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

Give him the blow he got, that is the right thing.

Even though I'm not anecessarily E5 and above, but I do as told by all no in my unit. They say clean, I ask where. They say draw weapons, I say Roger Sergeant, and go draw. That e2 needs a lot of corrective training

For the E2s blantant disregard and lack of discipline i would simply assign some extra duties such and sweeping the flightline or vacumming the hangarbay tracks, waxing the floors, cleaning walls, cleaning padeyes, cleaning the smoke pit, cleaning the head all while i watch and make him or her remember that they are an junior E2 and if they canot complete the assigned task, then why didnt they ask instead of telling an E5 to shove it.

I wouldn't

Loved the first answer. The second response is reflective of what is going on today. "Why?" is their battle cry and it isn't just in the military. Across the board, young people constantly question authority, whine, worry about everyone else instead of THEMSELVES! Drives me crazy! :)

I had a situation like that where I gave out four assignments to four E-3 and below who were on restriction already and extra duty. I told them from the get-go, first one at the site gets the best job, last one gets the worst job and explained the jobs. The last one to get there complained about his assignment and I reminded him of the entire situation and gave him another chance to do the work and he refused. I told him one more time to get in and do it or leave the space and answer to his CPO in the morning. He left, but that did not work out well the next morning.

Hopefully this would be the last formation of the day so I would have the soldier along with his squad leader and the rest of his quad standing at parade rest for considerable mount of hours after everyone else had been released. I would hope that the rest of his teammates could convince him not to wear glasses in formation.

Punc in the face that what we do in my army if someone is an ass

If I were the sergeant major, this private soon learn exactly how much authority a sergeant major as and he would be disciplined in writing and restricted from the post PX for a given time. I would also cancel the other soldier, and give him a better way to approach this situation.

I would remind him that I couldn't make him do anything that I could damn sure make you wish you done what I asked