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

Yes. Yes, I have, I was a PFC at the time and got into a screaming match with our Platoon Leader a Second Lieutenant. About the procedure of a dud explosive using time fuse. We set the Charge and it didn't go off as timed, procedure stats wait 20 minutes. at which time no detonation call Range Control and EOD. The LT didn't think we needed to do all of that and a Sergeant from Combat Engineers that was there to monitor our setting of the charge claimed we must have done something wrong. I argued that is not what happen and that we needed to follow procedures, the LT okayed the Sergeant to inspect the charge as he reached the charge it went off. After the investigation it was bad roll of time fuse.

When I was in 64-67 it was pretty much you never mouthed off to anyone with a higher rank. You got out one of three ways. Finished your tour, Got out of Levenworth. or came home in a box. All this woke shit and discussion or empowerment nonsense is a failing policy. Time will tell!

Never a shouting match or disrespectful to my superiors in anyway. But, I had several “major” confrontations with senior officers over my career, all the way to the end with me as a Battalion Commander having to go over my Brigade Commanders head. My first was as a lieutenant in Germany, I got into it several times with our arrogant and incompetent Infantry Battalion S3 (major) on more than one occasion on “his” first field exercise with the battalion, with him telling me to go to the position of attention while he chewed me out over something I was right about and he was wrong. But, then few senior officers like being told when they’re wrong. I just stood there and took it. When he was finished I saluted, did an about face and went straight to my boss, the Bn Xo, and told him. The very next night after the command and staff meeting the arrogant ass locked me up again, repeated his earlier ass chewing and dared me, over threat of Courts Martial, to ever go over his head again. After, my compulsory salute and about face I went back to the XO and told him thanks for nothing. He said, “What now?” I told him that what ever he told the S3 only made things worse. He told me, “Keep doing your job like you always have and I’ll get this straight.” The next evening after the Command Staff ended the S3 called me over, and this time I just automatically assumed the position. Since, I expected a third ass chewing. The angry S3 immediately got up into my face. Assuming this was it, I clenched my fists expecting to have to defend myself. Instead I looked down and he had his right hand open in my gut. He told me that the BN Commander told him he “had” to apologize to me and allow me to do my job with out his interference. So, his next command was, “Damit, Lieutenant, shake my hand so we can bury the hatchet on this.” He had gotten in my face because he knew every officer in the battalion was watching and he didn’t want anyone to see us shake on it.

I had at least 2 instances.

The first that comes to mind is when I was having a heated argument with my platoon Sgt. I was E5, he was E8. We were arguing how I had certain mission requirements bit be kept loaning out my troops on long assignments do they were unavailable. The best part was that no one really knew what was going on. We were yelling at each other in German. Lol

The next wasn't really serious but amusing. We were on a field exercise. Some, like out 1sg, were housed in a gasthaus. I was on a break and we were playing spades. I was sitting on his cot. He came in and said he wanted to lay down. We were in the middle of a hand so I Altoids him to wait a minute. He grabbed me to get me off his bunk. As I rose up, I picked him up and then laid him on his bunk. A soft body slam if you will. Needless to say, I unaware the area rather quickly. Lol

The last was the same field exercise. It was a rather cold winter and the heaters in my track weren't working and the pot belly stove was worthless even though it was cherry red. I went to the company HQ in the gasthaus to talk to the lead mechanic to get the issue fixed. He would tell me what to do and sent me back to try to fix it several times. Around the 3rd or 4th time I refused to do it. I was insisting he cone out or send a real mechanic. It was below freezing outside but they were sleeping on top of their sleeping bags because it was so warm inside. He was a major cheese eater and made sure he slept next to the company commander. The CPT woke up and asked what was wrong. I explained the situation and he looked at me and said "waah". This set me off. I cussed him out pointingnout he was laying g there in his sweat while he had soldiers on duty freezing. I really let him have it. When I was done he looked at the motor Sgt and told him to go fix it.

All three of these were in the same unit. I had only just been assigned within the last month so they really didn't know me, or me them. They learned quick that I line to have fun but will go to great lengths to protect my soldiers and get the mission done. Good times.

I (an E5) was in the Chief's mess fixing their CCTV when a CPO came in and asked the EMC if one of his guys could take a look at something and the Chief Engineer (O2 mustang who converted @E6) spoke up and said no. The EMC turned and looked at him and commenced to question him on who the F he thought he was, speaking up in the Chief's mess and for him to get the F out of there until he was invited back. it went back and forth a bit, but the CHENG left with his tail between his legs.

For one it is childless and serves no purpose getting to a resolution. I have broke up a couple in my 21 years but I never got into that situation. When I sense it was leading to this, I walked away and went higher up with my issue. Talk like humans and not like animals.

Yes, in Vietnam a new officer had my squad line up for rifle inspection, I was first as the squad leader, he told me my rifle was rusty the m16 did not rust (it discolored) I told that and we went into a shouting match ( the squad fell on the ground laughing their butts off) finally he agreed with me and told me to take of it, I said yes sir. The first sgt. told me to color it with a pencil, it worked.

I lost E-5 over this.

I had a couple guys who were so ate up it wasn't funny... no amount of 'retraining' was working and I got locked up in front of Top and my Platoon SGT and I lost my bearings... I felt like they weren't being fair... these two guys didn't give a shit whether they got kicked out or not and I was the person chosen to 'not give them the pleasure' yet I was being chewed out over it.

I dropped bearing and went into 'fuck it I don't care who you are' mode..... First SGT's eyes got as big as dollars and my Platoon SGT just facepalmed.

Not gonna lie, I wanted to freaking cry I was so angry.

It was NOT in a private room... the door was open and the people gathered around the day-room all heard. Top slammed the door before he lit my ass up and SGT Moss had to 'deal' with me.

Only other time it happened was in Desert Storm... me and some of the other guys would play cards and our squad leader, an E-5 (I was E-4 still) told us to move somewhere else to play. (he wanted the space for himself and another E-5 he was... 'seeing'... both married back home) I saw no reason he could justify it and I ignored him... he came back a few minutes later and he and I stepped outside and walked out of ear-shot and he brought rage out in me and I lost bearing on that one. We ended up in front of our Platoon SGT, who was NOT happy to be disturbed this late, and he was fair and told SGT Mac that he had told us we could use that space (he had NOT told us we could, and it was a common space, so he was obviously siding with me but not saying it as to not disrespect SGT Mac). That time I got in no trouble and never heard another word about it but he and I never saw eye to eye after that.

To this day I defend myself as justified for both of those incidences despite the trouble I got in for the first one. Service isn't supposed to be fair... and I know I was technically wrong in the first case... BUT... I never claimed that I was a career soldier. hahaha

Only once, I barked at the Sr Sgt in our shop after he asked me to do something trivial. No big deal we’re big boys nothing came of it. Would have been worse for him than me though, guy was fresh from Oki.

I could write a book and I have many witnesses. There are some soldiers I served with that if you mentioned my name they would probably reply with, "Oh yeah, let me tell you what that Sgt. did once. You won't believe this shit. LOL. I will say this however, there was never a time that I "had a confrontation" with a superior that I knew 1,000% I was right. With that said there are some instances I regret and wish I had just sucked it up but it had to stop.