Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 313 Flag-Giving Ceremony: The Soul of the Army

"Reporting to Battalion Commander, the battalion should have 1056 men, and 995 men are present. Except for the officers on duty at the military intelligence window, the sentries in the barracks, and the mess platoon, all other personnel are present. Please give your instructions!"

The duty officer reported loudly.

Chen Mo stood on the flag-raising platform, now wearing a brand-new civilian uniform instead of his military uniform.

Standing on the stage, he exuded a strong military aura, subtly revealing a powerful and masculine presence.

The entire battalion assembled, and Chen Mo made a point of dressing up.

Not the same.

In the past, the camp talked about progress and training every day, without a moment to relax.

Now, the demonstration battalion has finally ushered in a moment that is both mundane and anticipated: meritorious service—the awarding of the flag—and the introduction of its unit designation.

It's considered vulgar because meritorious service not only ensures the realization of previously awarded military merits, but also grants the entire battalion a first-class merit on the day the flag is awarded and the unit number is granted.

Merit awards are linked to salary and demobilization pay; a third-class merit award can increase demobilization pay by 5%.

A collective first-class merit award will result in improved welfare for the entire battalion.

This is a tangible benefit for the soldiers.

More importantly, with a unit designation, the battalion no longer needed to fight so hard.

With the information system basically sorted out, regardless of where the unit is relocated, the training burden for each company will gradually be reduced, with the wake-up time shifting from 5:30 to 6:00.

The schedule changed from daily academic and specialized classes to only studying on Saturdays, with normal training the rest of the time and rest on weekends.

Maintaining a constant state of tension is definitely not a good idea.

Getting on the right track means moving forward step by step.

Positions within the battalion cannot be transferred at will, and meritorious service cannot always be given to soldiers by officers.

The formation of a healthy competitive atmosphere means that he has finally earned his title as battalion commander.

"Take a break!"

Chen Mo issued the order.

On the training field, the dark ranks of soldiers snapped to attention and stood at ease as given the command.

Chen Mo looked at the soldiers' ranks, a smile appearing on his lips, his heart pounding and his blood surging.

These are all our own soldiers and officers; they are all top-notch.

Soldiers in the reconnaissance company have now mastered the use of some radars and drones, completing the system transformation.
The 4th Motorized Infantry Regiment of the Jincheng Military Region was disbanded, and these non-commissioned officers have now adapted to their new roles in various companies within the battalion.

Cadres from Shicheng Army Academy, Armored Academy, Army Command, Military Medical School, Jinling Army Academy, Xijing Army Academy, and other institutions have also found their place and settled down.

Chen Mo always felt that his greatest achievement was not in developing a new system. That system was just a familiar organizational structure in later generations. He understood it simply because he had seen it before, and he didn't think it was that difficult.

Even without him, others would have figured it out eventually, it would just have taken a few years longer.

The real achievement was to support the entire battalion of one thousand people, ensuring that no one was affected by the reforms and that they didn't have to worry about being laid off at any time.

The inevitability of people leaving and staying is the greatest helplessness.

Chen Mo didn't want to experience the helplessness of his former comrades-in-arms, Li Zhiang and Yang Dali, who had only been in the recruit training camp for a short time before having to take off their uniforms.

"Cough cough."

Seeing that the battalion commander hadn't spoken for a while, political instructor Fang Peijun deliberately coughed to indicate that too much time had been wasted.

"stand at attention!"

Chen Mo snapped out of his daze, his expression immediately returning to seriousness, and said in a loud voice, "Comrades, this operation lasted for two consecutive days, and we wiped out the armored brigade and the combat assault division."

"Very good, excellent!"

This familiar opening remark, though clearly meant as praise, instantly made all the soldiers in the battalion, who were standing in formation, tense up as if facing a formidable enemy.

Everyone knows the battalion commander's style: he always gives ten slaps and half a date. Today, he suddenly praised him, so the stick will probably be swung down even harder.

I'm probably going to get a lot of flak for this.

There's not much to say about defeating the 7th Armored Brigade; they were defeated too quickly.

The enemy's forces didn't lose; at most, their victory wasn't glorious. If we were to really review the game, it's impossible for our side to be without flaws.

Looking at the cautious demeanor of the entire battalion.

Chen Mo smiled and said, "Don't worry, there won't be a debriefing today."

"I have some good news to share. Tomorrow, a commander from the military region will come to bestow unit numbers upon us, and they will be regimental-level units."

"Currently, our entire regiment may only have one battalion. The demonstration battalion may become the first battalion, or the second battalion, or the third battalion, but it doesn't matter. The commander said that this battle was fought well, and not only should we give it a designation, but we should also award the entire battalion a collective first-class merit."

"Come on, give yourselves a round of applause to encourage yourselves."

Bang bang bang.
Thunderous applause filled the entire officer academy.

The serial number.

This is equivalent to the ID cards for the entire battalion; we've finally got what we've been waiting for.

Compared to the collective first-class merit, the designation number is clearly more appealing.

