How would you react to an E2 who "smart mouths" you in formation?

You dismiss everyone but him and the squad/section leader. Climb up one side then down the other on the section leader and give the offender toilet cleaning duty for the nexy 30 days. between the toilet cleaning and now his section leader dogging him, he will hopefully learn a lesson. if not, then office hours as we called it, or Captain's mass and bust him down to private or bad conduct discharge. Insubordinate pukes get marines killed in combat!

I don't let anyone disrespect me ever! The second you let this punk smart off and get away with some bull crap counseling you lose authority and respect. I would knock him out cold!!!!

I would write the E-2 up and recommend him or her for a Article 15 under the UCMJ.

Too many second chances. Your in formation. Demand an explanation, i.e information gathering begins immediately. If there is nothing to hide... there is nothing to hide from. If the E2 requests privacy prior to disclosure in formation for refusing a direct order, dismiss all except senior staff (witnesses) and immediate supervisor. If there is a reasonable excuse or explanation, undertake appropriate actions to correct whatever the E2 brought to your attention. If the issue is unfounded and without merit, commence with reduction of pay, Article 15 and removal from service. If the issue is found to have merit, commencement action for the manner the E2 took, rather than bring the issue up in another appropriate setting. Loss of pay at a minimum over a short time, no more than a pay period, not less than $50.00.

If there are no reasonable explanations, dismiss all but senior staff (Witnesses), and immediate supervisor, commence action for removal from service under Article 15. There is a waiting line of volunteers to take an E-2's place without suffering a significant loss of that E-2's training.

Calling him or her out before all in formation shows that you can and will accept the responsibilities of being a supervisor and will seek out the truth of the matter asserted...in front of all. You never hide from a lower enlisted, especially in E1-E2 status... Discipline was learned in Basic... there are E-1 and E2's in basic training settings. This appears on the surface to be in a basic training or in a secondary education setting as presented...but like with most posts...the information provided is limited, only showing disrespect to the Senior Non Com's authority.

Either way, as presented, the E-2 is in deep shit if I were the Non Com... I never had that happen under the short circumstances presented, But knee jerking didn't happen with me either, and I never hid nor tried to be something I wasn't.

I was always straight up with my troops. I never lied to them, told then that is the way it is, didn't try to be a bad ass, sympathized when proper, told them I had their back if they were in the right, but was their worst enemy of they lied to me or were jerking my chain.

For an E2 to disrespect and refuse an order from an NCO in formation needs to be dealt with right then. Don't bring him to Top, unless it is for UCMJ action. Assign the job to others for accomplishment of the mission, deal with the E2,between the E5 and his PSG and figure the proper punishment. Make sure the rest of the platoon knows that the E2 was punished so that they know it did not go unpunished. The E2 also owes the soldiers that accomplished his duty an apology.

Garrison and Field are two separate arenas, agreed. But for an E-2 to flippantly talk back to an NCO in ANY formation is INSUBORDINATION, and needs to be dealt with firmly and in formation. I agree with the other comments about sending said private to talk with the TOP. Any good NCO who's made it to that level will square that troop away. Even if this was a garrison unit, and not a combat unit, good discipline is what makes for good soldiers and a good unit. Just like a other comments have stated, letting this one slip (or get by) shows lack of discipline on his part and lack of backbone in the NCO. Neither one would be respected after that.

I would inform the rest of the squad that e-2 such and such doesn't want to be part of the team . Have the squad come up with his punishment for you . Or have the rest of the squad do the work that e-2 such and such was supposed to do:)

This is sad and reflects on just how far the standards have dropped since I was in. Had they done this to me they would have been dropped on the spot so everyone could see that it would not be tolerated, a counseling statement would have been done and depending on the individual 2 more would have followed and they would be facing a Field grade and heading back on the block. I was leaving the Army just when liberals were allowing SM,s to have more rights and question authority as well as the Red /yellow cards they were allowed to "pass out" when they felt intimidated...TOTAL BS, you chose the military and you took an oath, its not a 9-5 job where you decide what you do and dont want to do. Things have gone down hill even more if this is the standard. It openly undermines the NCO's credibility as a leader and questions their integrity in front of everyone. Not good.

Hahaha instant beat down and smoke session for hours ...oops wait a minute, are we outside of the brown fence? Who cares, same result. RLTW

Their is so much failure in this short description. Failure on the boot next to him for not jumping down his throat. Failure on his team leader for not doing the same. But wait there's more... he still has a squad leader who is almost certainly an E5 as well who should immediately be in his face. Then comes you! It's obvious that your command has failed you as well. The fact that apparently you are close to picking up a SNCO rank and need to ask advice on how to correct some kid fresh out the school house is amazing! Haven't you ever been to an NCO school? I'd assume that throughout your x amount of years of service you have seen people get corrected. Did you think to pay attention? The answer to your question is to make his life a living hell. Make him realize that it is much easier to listen the first time than try to get into a pissing contest with you! I always used the tone of voice that was appropriate for that specific situation and for that specific person. You should know what the best way to get through to that person bc he is under your charge! Put him on weekend duties. Put him on the second to last fire watch. Give him the crappiest working party details. Invite him over at zero dark thirty with you to go on a nice long run. Make him sweep the sunshine off the sidewalk. Most of all, lead by example. After all, we are war fighters and I don't know about you but I always preferred to feel a little more comfortable knowing the guy with the loaded gun next to me cared about my well being as much as I cared about theirs.

