Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 219 This isn't a scholar, he's practically a living Yama!
Why are you looking down?

"Now you know shame and have a sense of decency?"

"During training, weren't you all arrogant, acting like the sky was the most important thing to you, as if you wanted to fly up and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun?"

Chen Mo headed towards the crash site, but before he could even get close, the company commander of the third company of the second armored battalion grabbed the two vehicle commanders who had been driving and berated them mercilessly.

He cursed and kicked the two men several times.

This arrangement made it difficult for Chen Mo to say anything more, but strict military discipline was a fundamental principle, especially when it came to training issues, there was no room for compromise.

Chen Mo couldn't ask any more questions, so he simply stood in front of them and watched them perform.

What a joke.

When it comes to acting skills, we're experts ourselves, right?
He stood there without saying a word as the battalion commander approached.

The company commander knew that his unit was in trouble and there was no way to avoid it. After cursing a few times, he simply hung his head and stopped talking.

"Go ahead and curse! Why aren't you cursing anymore?"

Chen Mo's stern gaze swept over the group: "Go and bring over the collaboration efficiency data sheet."

"Yes!"

The company commander agreed and quickly walked up to the sergeant major in charge of recording the data, took the record sheet and handed it to Chen Mo.

Because it was a training break at the time, the tank was too stuffy and hot, and a lot of soldiers gathered around it.

Some people were just there for the spectacle, but others had other motives, such as wanting to see just how capable this new battalion commander really was.

Units like the Blue Army battalion are not built from scratch; there are so many detailed problems that they are simply impossible to solve.

It's just a short-term collaboration. If you're hoping to be granted a new designation, a new battalion flag, and to establish a truly information-based battalion, that's basically wishful thinking.

This kind of alliance will inevitably collapse if it continues for too long.

They've all come together now because they're all working towards the same goal.

When Chen Mo reviewed the collaboration efficiency report, the room was very quiet, giving off a feeling of impending doom.

Just when everyone was guessing that the new battalion commander might criticize the medical team without any mercy, just like he had done earlier.

Chen Mo shook his head and handed back the efficiency sheet with a gloomy expression.

He neither cursed nor hit anyone.

He said with disappointment, "Is this all the rage for the 7th Tank Division's first training session? To be honest, I'm very disappointed."

In a word.

The soldiers who had been standing around watching the drama unfold instantly changed their expressions.

There's a saying that goes, "Don't insult someone by revealing their shortcomings, and don't hit someone in the face."

The old unit is where soldiers' souls return. The 7th Tank Division was disbanded and reduced to a brigade in less than a year.

Any normal soldier will care a lot about the reputation of their old unit.

The company commander, who had just been cursing, suddenly looked humiliated, turned his head away, and looked defiant.

Although he wasn't as experienced as Cheng Dong, he was still thirty years old and had served as a company commander for four years, always working diligently. He was a veteran of the Seventh Division.

The 7th Tanzanian Division was the first unit he joined the army.

They nurtured him from a clueless local youth into a company-level officer; you can imagine the depth of their affection.

Chen Mo glanced at the third company commander and said in a completely calm tone, "What? You're not convinced?"

"As the main combat company, the average time for checking the squad's combat equipment is one minute and forty-nine seconds. This kind of performance can only be considered third-rate at best, right?"

Even if we were to rate you, you would only barely reach grade B.

"This is already the best record. The sergeant major in charge of the squad averages 26 command actions. But based on your squad's equipment movement, the command actions should be controlled within 20. This result doesn't even qualify as third-rate, does it?"

"What's even worse is that during mixed mobile formation operations, when the tanks and armored vehicles of the platoon collided during the process of passing each other. Come on, Company Commander Wu, tell me, what level of skill is this?"

"Any old lady outside could just grab a command flag and wave it around randomly; she'd be better than you."

"A collision. This is a veteran tank company. This isn't even fourth-rate, is it?"

"How would you rate it? E? Or something worse?"

Chen Mo's voice suddenly rose, and he cursed fiercely, "Company Commander Wu, have you completely lost your sense of command in your subordinate units?"

He was scolded by a new battalion commander in front of so many people, including the soldiers in his company.

The company commander was truly embarrassed, but Chen Mo's insults were spot on, so what could he say?

