First let me say to Averageman, had I been your commanding officer you would have gone from young Sergeant to young Private as quickly as I could arrange it.
After being warned once about the issue. then returning with a insubordinate and insulting remark, I felt it was time for him to understand the gravity of his error the second time.
It wasn't long after another incident where a ND actually nearly cost someone in the Company his life.
I realize that this may be somewhat off topic to the thread but I have to ask what, exactly, makes this behavior OK? Suppose the young soldier that muzzled Averageman ( you know the one that was holding a fully loaded real Assault Rifle) had as little self control as Averageman displayed? Would he have been wrong to shoot the guy that had just committed battery on him?
He was actually thrown off the range after the second incident. Yes I was verbally repremanded by my 1SG who also watched me handle the first infraction and stood back to let me handle it.
BTW this young Soldier's true nature was borne out later when was charged with Impersonating and Officer, Sodomy, AWOL and a few other charges.
So sometimes as a Commanding Officer you learn that the business of NCO's is left to NCO's.
"Your Honor it hsppened so fast. I don't even know why Sgt. Dumbass attacked me. I was scared I thought he was going to keep beating me and I just reacted exactly the way the Army trained me to react"
I'm sure that Young fellow would have tried that very thing, thats why I kept his rifle and turned it over to the
1SG. It's my range, you want to not obey the rules thats one thing, you want to endanger other Soldiers thats completly different.
Suppose the guy that had his how many hundred dollar hunting rifle thrown into the bush had decided it was worth an ass kicking?
At the best of times I find such behavior incredibly offensive but when you introduce it into a situation that involves loaded firearms? And then you say the other guy is stupid?
The Military is not a place, or wasn't then; for those easily offended. I learned that getting my physical at the MEPS Station.