It's 0036 and I can't sleep as usual, so I decided to checkout rallypoint. Are you kidding me! This crap isn't really happening, is it? Didn't check what branch, and to be honest, it really doesn't matter. Having said that, in my twenty plus years in the Infantry, I don't recall a private blatantly telling an NCO he wasn't going to do something. I'm not going to tell you what I would have done, because quit frankly, I retired in 1999, and obviously a lot has changed. Some for the better I hear, but apperantly the discipline piece is lacking. I think that regardless of how outdated and old I feel, one (A leader) should establish his position from the very beginning. If your buds with the lower enlisted one minute, and the next you want to order him or her around, then you're simply setting yourself up for failure. However, if you infact extablished your position from the very beginning and your subordinate still attempts to test his boundaries with you, then you have to make it a significant emotional event for him ASAP, without getting yourself in trouble. Obviously use professional judgment. You wouldn't want him to do flutter kicks or something like that in his Blues, or push-ups during flag detail. Man, my blood pressure went up just reading this! Remember, nothing is complete without the paperwork Airborne! Cover your ass!

Confront them there, tell them to do it, and to see you after formation. After formation, away from the masses, is the time to read them the riot act on what will happen, next time that happens. And, of course document it. If it happens again, deal with it and document it. Leaders run the military, not the privates.

Never undderestimate the value of a good ass-kicking.

Real easy, he would be charged with disobeying a lawful order. Recommend an Article 15, you must send a message to the troops under your command.

Stand fast PVT after formation. Woodline counseling from sun up to sun down!

So, I'm reading all of these responses and there seems to be a whole bunch of "have a witness" and "counsel this or that". My experience when I was an NCO was that if a kid loud talked one NCO in the Battery, it was akin to loud talking all of the NCO's in the Battery. All of the NCO's in the Battery would get the situation squared away. Granted, that was the early '90's in the Corps when things were a bit different. Besides that, lower enlisted guys bucking up on an NCO were very few and far between, very rare.

Hell this always happened when I first joined in 74, the solution is drop every one and have them do push up, then you join them for the second round of push up, then leave so that the rest instruct the E-2.

Thank you posting an interesting question my friend LTJG (Join to see).
As a PV2 Combat Engineer I never smart mouthed in formation. As a PFC USMAPS cadet candidate I never smart-mouthed in formation. As an acting Drill-cadet-Sgt at Fort Dix in 1978, no PV2 or PVT smart mouthed to me in formation.
As in infantry Platoon Leader, I never experienced a PV2 or any other rank smart-mouthing in formation. If they did, the platoon NCO's would pull him aside and correct him via counseling.
FYI MSG Danny Mathers SSG Roger Ayscue PO1 Robert Ryan 1SG Joseph Dartey SSG Bill McCoy 1LT Peter Duston MSgt James Parker SMSgt Lawrence McCarter SPC Michael Terrell SSG Edward Tilton SSG Derrick IozzioSSG (Join to see) CW3 Matt Hutchason CPT Pedro Meza CW4 Craig Urban PO3 Edward Riddle CMDCM John F. "Doc" Bradshaw MSgt Bj Jones

Is this "REALLY" a question, or has the military gotten that soft?!?!
He'd have two holes to crap out of by the time I'm done with him. I had a duffelbag Private tried that with me as an E-5P...I made him a civilian within a year. I had all his counsel statements from his Team Chief given to me as a Section Sergeant. After having his ass on extra-duty and Art.15 for his insubordination and a few other things, he was sent on his merry way...

This is an excellent question. I've seen this occur a few times during My career in the Military. It mostly occurs with an E-1 fresh out of boot camp or BCT. He or She have a better understanding of the rank structure and have more respect for an NCO, which in many cases it's a title that's earned to achieve. For example, if that E-1 Seaman Recruit does that to a E-5 Petty Officer Second Class, and mostly lively that E-5 is a work center supervisor NCO. He or She has the authority to issue that new person a negative counseling statement to correct His or Her deficiency. Now this would be somewhat similar within the Army or whatever type of unit their assigned too. So when the E-2 PFC Soup Sandwich decides to talk like that to an E-5 SGT NCO, and in many cases He or She already a Team Leader or Squad Leader. That PFC with His mosquito wings is asking for trouble. Because He or She is disobeying a direct order from an NCO, which is His or Hers Supervisor. One or two thing may occur, they will receive a negative counseling statement based upon their behavior or they will do some random exercise task picked by the NCO such Cherry Pickers, Overhead Arm Claps, Mountain Climbers for about an hour, or whatever time the NCO decides it should be. I'm sure that will change their whole outlook after that situation.