Posted on Oct 16, 2016
How would you react to an E2 who "smart mouths" you in formation?
1.85M
16.7K
5.38K
1.5K
1.5K
0
Here's the background. You're a senior E5. Your troops are in formation and you're handing out work for the day. You hand out an assignment to a fresh E2 with less than a year in and only a few months at your command. They blatantly complain and tell you to choose someone else. You calmly tell them they will do this task and they tell you to shove it and give it to someone else. How do you react?
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3697
What you are describing is insubordination. You may want to warn him of a Letter of Reprimand, if it happens again.
(0)
(0)
SGT Randall Smith
A letter of reprimand? This is an Article 15 beyond a doubt. If one gets away with it then you have a whole platoon doing it for fun. When this happen in our company the CO had no problem with 3 months in Long Bin Prison for lessons.
(0)
(0)
Life would become very difficult for the young man! As others stated, I would direct the E2 to remain where he was, dismiss the others, and have a heart to heart with him. I never cared for giving paperwork to slackers or insubordinates. One time during the early '90s, I gathered my guys and asked for a 2 volunteers for a crappy job. My 2 best stood up & said they'd do whatever was needed. I sent them home for a 3 day weekend & kept the 3 slackers back and "supervised" them cleaning the toilets. Toothbrush style. Normally, I had very few slackers, but when I did, I didn't mind taking away any free time they might have coming.
(0)
(0)
Every child is supposed to be able and should follow orders. Unless the gentleman is told to do something morally wrong or unlawful, the person in charge may request that the young person change his mind. The officer should do as a father would do, take away something from the individual. An example would be to that evening declare his bunk off-limits and the soldier must sleep on the floor no pillow just a sheet and a blanket. Also, the E5 could send the person to a "head doctor" to be encouraged to re-examine why he is in the army. If the person changes their attitude then he ought to be commended, if not, additional discipline should be assigned by the "head doctor" appropriate if no change then a dis-honorable discharge from the Army which would be noted by any civilian employer in any interview.
(0)
(0)
SGT Randall Smith
I do hope that you are joking. If he made it through Basic then he knows what is expected of him. You do not and can not put up with this crap.
(0)
(0)
I think it might depend a little on your branch of service and job specialty. I was in the Army in a combat MOS. Failure to instantly follow my orders could mean death to all. in peace time with a work assignment I would write him up without hesitation. In my time, if were in the field in peace time I'd beat the crap out of him. If I thought I couldn't I'd get help. This would be the first infraction the second I would drum him out of the service. I was also a recruiter and Station Commander and in that capacity I would never do the later. It would all be paperwork.
(0)
(0)
Well first off if he embarrasses me in formation after I give him instructions to do something, then you can bet your bottom dollar ass that he is going to get embarrassed in front of his peers. Don't think that you come to my formation and then have the balls to back talk me and then expect me to take you to a private place to talk, Oh Hell No!!!! Then if you continued to get lippy then we make a march for the Platoon Sergeants Office and take it from there and oh by the way I am authorized to grab you and move you to where I want you to go. That is the problem with the military today, we have to many people that want to make a day job. Well it's not it is 24/7 365 and you are on recall at all times. Don't ever think that you have to stand down because someone talks back, if we let that happen then we will be seen as weak. It seems as we are going backwards instead of forwards.
(0)
(0)
I would take him to a private place and tell him in no uncertain terms what he is going to do!
(0)
(0)
The 'Gunny's' response is the best. Unlike when my uncle was a Marine in 1960 , the NCO isn't allowed to kick his ass. Maybe the military needs to go back to that. Of course you can PT the individual to death or if the problem persists I suppose UCMJ action would have to be implemented.
(0)
(0)
I know times have changed since the early '70's when I served aboard destroyers, but I failed to follow a simple command from an E-6, we were in a new foreign port exchanging currency and they passed the word to Report to Quarters..it was standard practice in order to give us the same info about VD, when to be back on board, be good, etc..I was nearly up to the cash guy and my friends behind me gave me their money to exchange and said they'd tell the Chief...but this 1st Class came by and told me to get up to Quarters..I tried to explain..Nope..GIT. I didn't. Five minutes later I show up, cash in hand...my friends want nothing to do with me...as the Chief zooms in...Not only do I get nary a sound out..my ass gets chewed like it had never..ever been chewed before...and I then spent an hour in a steam locker cleaning air vent filters with a high-pressure steam hose. I must have lost 5 pounds in there. The chief asked if I learned my lesson..OH HELL YEAH. After that I didn't care how stupid an order...I polished brightwork in the rain once...I did it.
(0)
(0)
I would say it is time for a blanket party. We are trained as a team ,one unit if one team member fails we all do. Especially in combat it could cost the life one of your team members.
(0)
(0)
As a new E4 and am wanting to become an NCO in the future, I would ask him to stay behind after formation and remind him that we all as soldiers have jobs to do, these jobs help the machine run, if one cog refuses to spin then the machine comes to a standstill. Of course the dirtiest of jobs aren't really desired but they must be done in order for missions to be completed. Its for the greater good of the team. Now if the soldier had continued to refuse? Then of course corrective action must be taken and a DA 4856 must be written out. This kind of behavior especially in front of a Platoon is completely unacceptable. The punishment should fit the crime. I would have him write a 5 thousand word essay on disrespecting an NCO.
(0)
(0)
SGT Randall Smith
WOW, you are going to explain to him every thing he should have been taught in Basic Training and AIT. Then have him write an essay. Why not have him go stand in the corner and promise to be nice. No my friend, this is Article 15 time. Restrict him to base for a couple of weeks and take some of his pay, he will remember then.
(0)
(0)
When I was inTheMilitary, things where totally different. There was wall to wall consultation. Also a Matter of Respect
(0)
(0)
I would call them into my area for a private conversation and they would do what I told them to do. And they also would do extra duty on lybo days for their disrespect. And then if they continue they would get NJP.
(0)
(0)
It is hard for me to answer this question, in my military career I never had anyone disrespect me or disobey my instructions, but IF it would happen, I would take the individual aside and council him on his lack of judgement and give him a chance to correct his mistake. If he still failed to act I would request NJP charges be filed on him for Disobedience of a lawful order issued by a NCO. You have to take action immediately. Failure to take action in your part will affect the moral and discipline of your unit. You have to show your troops that in peace or combat you are incharge and your orders no matter how insignificant they may seem to you.
(0)
(0)
Find the reasoning for the insubordination and evaluate. If the reasoning is flawed then explain and smoke his ass and counsel him. If the insubordination continues cause of his butt being hurt, hurt his pocket with a Article 15. He then will fall in line.
(0)
(0)
Who joins the Military and mouths off to a Superior?? An idiot son of an asshole!? Im dumbfounded how PFC dipshit thought this was a viable remark without any physical repercussions.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next