He could only grit his teeth and nod: "Yes!"

"So, you've also lost all sense of what it means to be a company commander, haven't you?"

"Yes, sir!" the third company commander replied through gritted teeth once again.

Chen Mo nodded, seemingly oblivious to the humiliation in the other man's eyes. He casually put his hands on his hips and said, "Come on, veteran, tell me, why can't you even figure out a simple coordination?"

Company Commander: "Report: We lack awareness and our understanding of the training syllabus is not thorough enough."

"See, isn't this a pretty good summary?" Chen Mo almost laughed in exasperation: "Where were you before?"

"If you lack ability, I can understand. But if you have ability, why don't you value it?"

"Come on, veteran, stand at the front of the line and show yourselves to your comrades."

As Chen Mo spoke, he actually took a few steps back to make way for the third company commander, allowing him to move away from the tanks and stand in a crowded area.

The soldiers who were eating melons nearby, but didn't get to eat any, almost stood up in fright when they saw this scene.

To be honest, no matter how capable the new battalion commander is, that's only for the next few days. But the company commander is your own boss.

If the company commander finds out that a bunch of them are gathered here watching the spectacle, he might get a real beating when they get back.

So, the instant Chen Mo stepped aside...

Several veterans nearby turned away, pretending they hadn't seen anything.

The company commander originally had no intention of carrying out the order; he planned to be a coward, keep his head down, and let things take their course.

But the way the people in the company were doing this put him in a difficult position. After hesitating for a moment, he still marched in step and stood in front of the crowd.

They were being stared at or glanced at by hundreds of people.

At this moment, the third company commander truly understood what it meant for each day to feel like a year, and he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

But Chen Mo had no intention of letting him off so easily.

"Company Commander Wu."

"To!"

"Which army academy did you graduate from?"

If Chen Mo hadn't asked, it would have been fine, but once he did, the Third Company Commander almost ground his teeth to powder. Damn it, this dog of a scholar is really wicked.

Making a mistake once not only brings shame to the old unit, but it seems like they're not even letting their alma mater off the hook?
"Report: No, I haven't been there."

"Bullshit, you served as company commander for four years. If I remember correctly, you were promoted to company commander in 95. The conversion to volunteer soldiers was canceled in 94. Your batch all participated in the training."

"You never went to the academy? Was it your teacher's wife who taught you?"

"Report, no!" Company Commander Wu didn't quite understand what "taught by the teacher's wife" meant.

But since it didn't sound like a compliment, they simply refused to admit it.

Chen Mo simply stopped asking, because the army under the Kyoto Military Region was most likely still studying at the Shicheng Army Academy, and it wouldn't look good for him if he asked.

He bluntly stated, "Why do your tanks have to ram their own armored vehicles instead of ramming the anti-aircraft guns?"

Hit the anti-aircraft gun?
Upon hearing this, the company commander looked up at the location of the anti-aircraft gun and said somewhat awkwardly, "That thing is too far away; we can't hit it."

"Do you understand where the problem lies now?"

"Report, I...I don't know." The third company commander was a little confused and didn't quite follow Chen Mo's train of thought.

"You're such a pig-brain!" Chen Mo stopped putting his hands on his hips, strode up to Company Commander Wu, and pointed to the formations of all the nearby squads.

"Look for yourself, isn't the reason you can't hit it because it's too far away?"

"The platoon's movement was planned very clearly, and the equipment was required to maintain a distance of 15 meters. But what happened? Your 2nd Battalion's armored vehicles were running around like crazy in front, and the artillery vehicles couldn't keep up with them. The distance between the equipment in front and behind was increased to more than 20 meters."

"Do you know what this is called? This is error, understand?"

"Yes!" The third company commander swallowed hard. He had calmed down by now. He hadn't expected that this scholar would actually understand team coordination.

Chen Mo waved his hand and raised his voice, saying, "What happened in the Third Company today is a lesson."

"The main combat and auxiliary combat units only number a dozen or so. The more restricted the formation is, the more likely problems will arise."

"Take the three-company collision as an example. I don't think there's any need to investigate. It's just that your 2nd Battalion and their artillery company are not from the same unit, the personnel are not familiar with each other, and there was no prior communication. That's why the mixed heavy equipment units of the entire battalion were disorganized during the longitudinal movement, which directly caused the collision when they were merging on the main road."

