What do you do when a soldier refuses to listen to your directions?

As a NCO, you are responsible for enforcing the standards. In order to do this you must know what the standards are. Soldiers will respect you when you know what you are talking about and know the standards you are enforcing.

If you tell a Soldier to do something as long as it is legal the Soldier should execute it. If not, the question becomes what is it about you that makes the Soldier feel that he/she can just blow you off? Make sure you are enforcing the standards all the time and not just some of the time. Soldiers are always watching you whether you believe it or not.

Discipline is the key here. For some reason, the Soldier felt it was ok to display a lack of discipline towards you. I would put it in writing on a 4856, but I wouldn't recommend UCMJ punishment unless the Soldier has a behavioral pattern of been disrespectful. I would also give the Soldier corrective training. (Write on essay on why disrespect will not be tolerated in the unit and have the Soldier present it to other Soldiers in the platoon.)

NCOs have to enforce the standards. Show your Soldiers respect and demand the same from them.

I separated from active duty as an Air Commando in 1971 and went full time Reserve with another Air Commando unit running the bomb dump. One of my clowns had this attitude when I assigned several of them to assemble munitions. I asked if he was sick and gave him the opportunity to go to sick call. He refused. I offered the option of another job. He refused. I got the LT involved and he used the same steps I did. He refused. The LT called the Major and had the clown arrested and eventually sent to the Disciplinary Barracks for a new tour of duty.

It was one thing refusing me, an NCO, but a whole new world refusing an officer. He did serve as a good example, though.

In my day in The Corps, you took him behind the quansent hut and beat him...

Order the solider to fall out and report to the commander's office. 2nd refusal? Arrest and detain, have the MP's escort the solider.

While Maynard "Snuffy" Smith was highly disliked, his 1st action as an Ariel gunner was with the crew that drew the short straw. Is a medal of honor recipient.

NO SERGEANT WAS NOT IN OUR VOCABULARY WHEN I WAS IN. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AN EXAMPLE OF WITH WALL TO WALL COUNSELING AND PLATOON CORRECTIVE ACTIONS.

The Flutter Kick! In Cadence! EXERCISE! 1,2,3!

I am so disheartened by some of the answers that I see here. The corrective actions should be smoking that Joe's ass until the walls sweat. Counseling statement? Article 15? No, No, NOOO. Joe would probably throw those sunglasses in the trash when the smoke show was over with.

I had an airman that had a pattern of this kind of behavior under other supervisors. I had warned him when he was assigned that I had a zero tolerance for that kind of behavior. When he did say no he spent the weekend in custody and was later awarded an art15. Never had a problem with him after that.

I don't sweat the small stuff. Worry about mission and job performance