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

In the modern Army you probably should kiss his ass.

This is clearly a case of insubordination and could be handled with an article 15. However, I would prefer what our Platoon Sergeants did when they encountered a smart mouth and that to have them drop and do 50 push ups. If they refused, then follow up with the insubordination with the commanding officer.
This is necessary because unity is necessary in a unit.
My basic was pure hell as we ran everywhere, did 10 push ups, chin ups and sit ups before every meal and then told the mess hall was not a recreation area and to move out if we casually ate. Any disruption meant a two mile run. Did it work? Yes, it did and I was prepared for the Tet Offensive in Viet Nam. My Platoon Sergeant was still at Fort Leonard Wood when I returned from Viet Nam and I went there and personally thanked him for preparing us for combat.

In the 1968 USAF, this confused young man would be standing in front of the 1st Sgt. He would be advised of Article 134, Relieved of Duty, assigned to a Work Detail pending Article 15 action by his Commander and possible Discharge. The War in Vietnam was building and the Draft still existed for individuals Discharged from the USAF.

I would tell him that he is currently holding the last rank insignia that points up he will hold in his career and further counsel him/her on the error of their ways. A hard put down immediately executed at the moment beats an official paper trail that often holds no corrective action or an opportunity to repair the damage without making it a big thing. The second offense would be the deserved smoke and scunion.

Last time that happen, the young man and I had a talk with the first sgt. After our little talk the young man knew what to do or L.B.J. would be his next address of residence. He busted his ass and made a good E-4 team leader.

I am fairly certain that my initial response would be to smile broadly and say "Oh, this is going to be fun!"

If the others in the squad liked him, it is likely that their assholes would tighten up quite a bit just hearing that phrase. If they didn't like him, they would probably be working hard to stifle a laugh.

There are always simple solutions to the first time such a thing happens. Extra work while all of his peers coach him and cheer him on generally is something troops don't want to repeat.

Oddly, I used to have other sergeants drop by and ask me for extra detail
suggestions when it came to such things because apparently I was a devious cold hearted son-of-a-bitch with a certain streak of evil. Perhaps because I was already 25 years old when I enlisted and had seen a lot of the business world where there are some truly cold hearted people.

Once, when the First Sergeant at my last duty station (Ft. Hood) saw me coming with a young troop, he figured out what was coming and decided to play along. It started with "Good morning Top! Guess what Private So-and-So gets to do today?" He said "Something really fun I'll bet! and he acted really excited when I told him what I had in mind for the wayward soldier. So happy for him.

I think though, that sitting around with a few E4s discussing such onerous tasks generally meant that the soldiers under their care would eventually hear about it and I seldom had issues. But then again, I was known as being the best sergeant to work with if you wanted to pass the promotion boards or win Soldier of the Month. I had a knack for getting people ready. Of all the things I miss about my Army days, working with younger troops to help them succeed is probably what I miss most.

So, as others have said, the troublemaker might just end up being your best troop if handled correctly.

If the assignment is a lawful order this breach of discipline cannot be tolerated otherwise the moral, cohesion and basic chain of command will be broken rendering the unit under your command unfit to carry out any mission, tactical or otherwise.
You as an NCO or officer must be able to issue orders that you k ow will be carried out in other words Military discipline and structure is not open to debate and or discussion by the soldiers.

That fucker just got double duty and work assignments....got anything else to say?

That fucker just got double duty and work assignments...Period. Got anything else to say?

Private meeting with the individual and the First Sergeant. If the subject in question shows any hint of insubordination at this meeting, he would feel the full force of the UCMJ to include an Article 15. Would further inform this individual if he/she ever exhibited this behavior again. I would begin immediate processing for a general discharge.

Punch him in the throat and hide his corpse next to the dead hooker in the attic

It is a new military, I would have been carrying 5 gallon buckets of sand all day until I decided I wanted to be back in Navy and follow orders. I know it is a volunteer force today, and that is awesome, but we had all enlisted in the Navy (so we were volunteers as well). Enough with the molly coddling, don't let your mouth write checks your ass can't cash. Exercise until you drop, KP or some other shit duty and elevate to brig time if the don't get the message. It's like a cancer and if you don't cut it out it fosters resentment. A soldier has the right to bitch, but under his breath, or to his buddies ,but not in the face of his superior in front of other guys.

Dropped and Smoked !

If it was in front of the whole formation, bring the hammer down in front of the whole formation. Otherwise, take them aside for a little one-on-one. But insubordination CANNOT be tolerated in a chain-of-command.

I would get nose to nose with him and tell him, I gave you an order, follow it or suffer the consequences.! Do you understand ?

One way to end that is to demonstrate that a size 10 boot will in fact fit up his ass. Moreover, it will fit so far up his ass that you can tickle his tonsils by simply wiggling your toes. Perhaps a healthy regimen of 15 hours of leg flutters, mountain climbers and front leaning rest position (you know, during breaks) and having demonstrated his inability to manage E2 responsibilities, a relief of responsibility down to a much easier managed position of E1...indefinitely...could be in order. Maybe discuss with him all the amazing possibilities to look forward to as he follows this path, like spending the rest of his life in a concrete box in Kansas, and spending his outside time swinging a 15 lb sledge hammer turning big rocks into little rocks. :) There are all sorts of possible solutions. As a commander of men (MEN), you have a plethora of options from which to choose.

I don't think the Services have lost their art of dressing down a subordinate. I think I was called everything but a child of God. But, I have seen some very strange things happen.

He would quickly find himself in front of the Commanding Officer for Non-judicial Punishment.

First I count to ten to prevent my being court martialed. Then i would think about the worst possible assignment and let him and all others present know he was going to be assigned that duty. If he was already on the s___bird duty that day then he would discover he was assigned to it for a week.
Shortly after arriving at my first ship I let the Chief know he was assigning me to a working party two days in a row which he usually rotated. An hour later I was reporting to the mess deck master at arms for 3 months mess cook duty. It taught me a lesson that stuck with me and I used the same method years later as a leading petty officer. And yes when this stuff happened I counted to ten.

I never made NCO (safer that way) but seen one E-3 get his ass handed to him - in public! Blatantly disrespected an order from the platoon NCO (E-7P, Nam vet) who proceeded to give him the dressing down of epic proportions. Flat ripped this guy a new ass and then sent him to the CO who proceeded to present this twat E-3 with some great papers - reassignment and loss of some uniform jewelry. Heard ding-a-ling got shipped out to a post stateside as a groundskeeper.