After all, without this, they would all be like undocumented immigrants, living a precarious existence every day.

Once it has a designation, as a new system, it can't possibly be revoked, right?
now.

Almost all the veterans in the battalion were thinking about how to bring glory to the battalion in the future.

This kind of competition isn't an internal one; it's about going out and competing with other units in the military, trying to win as many honors as possible to enrich the new unit's hall of fame.

These are the topics that soldiers will never forget.

Chen Mo didn't mention that the demonstration camp had just almost been dismantled, and even now, the headquarters' attitude was still unknown.

But it doesn't matter. Since the commander-in-chief of the military region has said that preparations are being made for a transfer, and that the unit will be given a regimental-level designation and a collective first-class merit, it is no longer necessary.

Then there's no problem.

The negotiations with the higher-ups were naturally handled by the commander-in-chief.

Chen Mo raised his hand to suppress the applause and continued, "Comrades, the recognition we have received today is inseparable from the joint efforts of everyone."

"In the next few days, many people may come to our camp to learn or ask questions about camp setup."

"When you run into someone, be generous and say what you mean. If someone tries to win you over, just ignore them. It just shows how outstanding our achievements are."

"Of course, there's one last thing to announce."

"The transfer mentioned before will likely be announced within a month."

"At that time, we will leave the military region, perhaps to the southwest, perhaps to the north, perhaps to the northwest, but there is no specific news yet."

"However, I believe that wherever our battalion goes, it will be an elite battalion, a battalion of first-class merit. Maybe when we come back, it will no longer be an informationized battalion, but an informationized regiment."

"Therefore, being granted a designation is not the end, but only the beginning. There is still a long way to go in the future."

"Comrades, are you ready?"

"Always be prepared! Always be prepared!! Always be prepared!!!"

One piece of good news after another came out, and the soldiers in the camp had no time to digest the news of the relocation.

In addition, there are many veterans and cadres.

Most people understand that relocation is an unavoidable process.

As the first information-based battalion, the new system cannot remain in one place indefinitely.

. . . . . . .

After the conference concluded.

Chen Mo then summoned the company commanders and political instructors of each company, briefly instructing them on the recent arrangements. He emphasized that while there were things that the soldiers couldn't talk about, there was nothing to hide from the core officers.

For example, he needs to take a break for a period of time to avoid being courted by other military regions. Now, the Jinyang Military Headquarters has its own bigwigs in charge.

Even if other military regions wanted to win them over, they wouldn't dare.

However, the period after the flag-giving ceremony and the preparations for the transfer will certainly not be peaceful.

The headquarters initially gave us three years to establish the information technology battalion, and now, six months have passed.

The Kyoto Military Region was the first to successfully conduct the experiment, while the Jincheng Military Region, which is pursuing a support-type operation, is making intensive preparations. Chen Mo is of low rank and cannot get much information, but he can basically confirm the direction of Jincheng.

But the other military regions were still completely clueless.

Once transferred, the troops are far from the emperor's reach, and the demonstration battalion, holding its unit number, receives no orders from its superiors.

If other military regions want to recruit people, no matter how high your rank is, you can't even get into the barracks. What's the point?
Therefore, during this period, they will be recruited very frequently. Under the guise of learning, they can freely enter and leave the camp, even if the headquarters issues an order.

No matter how grand a system is, it can never outweigh human relationships.

Chen Mo instructed the officers that after the flag presentation ceremony, the entire battalion should activate its highest-level internal combat readiness plan.

To put it simply, it's all about training, eating, sleeping, and attending classes.

Want to learn? Sure, feel free to look around. But if you want to have a private chat with someone, sorry, without the battalion commander's orders, the training cannot be stopped.

The battalion commander was on leave and could not give orders.

The military region made this arrangement to prevent such a thing from happening, and Chen Mo could easily understand the meaning behind it.

However, these words cannot be said in front of the soldiers.

Chen Mo wasn't the kind of person to be stingy; he wholeheartedly agreed to give the opportunity to key personnel from other military regions.

Firstly, even a combined force couldn't absorb more than four hundred cadres.

If they can't swallow it, it means that a considerable number of people can only hold the functions of cadres but do the same work as soldiers.

Secondly, the people he trained were distributed to various military regions and became seed-level backbone personnel.

The impact might not be noticeable for a year, two years, or even ten years.

But what about twenty years?
At that time, Chen Mo believed that as long as he didn't make any fundamental mistakes or sacrifice himself, he would at least reach the rank of a full division commander.

While I wouldn't presume to say that my students are all over the world, at least with the complete opening up of information technology, synthesis, and digitalization, these people are all important cadres in the main combat brigades during the era of division-to-brigade reform.

Leaving aside other influences...

At least these people didn't waste a few years following me; they were able to contribute some value.

but!
Now is not the time.

The entire battalion, from top to bottom, including myself, may not necessarily have the ability.

Then, another model battalion of equal combat strength and size was created. These achievements were influenced by a multitude of factors, including the military region's unwavering support, the accumulation of core members, and the backing of capable officers.

