yep. Having only been an NCO, I asked a LTC buddy of mine the other day, “Where you scared of the CSM as a LT?”
He said, “Heck, I was scared of him as a LTC!”
One of favorite CSMs was nicknamed “The Black Klingon”, and rarely has a nickname been so accurate, down to appearance. His short hair was cut in such a way to even seem like he had bony head ridges. Personality to match. Brilliant, and dangerously aggressive.
Once I was having an intense, which was typical, but not particularly menacing business conversation with him in a hallway, when the Brigade Commander’s driver stepped up with morning greetings. A top of the line Corporal, this morning he had erred by omission.
He had forgot to remove a small gold stud earring he had worn the night before. He realized his mistake the second that both I and the CSM spotted it.
“Here, let me help you with that”, said the CSM, before using two fingers to pull the stud *through* the ear lobe.
“Eep!”, said the Corporal, his hand coming up to cover his now bleeding ear.
As for me, I turned on my heels and departed with a range walk, and without looking back, wanting nothing whatsoever to do with “NCO business”.
Something for which, later, the Corporal let me know that he was eternally grateful. His ear healed quickly, and his career was unblemished by his faux pas.
One of several memorable encounters with that CSM.