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

Time for behind the barracks drill!

Holy bats@#t Batman...let's just say that even if they had only been under my command for a few days they would already know that this was a quick surefire way to be on a fast rope to hate life ville. I believed in one thing more than anything else as a leader and as a soldier. Obedience to all orders unless they were illegal or put someone in unacceptable danger during peacetime. ALL my soldiers as well as all the soldiers within my unit knew this to be true so for one of my own to disobey would probably get a few exasperating remarks from all different ranks in my Platoon

First of Chief (OC) George Martin how would you handle it? Second, I would hope that a senior E5 in any service would instinctively know exactly how to handle it!

After I relate what it was like on my first ship in the Navy I’ll tell you what I would have done.

Assigned to the Deck Force on my first ship, the USS SPERRY (AS12) a WWII Sub Tender, we had a daily routine. We were up 30 minutes before reveille on the wooden weather decks sweeping and swabbing. If it didn’t meet the Division LPO (a BM1/E6) we did it again, sweep and swab, no complaining allowed. The Deck Department had a Torpedoman 3rd Class (TM3/E4) who was the Department “Enforcer”. He was, as nicknames in the service go, called Tiny. At 6’5” and 245# he was anything but Tiny. If you were sent down to get a tool from Tiny you came back with the tool. If you not up to snuff the BM2 or BM1 would say “Go see Tiny” a not pleasant trip you’d have. I don’t know anyone getting sent to see Tiny the second time!

You can not do that today; although if his peers suffered along with him, like liberty delayed and his squad mates knew why they were working 2 extra hours it wouldn’t take long before the peer pressure would probably set him straight. It’s an excellent way to build teamwork. I can honestly say in my 30 years I’ve only had one person push me close to the limit. I didn’t take it to kindly when a E5 was claiming to all who would listen that he could do my job better then I. Unfortunately when you’re a CWO4 on your twilight tour of duty and on a 270’ long cutter the word gets back to you in a hurry! He ended up appealing the semi-annual evaluations I gave him; and I was asked by the XO (my boss) if I would change a couple of them instead of having it go to the CO…I did; but point made.

Had a case sinikar to thus when I was stilk a Pv2 while at Benning for jump school. There was another Pv2 in another squad, same platoon though, that mouthed off to one of tge Jump Masters before a training jump. That night Pv2 Dipshit was the proud receiver of an old fashioned "blanket party" Pv2 Shitbird went crying to the Top about what happened, He was unable to identify who the responsible partues were though. Somehow the Jump Master did manage ti figure out who the culprits were though. He calked us to the side that afternoon after trainibg and thanked us for straightening Pv2 Dipshit out though, with a warning to never do it again. Pv2 Dipshit straightened his act out and gradyated 3rd in our class from jump school. I ran into him again a few years later when I was at Bragg for a joint training exercise. He was in medical hold pending a medical discharge where he broke both his legs, his back and one arm during a bad jump.

In a manner that would change his attitude and life!! Semper Fi! 68-71

Normally I was always taught to praise in public and chastise in private however, in this case when you are blatantly disrespected in front of your squad you need to squash it right there with everyone listening. This sends the message to all hands that you are in charge and here's what the consequences are if you want to challenge me. Leave no room for interpretation.

Shove it? Smdh. Wtf is wrong with kids these days?

Low crawl through the mud pit, than roll over and do flutter kicks... till I’m tired!

If he told me to shove it I would shove my fist in his goddam mouth.

My Company Commander hit me square in the chest and knocked the wind out of me for replying to his question with "yeah", instead of "Yes, Sir."