Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 162 Innate Affinity, the Legendary 1000-meter Obstacle Course
After the discussion meeting concluded.

A group of old men were reminiscing endlessly.

Many people simply attributed Chen Mo's unnecessary vote to the young man's eagerness to win, and expressed their dissatisfaction that it was brought up in this setting.

Nobody took it seriously.

After all, we've all been through that age, and we understand the desire to be the best in everything and not fall behind others.

While others didn't care, Zhang Jinnan, the vice dean of the Lu Academy who was in charge of this experiment, was furious and looked for an opportunity.

They led Chen Mo to a slightly smaller office next to the conference room.

The two had just entered the room.

Vice Dean Zhang slammed the lesson plan in his hand onto the table with a "bang," then turned to look at Chen Mo.

His gold-rimmed glasses reflected a sharp light.

Even the muscles in his face were twitching slightly, clearly indicating that he was quite angry.

After all, these people who teach or do academic work often put forward bold ideas, but they are always extremely cautious when it comes to verifying them.

They certainly wouldn't make a judgment based solely on their preferences like Chen Mo.

At least, Vice Dean Zhang believed that Chen Mo's three-month period was pure nonsense.

Seeing that the old man in front of him was almost dumbfounded with anger, Chen Mo was also a little hesitant, and hurriedly said, "Greetings, Commander!"

"What do you mean 'good'?!" Zhang Jinnan roared, "Didn't you read the information that was just sent to you?"

"You should be able to understand how much effort and resources the higher authorities invested in building this training base, and you know our college's motto, right?"

"Unity, progress, pragmatism, and innovation. I don't care which unit you come from. After you leave school, you will be a commander. You should keep the pragmatism in mind."

"Three months? You really dare to ask for that much."

As the saying goes, the deeper the love, the harsher the criticism.

Zhang Jinnan genuinely admired Chen Mo's boldness, outspokenness, and adventurous spirit, believing him to be a promising talent.

Therefore, when scolding someone, it's more severe than usual.

But his mild and lukewarm curses, stemming from his status as vice dean, were, frankly, less powerful than Cheng Dong's constant use of "son of a bitch."

Chen Mo stood there until the old man's anger subsided a bit before quickly taking out a cigarette from his pocket and offering it to him with a grin, saying, "Chief, have a smoke."

Don't give me that.

Zhang Jinan waved his hand dismissively. Although his anger hadn't completely subsided, it wasn't worth getting really angry.

After taking the cigarette and lighting it, he walked to the office chair next to him, sat down, and said, "It's Principal Yuan's suggestion that you be assigned to the Academic Affairs Office as an instructor."

"It's just to give you some experience. How old are you this year? Are you twenty?"

"It's a joke that the base might not even be completed in three months. The subsequent site selection, construction, and groundbreaking will take some time."

"Go back and wait patiently. It's not too late to go after you finish your academic studies and are awarded your rank."

"Tomorrow is the mid-month assessment, so watch yourself and don't get too cocky."

"Don't worry, sir, I guarantee I won't let the department down," Chen Mo replied confidently.

But they've already scolded him and given him the education he needed to receive.

Chen Mo remained standing in the same spot, showing no intention of leaving.

Seeing this, Zhang Jinan looked up and frowned: "Go back, what, do you want me to see you off?"

"No, sir." Chen Mo chuckled dryly, "Please calm down, I just looked at the draft documents for the training courses prepared by our academy."

"It only mentions the subjects, but the categories are quite comprehensive, including basic training for armored soldiers and operation and maintenance of radar reconnaissance equipment."

"Are these courses electives or how are they arranged? Are there any mandatory requirements regarding training?"

Let’s get down to business.

Vice Dean Zhang's brows relaxed slightly. He pondered for a moment before replying, "The academy is currently considering this."

"The original plan was to recruit a group of grassroots soldiers, train them for a year, with each person choosing two elective subjects. After graduation, they would be assessed and awarded the corresponding technical level certificates."

"But that depends on the comrades assigned by the military region and their educational level. The academy is currently considering a minimum of high school education, and the selection of subjects will be based on the academic scores of the entrance examination."

"You're right about one thing. In the past, the college always neglected the arrangements after a successful experiment. This time, the preparations are more thorough, and hopefully we can see the results."

high school education
Chen Mo pondered the condition for a moment, then shook his head inwardly.

He wasn't exaggerating; these academics at the college...

I've been out of touch with grassroots life for too long.

This is 1999, and we are in the midst of a major downsizing. Many new recruits have been laid off this year, and the personnel have been streamlined.