At this point, Chen Mo paused slightly.

"After you go back, each company should reflect on why I asked you to get to know your comrades in neighboring units. Not only should the officers do this, but all the comrades should do it."

"You are soldiers, not enemies. Even if we take a step back, everyone here is a man. Open your hearts and cooperate properly."

"These issued equipment are for combat. I've seen some companies keep their tanks polished to a shine every day. Can you tell me what else they do besides to pass inspections?"

"Are you suggesting that when the enemy arrives, you'll scrub the car so hard you blind them?"

"The entire battalion will rest for half an hour, and each company will install searchlights in the vicinity to facilitate nighttime training."

"Company Commander Wu, just stand there and think about your problem carefully."

"Yes!"

The third company commander puffed out his chest, becoming the first officer in the entire Blue Army battalion to be punished by standing.

However, he had completely calmed down by now. There was nothing he could do; the battalion commander was right to scold him.

They not only impose penalties, but they can also find out the reasons with solid evidence; that's real skill.

You can't deny it.

After Chen Mo finished scolding, he subconsciously touched his stomach. He had eaten breakfast, but hadn't drunk a drop of water since.

After being exposed to the sun for most of the day, I'm really starting to feel the strain.

I walked towards the SUV, intending to go back and get something to eat to replenish my energy.

Liu Min, the leader of the medical team, ran quickly over from a distance.

"battalion commander!!"

Hearing the noise, Chen Mo stopped in his tracks: "What is it?"

"Battalion Commander, the medical team has assembled and is ready to give a speech."

As Liu Min spoke, she pointed to the line in the distance, where a group of fifteen people were indeed lined up.

There were even a few female soldiers looking in this direction.

The discipline in the formation was extremely poor. Chen Mo raised his hand to rub his temples. It wasn't that he discriminated against female comrades; he genuinely didn't want the medical team to participate in the training.

These people are always meddlesome. Instead of thinking about how to correct their mistakes, they let others lecture them.

What are we training?
I've seen company commanders reprimand their platoon members, but when have I ever seen battalion commanders reprimand their platoon soldiers?

Regardless of what others do, Chen Mo's principle is that if something goes wrong, he will only look for the responsible commander.

Chen Mo forcibly suppressed his dizziness and glanced at Liu Min.

"Captain Liu, do you know what your current behavior is called?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Min was taken aback, and after a long pause, she replied, "Report, I don't know." However, although she responded, she bit her lip, her face contorted in pain.

Clearly, she hadn't expected that even her personal visit to invite the battalion commander wouldn't work, and she was somewhat dissatisfied.

Chen Mo had no interest in playing games with her and said directly, "Are you the captain or am I the captain? What am I supposed to lecture her about?"

"That's irresponsible of you."

“Come on, Captain Liu, tell me what I’m supposed to train? Just now, when infantry coordination was needed, I was watching from a distance, and because of your medical team, the entire team was delayed for almost two minutes.”

"what do you want me to say?"

"Do you know what two minutes means in war? I won't repeat the same old cliché that one minute can decide the outcome."

"Two minutes is enough for the B-52 to drop its bombs, enough for laser-guided launch, enough for a group of armed helicopters to carry out a tactical strike on the ground, and enough for the Aegis system to activate its anti-ship interception."

If you still don't understand what I'm saying, then I'll put it another way.

Chen Mo continued mercilessly, "In a plains assault operation where the enemy and ourselves are of equal strength, given the characteristics of modern warfare firepower, a two-minute shutdown is enough to cause the entire Blue Army battalion to suffer more than 80% casualties."

"This includes me, and it includes you."

"And the reason for all this is because you are stupid, you are dumb, you are afraid, afraid of your own tank gun barrels."

"Instead of thinking about how to get me to lecture you, you should stand up and clear your head, and think carefully about how to solve the problem at hand."

"Go stand with Company Commander Wu. It'll be good if you can coordinate with him during the next training session."

Chen Mo waved his hand and left in his car without looking back.

The place where he reprimanded Liu Min was not far from the third company commander, and many soldiers nearby heard it.

