no one ever talked to him like that and I reminded him that he was in Vietnam and couldn’t have everything he had back home. I am sure he had a conniption fit but the Real G3 came to me later and apologized. His SGM had told him about the encounter and they had a good laugh.

As an NCO I knew better then to say a word when I was called in-on-the-carpet (this case the sand). It was in the middle of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and as a hard charging 19K stuck behind the desk due to food poisoning and ultimately dysentery. After 3 days with IVs in almost every vein I felt it was my duty mo matter what to relieve my subordinate after manning the post for 3 days. Anyway moments before the CORP commanders SITREP his chief-of-staff decided to test me a new one for have a less than a killer look on my face.

(Back story: I was a 92G, but was also Supply & Maintenance for my dining facility) Story: I occasionally yelled at newly promoted E-5s and laterally promoted Corporals because privates and some Specialists would ignore the sign right above the garbage disposal that lists the food items to NOT put down the garbage disposal (i.e. egg shells, bones, rice, and grease). Rice was commonly put down the disposal with would turn into cement in the pipes and back everything up, rendering the garbage disposal useless until it was serviced by contractors. Them: "I never showed you disrespect before I became a Corporal/Sergeant. I expect you to show me the same respect." I wouldn't say anything in response; just stare at them and think, "Then watch them and make sure their not putting rice down the disposal."

I actually threw a set of keys back at my Drill Instructor after he decided I was moving too slow for his taste. Everyone was shocked, thinking that I would at least be mountain climbing on the quarterdeck forever. I guess he was so shocked at what I had done stunned him . Just gave me a look, and proceeded back into the Drill Instructors hut. Graduation Day, he approached me, shook my hand, and told me I was a crazy SOB, and was surprised I was guaranteed aviation, instead of going into the 0300 types of MOS.

And this is no shit.... It was 1976 or so, I was assigned to Naval Schools Construction, Port Hueneme, CA as an instructor at Builder Class 'A' School.

The Navy, even the Seabees, is regulated by the Plan of the Day (POD), which covers mundane matters like designating the proper uniforms. E-6 and below were to wear Seabee 'greens' or dungarees. One day I showed up in dungarees, looking every inch Popeye. The school was run by an old E-8 Builder who took exception with my choice of uniforms. I felt I was being bullied but pointed out that the POD authorized me to wear either uniform and the fight was on. We were in his office yelling at one another when he threatened to take me before the command Executive Officer (XO), I said "Let's go!". We arrived at the command admin building, home to both CO and XO. The senior chief offered me 'one last chance to backdown'. When I declined, the yelling broke out again right on the front steps of the admin building where we managed to attract some attention and the XO stepped out to see what was going on. The XO asked and the senior chief explained the nature of our dispute, sort of. When my turn came I explained that I was in proper uniform as per the POD and the senior chief, with whom I had a history, had 'gone off' on me. The XO explained to the senior chief that I was indeed in the proper uniform, either uniform was correct and the choice was mine. End of that dispute. I never wore dungarees again though.

Air Force, a number of Senior Disaster Prep NCOs had a conference at Numbered AF to develop a checklist to be used for self inspections at the unit level. Designed to aid newly assigned personnel to see the function and setup of the division. New captain assigned to my office decided rather than using the checklist as designed, he wanted to rewrite it, with his signature. Behind closed doors I tried to explain the purpose and scope of the checklist, but he figured he knew better. I raised my intensity level and told him about 45 years of combined experience is behind each and every item on that list and only an idiot, or an extremely egocentric fool would change it. Sergeant and Captain were repeated a number of times by each of us - guess he finally saw that I was not going to back down, and conceded to the fact he was wrong. No matter the ranks, in one on one situations, keep it private, keep it within proper military boundaries [during our debate, many words my mouth wanted to inject, the brain overrode] keep it military. In the end logic and experience won out.