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

Put he/she in a front leaning rest position and have he/she knock ‘‘em out til YOU get tired! What’s with this crybaby military? I retired in 2015 after 39 years total between Active and Reserves. Nip it in the bud in front of everybody, and since we are in the ‘video age’, record it so that he can put it on Twitter.

Do a counseling chit first. Then make sure his or her evals reflect their attitude and note of the counseling.

Since you are directly assigning work, I assume that you are the first line leader of the recalcitrant PFC. You must take immediate action, so the elsewhere recommended PFC X stand fast while all others fall out is correct. The questions about bad news or other morale body blows are briefly appropriate to allow you to determine if there is a serious problem that it is both possible and appropriate for you to assist in resolving. Then you must determine consequences and corrective action. Public insubordination cannot go without penalty. However, the penalty should take into consideration any legitimate extenuating circumstances that you discovered during your “heart to heart” talk with the PFC. Hopefully, s/he removes his/her head from its obvious location and asks permission to carry out your orders… A counseling statement is a good start, but public insubordination is warned against and potential dire consequences explained multiple times from the time a recruit exits the bus at the basic training station. A trip to the PSG ad the !SG are required. A repentant PFC might merit a summary form article 15 that remains in the unit when he leaves. A hard head that refuses to acknowledge reality and attempt to minimize his penance in most cases should be be recommended for a formal article 15 and in extreme cases separation. This whole situation is tragic. For the sake of good order and discipline of all the soldiers involved or who learn of the incident blatant public insubordination cannot be tolerated… everyone loses. Are these recommendations a panacea for all such incidents? No, however, exceptions should be few. Having the good judgement to analyze cause and effects and with the counsel of the PSG and 1SG other more creative and hopefully more constructive actions may be appropriate. “Wall to wall counseling” by NCOs solved many low level problems in the fairly distant past but are no longer tenable. Whenever we find a publicly insubordinate soldier, there is a trail of leadership failures that allowed him/her to arrive in your formation. The problem should stop with your unit.

Smoke them like a cheap pack of smokes

Start a counseling statement right away! they are very informational and it reminds them of the penalties and harsh consequences they can face for insubordination, they can face demotion, pay without pay, and out processing under dishonorable. DO NOT LET IT SLIDE! it will get rid of the bad apples before they spoil the rest.
Retired Army SFC :-)

Start a counseling statement right away! they are very informational and it reminds them of the penalties and harsh consequences they can face for insubordination, they can face demotion, pay without pay, and out processing under dishonorable. DO NOT LET IT SLIDE! it will get rid of the bad apples before they spoil the rest.
Retired Army SFC :-)

You smoke their ass until they puke. As soon as their done puking, you do it again until they puke

The Proper Motivation. First I dismiss everyone for the day, except Pv2 Dipweed, while At Attention, he waits for me to speak to him, I go to my office, grab a cup of coffee for a bit, go back to PV2 Dipweed and breathe all in his face the human smell of coffee and invite him to my office, I casually tell my clerk that I "Don't' want to be disturb for 10 minutes and ignore anything he/she hears. After 5 minutes, holy crap, a brand new PV2 is re-born. Don't need boxing gloves just "The Proper Movtivation". (Black Belt in Tae-Kwon-Do Helps me). No Reply's needed.

Seems to me and I remember it well you dish out an article 15! If it escalates it continues on up the JAG process untill eventually Levenworth or discharge which ever comes first. Oh wait I forgot we're now dealing with snowflakes oh yeah a whole nother mindset!

Reply. It is your assignment. No argument.