Many soldiers stared in the direction Chen Mo had left, swallowing hard. Goodness, this new battalion commander has a really tough temper.

They'll yell at anyone they can get their hands on!

This was just what the soldiers thought; the other officers nearby felt a chill run down their spines. What the hell was this, making them stand as punishment all the time?

The cadres present were all quite old; the punishment of standing in the corner was something that happened back in their early school days, so many years ago, yet they were dragged out of the past.

The penalties are not severe.

But this incident made many companies present secretly remember that they absolutely could not let this dog of a battalion commander find any fault with them.

That's some really awful insult.

By the time Liu Min, who had been scolded for half the day, realized what was happening, Chen Mo had already driven away.

Captain Liu gritted his teeth and stood angrily side by side with the third company commander, the two of them standing shoulder to shoulder as punishment.

This guy.

The company commander was just considering how to arrange the subsequent coordination when he suddenly noticed that another person was standing next to him.

Turning around, I saw it was the captain of the medical team.

Company Commander Wu even deliberately moved his feet, taking several steps to the side, his eyes flashing with a hint of anger.

Damn it, it's embarrassing enough for one person to be punished by standing, but for two people to stand side by side, wouldn't that be even more embarrassing?

Moreover, there is a hierarchy of contempt within the military. At least he only had a car accident, so the impact wasn't significant, and he could recover quickly.

Your medical team was delayed for so long, affecting the entire cluster's operational chain. What kind of level are you to stand with me?
Liu Min noticed that the person who was standing with her as punishment was actually looking down on her, so she rolled her eyes back.

"You think you're right after all the skill your teacher's wife taught you?"

"roll!"

The company commander stood at a distance again.

Upon seeing this, the nearby soldiers gained a deeper understanding of the new battalion commander's methods.

This guy isn't a scholar, he's practically the King of Hell, he'll torment anyone he can get his hands on.

It's unbelievable that even two cadres who made mistakes can get into an argument.

the other side.

Chen Mo took a car back to the Huanglongwangou camp. The camp canteen here was large enough, and the military region had also arranged for a cooking platoon to come and take charge.

The problem of food has finally been solved.

Having been hungry for almost a day, the two didn't care much and grabbed a dozen steamed buns and a few cucumbers from the cafeteria before hurrying back to the office.

After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they added water.

Wang Jianyong went downstairs for a smoke, while Chen Mo took out the map he had drawn during his observations in the vicinity during the day and began to study how the Blue Army camp could quickly deploy its cluster movement chain under different terrain conditions.

Information technology primarily aims to achieve integrated operations, which means that operations cannot be conducted on a single-service scale or in a cluster assault. Instead, the entire battalion must be mobilized for inter-service operations.

We can't fight like we did when we were in exercises with the 188th Division, with a bunch of tank battalions, a bunch of artillery companies, and a bunch of anti-aircraft companies. That kind of fighting style is not suitable for encounters with slightly larger formations.

If a portion of the Blue Army battalion's firepower is easily destroyed, the Blue Army battalion's strength will be significantly weakened.

Planning a training syllabus is a very mentally and time-consuming task.

Chen Mo sat in his office for more than three hours. Around 9 p.m., he went to the training area to check on things.

They discovered that the nighttime lighting conditions were too poor, making it impossible for the detachments to conduct training. There was a lack of coordination between the companies, so they dared not hold training sessions.

Chen Mo then came up with another crooked idea: he led a group of cadres to inspect the armored vehicles, designated minefields, and had the engineers simulate mine clearance.

As for coordination, that means no company will have an easy time.

Logistics are crucial in warfare, and maintenance must keep pace during maneuvers, so Chen Mo wandered aimlessly among the tanks with a few scraps of paper in his hand.

The tanks are randomly "accidentated," and whichever tank is stuck with a piece of paper will be the one that has been "accidentated."

The circumstances of the accidents are different; some require replacing the cannon barrel, while others require changing the engine oil.

What's even more shameful is that a perfectly good tank gets covered in paper, which means the tracks have to be removed.

Old Pao was originally a technical expert in armored vehicles, and this guy, Chen Mo's trickery was also a trick on his own squad leader.

In the middle of the night, the old gunman had to lead a group of support soldiers to smash the tracks.