Relying solely on the armored units of the 38th and 63rd Armies, it would take at least two hundred veterans with high school education to select an entire battalion.

That's probably going to be quite difficult.

It's not that there aren't that many.

Instead, armored units have inherently high technical requirements, so where would they find so many grassroots units willing to sacrifice their precious talents for this so-called training base?

Because information technology is in a confidential stage, training cannot be fully open to the public. Even picking someone off the hook has to be done secretly. Who would want to do something like throwing good money after bad?

But this is a matter for later consideration; there's no rush to make a proposal now.

Chen Mo scratched his head, recalling the theory he had mentioned to Tao Ruichang at the light weapons training ground regarding strengthening the risk resistance of the command system.

He hesitated before speaking, "Sir, I think we need to add another specialty to our field."

"Add one? What do you mean, add one? Tell me."

Zhang Jinan was stunned for a moment.

"Yes, Chief."

Chen Mo nodded affirmatively and said, "Informatization corresponds to synthesis. Otherwise, no matter how high the level of informatization is, the combat effectiveness will not be much stronger due to timeliness issues."

"When facing combined arms operations, we must accept the constant changes in combat organization and the continuous innovation of technology and equipment. Our true armored infantry has only existed for a few years."

"The requirement of a high school diploma is too high. Even if many organizations are willing to cooperate, they probably won't be able to spare the number of people we need."

“I’ve thought about that too.” Zhang Jinnan nodded thoughtfully, then said, “Go on.”

"Yes."

"Commander, I think that talent plays a big part in command. There are many soldiers at the grassroots level who do not meet the requirements for promotion but have command ability."

"We might as well give these guys a chance."

"The training base has set up a course for commanding sergeants, and the content that needs to be learned covers all subjects of infantry. It's okay to have higher requirements for these people."

"High school diploma, entrance examination to select a group of all-round sergeant majors. As for others, the requirements are not so high. It depends on their comprehension and talent, as long as they can do it or are interested."

"Also, students can choose two subjects to study, which will separate the key training group from the general training group."

"Once the training is completed, these sergeants will be all-round talents in the experimental unit, and will definitely be able to play a more comprehensive role than other specialties in the case of complex synthetic structures."

"More importantly," Chen Mo said, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense.

He continued, "In the event of a battle, if too many commanders are killed and the combat effectiveness drops to rock bottom, these sergeant majors can still quickly and effectively organize sustained combat capabilities."

Commanding Sergeant Major.
After Chen Mo finished his introduction, Vice Dean Zhang tapped his fingers on the conference table. He had completely forgotten that he had come here to teach this young man a lesson for his arrogant and conceited remarks.

At this moment, Zhang Jinnan had a misconception.

He felt that Chen Mo seemed to have a natural affinity for information technology.

For example, the academy has always emphasized that informatization is just a difference in combat systems, but it has never thought about training personnel from the source. Instead, it has always used existing units for experimentation.

For example, the training subjects were all personally selected by senior experts from the college who specialize in information technology and integration.

All aspects were taken into consideration before it appeared on the document for the people from the military region to review today.

After Chen Mo explained it, they realized that they hadn't considered the command and control issues between the synthetic nodes at all.

The Army Academy, an academy that teaches basic command, actually requires a student to point out the importance of command nodes.

Zhang Jinnan couldn't say whether he should praise the young man in front of him for being smart enough, or whether the academy's consideration was really too one-sided.

Are so many people really not as good as one student?
Knowing that Chen Mo's words made sense, Zhang Jinnan nodded readily: "I understand the question about commanding the sergeant."

"If you have any other ideas, just say them all at once. Don't always be so dramatic."

"Nothing."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo hurriedly shook his head: "Commander, that's all I can think of for now."

“Okay, your suggestion is very helpful. I will adjust the training program accordingly.”

"Go do whatever you need to do."

Upon hearing Vice Dean Zhang's order to leave, Chen Mo stood at attention and saluted.

He stood there hesitating for a moment before finally speaking: “Commander, what I said next door about the three-month deadline wasn’t just empty talk.”

"Please believe me. As long as the training personnel are in place and the instructors from the academy cooperate, give me three months, and I will definitely be able to command a real battalion-level informationized unit operation."

After Chen Mo finished speaking.

He didn't dare wait for the vice dean's reaction, so he quickly turned around and ran faster than a rabbit.

They quickly left from the fourth floor of the Jing'an Teaching Building.

However, the same sentence can have a completely different feel depending on the context.

Looking at the conference room door that had been closed again.

Zhang Jinnan fell into deep thought. Ever since Chen Mo raised the question of commanding the sergeant major, he had gained a new understanding of this young man.

after all.

Whether it was his suggestion to provide training or his views being consistent with the thinking of information-based warfare, it doesn't matter.

In a great nation with millions of soldiers and countless talented individuals, there will always be a few exceptional talents who go undiscovered.

There's nothing unusual about this.

Gan Luo became prime minister at the age of twelve, borrowed a route to attack Guo, deceived Zhao and attacked Yan, and plotted to conquer twelve cities for the Qin Dynasty. Huo Qubing was enfeoffed as a marquis at the age of seventeen, launched three expeditions to Hexi, and at the age of twenty-one, he sealed the Wolf-Dwelling Mountain and inscribed the Yanran Mountain, becoming the champion of the Han Dynasty. Zhang Juzheng passed the imperial examination at a young age and continued the Ming Dynasty's century-long national fortune.

These stories are widely circulated among the people. Nowadays, it's not impossible for the military to produce a few quick-witted geniuses.

But Chen Mo kept offering suggestions, and each one was just right, as if guiding the academy to complete this experiment.

Zhang Jinan always felt that this kid was hiding something.

But upon closer reflection, it seems unlikely.

Could it be that he, as a student, really understands what synthesis, informatization, and future trends mean?
Vice Dean Zhang was startled by his own idea, and immediately got up to organize the documents.

I plan to go to the command studies department to revise the draft questions regarding the training subjects.

Because, according to the current plan of the Army Academy, all trainees are required to have a high school diploma and take two elective courses.

Overall, it is indeed not as prudent as Chen Mo's suggestion to separate the personnel into those receiving specialized training and those receiving general training.

It is more in line with the current situation at the grassroots level.

After leaving the Jing'an Building, Chen Mo headed straight towards Cuiping Mountain.

The assessment is scheduled for tomorrow. It's a mid-year assessment that the academy values ​​highly, and it's also the first assessment for this batch of students who enrolled in May.

Even Chen Mo dared not be careless.

As for Vice Dean Zhang's doubts, there's no need to think about it. Having lived through the ages, he truly understands the academy's upcoming experiments.

Let alone a small information technology experiment.

He could easily draw a large-scale composite building plan.

In this era, the college already has a sufficiently mature idea of ​​the direction of future development.

But ideas are one thing, and practice is another.

From a vague concept to the clear blue sky after the clouds have parted, this path will take more than a decade to become a viable one.

Chen Mo chose to push the experiment forward little by little because the best advice is the one that is suitable for the present moment.

Even if he were to paint a picture of an integrated sea, land, air, space, and cyber warfare strategy, would it be of any use?

Putting aside whether anyone can understand it, even if they could, so what? It's simply not suitable for this era.

When Chen Mo returned to the light weapons training ground.

Training had stopped because it was nearing noon and too hot.

The two cadet teams of the reconnaissance department, totaling more than seventy people, all sought refuge in the shade of the trees.

When Wang Bo saw Chen Mo slowly approaching, he was cursing and blaming Gou Xiucai for being disloyal, running away instead of training, and leaving the gun and weights to him.

The resentment simmered for several hours.

Unexpectedly, when Fatty Wang saw Chen Mo again, he acted unusually warmly.

As he returned the Type 85 sniper rifle he was carrying to Chen Mo, along with all the equipment including the helmet and magazine, he grinned and said, "Scholar, I just saw you leave in the commander's car."

"Are you done with your work?"

"Yeah, all done." Chen Mo took the equipment with a bit of a puzzlement.

Recently, he moved back to dormitory 402. After spending the past two weeks together, he has gotten along quite well with the other roommates.

This includes Fatty Wang.

But as far as I can remember, this guy has never been so easy to talk to. He carried my gun for half a day and he even seemed quite happy about it.

But soon, Chen Mo's doubts were dispelled.

I heard he was done with his work.

Wang Bo, hands on his hips, laughed loudly: "Damn it, we finally caught you! Old Fang said he was worried it would be too hot this afternoon, so he specially changed to an easier subject for us to practice."

"Have you ever seen the Army Academy's individual obstacle course?"

Individual obstacle course?!
Chen Mo was taken aback upon hearing this. He had indeed heard of this subject before; it was known as the 1,000-meter obstacle course at the Army Academy and was quite famous at the moment.

If 400 meters can kill a person, what does 1,000 meters mean?
But the problem is, you fatso are so happy about going to train for the 1000-meter obstacle course.
It's like you don't have to participate.

(End of this chapter)