Two-ton tracks were smashed off, and then installed piece by piece.

The female soldiers in the medical unit are supposed to be delicate, unable to lift heavy objects, unable to bend over, timid, and clumsy.

That's even simpler.

Chen Mo specifically selected comrades from the entire battalion who were large and heavy enough to simulate wounded soldiers.

then.

A very glaring scene unfolded on the training field.

A dozen or so energetic soldiers slumped in various places, pretending to be battle wounded, and asked the female soldiers in the medical team to quickly locate them via walkie-talkie.

They either carried stretchers or pushed carts, running around everywhere to treat the wounded.

Chen Mo was confident that he would make the entire battalion live as if it were the end of the war before setting off for the Northwest, and he wasn't exaggerating.

His principles are quite simple.

Even if a pig comes to the Blue Army camp, it must quickly change its identity and become a military pig that can march in formation and strictly demand of itself.

It wasn't until 11 p.m. that Chen Mo finally let the soldiers from each company go back.

But the soldiers can go back.

Cadres must attend the meeting to summarize the shortcomings of today's training, discuss and announce the follow-up requirements.

The content of the evening meeting must be restated at the next morning's 5 a.m. meeting.

What we need is to make changes; without making changes, we can't create new disciplines.

It was late at night.

Around 8 a.m. on August 3, Chen Mo had just adjourned the meeting and let those cadres, who were more resentful than ghosts, go back to rest.

Inside the Huanglongwangou camp, a hot breeze caressed his face. Chen Mo, who had just been able to relax, rolled up his trousers, wore a vest, and sat on the curb smoking with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

The soldiers were exhausted after a long day. They lay there, not caring whether it was hot or whether there were mosquitoes, and snored loudly.

But he couldn't sleep.

With less and less time left for each company to train, I think back to the farewell from the leaders of the Army Academy before we set off.

The pressure felt like carrying heavy mountains on your back, making it hard to breathe.

Wang Jianyong didn't sleep either, and sat beside him.

The two men tilted their heads back, engrossed in smoking, too exhausted to even speak.

After smoking five or six cigarettes in a row, just as Chen Mo felt a pain in his throat and was about to get up and go back to rest,

Wang Jianyong, however, kept turning his head to look in the direction outside the camp.

"What's wrong, class monitor?"

Chen Mo looked in that direction, but found nothing.

"Battalion Commander, it seems like people are coming from outside. I just vaguely heard the sound of an engine."

"Someone's coming at this hour?"

Chen Mo paused for a moment. He had only been a reconnaissance soldier for a short time, and when it came to professional matters, he was not as alert as the veterans in the company.

He did not doubt Wang Jianyong's words.

He quickly got up and walked towards the camp gate, with Wang Jianyong following closely behind.

When they arrived outside the camp.

From a distance, a long convoy of cars could be seen slowly making its way this way.

The convoy included military pickup trucks carrying large black boxes with antennas, which were clearly visible even under the dim streetlights.

In addition, a row of 206 vehicle-mounted drones can be faintly seen in the background.

Noticing the convoy, Chen Mo grinned and said, "The commander is quite efficient."

"It must be the messengers from the Arrow Signaling Sect."

"A signal arrow?"

Wang Jianyong was taken aback upon hearing this. As a reconnaissance soldier, he naturally knew the name of the Eastern Divine Sword Special Forces Brigade. Back then, the Kyoto Military Region had selected people from many airborne troops and reconnaissance training camps.

Known as the elite force.

It has a great reputation.

However, in reality, special forces are not as exaggerated as they are portrayed in TV dramas, and not everyone wants to join them.

In the late 1990s, special forces were at most considered mysterious, not as formidable as they were touted to be.

Wang Jianyong was stunned for a moment before tilting his head back and standing on tiptoe to look into the distance.

"Battalion Commander, how do you know these are the men from the Arrow Signal? I didn't see anything."

“These are the people I asked the commander for. Without them, the information battalion would not be complete.”

Chen Mo smiled, offering no further explanation.

The classified information documents record the configuration of all newly developed weapons and the records of the research and design units, so that they can be mobilized at any time during information-based experiments.

However, Wang Jianyong had not seen those documents.

Chen Mo didn't need to explain further.

(End of this chapter)