If any one of them is missing, it cannot be completed.

Therefore, now is not the time. We should at least wait another two or three years until the officers in the company are mature enough to lead a battalion. Then, we won't need other military regions to ask us for help.

Chen Mo himself would help those cadres who were eager to learn but had no vacant positions to recommend better opportunities.

Explain everything that needs to be explained.

Chen Mo strolled around the camp and, seeing that the soldiers were all in good condition, returned to the East Campus.

As soon as I walked onto the main road in front of the administration building, I saw Cheng Dong, Man Xuexi, Wang Jianbin, and Fang Peijun chatting idly in the distance.

Old Wang didn't care about his image at all. He sat on the curb with his legs stretched out, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, looking utterly depressed.

Chen Mo walked over and gestured to Lao Wang: "Who's this old rascal arguing with now?"

"Harmful"

Cheng Dong couldn't help but laugh and said, "What else could it be? It's just that we're going to be upgraded to a regiment, and Lao Wang feels that his own Xiangjian is no longer as good. Both are directly under the military region, but the number of people and influence of a regiment is enough to overshadow the status of Xiangjian, so he's unhappy about it."

"What's the use of being upset? He can't go back anyway. His name is just on the training department's list. Tomorrow we'll get a unit number, so we'll transfer him over. From now on, Xiangjian has nothing to do with him."

Chen Mo knew it was a joke, so he deliberately raised his voice to let Wang Jianbin hear it.

Old Wang was so angry that he turned his head away and didn't say a word.

The group exchanged a few jokes.

Chen Mo then looked at Man Xuexi and said, "Old Man."

"To!"

"Have all the comrades from the Academy of Sciences been made up?"

"Some left this afternoon, and a few of my closer friends stayed for the next two days. I guess they'll leave tomorrow after they've had a good rest."

He spoke truthfully, as he had learned.

The talents from the Chinese Academy of Sciences are not the same as those from the military. If they can come over, there must be a channel for it; otherwise, ordinary units cannot borrow these people.

Once the practical operation is over, it's time to leave.

"Try your best to get the comrades to stay for a couple more days." Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "Our battalion's early warning radar is still not working properly with the reconnaissance company. Let's ask the comrades from the Academy of Sciences for help."

"The comrades in the electronic warfare unit should also learn more about the technology. This exercise was greatly aided by information jamming."

"And electronic warfare is our core capability, so we must accelerate our learning of it."

"If there are any non-commissioned officers or cadres in the battalion who have talent in this area, we can expand the electronic warfare unit. We must learn to flexibly arrange the positions of all comrades."

"Yes!"

Manxue straightened his chest.

After giving his instructions, Chen Mo walked up to Lao Wang with a cheeky grin, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Don't be depressed. Smoking won't cheer you up. Why don't you go to the warehouse and get two bottles of beer? I'll have a drink with you to celebrate your promotion to regimental commander?"

"Get out, I don't want to see you."

Wang Jianbin rolled his eyes. He hadn't said anything about the demonstration battalion being promoted to regiment; it was Cheng Dong and his bunch of gossipy people who were interrupting him.

Who knew that even the dog scholar would come to join in the fun.

Faced with Lao Wang's indignant expression.

Chen Mo chuckled, got up and walked towards the dormitory. He was to be assigned a unit number tomorrow, so he needed to rest up.

. . . . . . .

6:00 AM on October 8th.

After a night's rest, the soldiers, once notified that morning exercises were over, began their work in each company under the leadership of their company commanders.

Armed with shovels and basins, and wearing gloves, they began cleaning up the two campuses.

The commendation ceremony didn't involve paving the road with yellow earth, splashing water on the streets, trimming all the greenery inside and out to the top, or making sure the withered grass faced the same direction.

But at least the hygiene needs to be properly maintained.

Sweep up any cement floors that need sweeping, and flatten any uneven areas of the ground.

morning.

After breakfast.

Chen Mo carried a megaphone to the west campus to personally direct the flag-raising ceremony. He was full of energy, standing on the flag-raising platform with one hand on his hip.

He kept shouting.

"Hey you, be more careful when you clean up. Sprinkle more water before sweeping. Look at all this dust floating around here."

"Qin Xiaojun, you son of a bitch, are you playing the landlord with your hands behind your back? Clean up the car and artillery yard area. Don't get your hands covered in dust later. Have some eyesight. The conference will be held here later, and you can see the situation of the car and artillery yard at a glance."

"Cheer up! If I find anyone slacking off again, they'll be in for a beating."

Even the battalion commander, who usually paid the least attention to such formalities, started taking the lead in cleaning.

Everyone in the camp knew that they absolutely couldn't slack off today, or they would most likely get a scolding from the battalion commander.

Well known.

Chen Mo's methods of punishing people are nothing more than two: either making them stand as punishment, which is for minor offenses, and usually standing for about two hours is enough.

For those who repeatedly fail to change their ways, or fail to change completely, the punishment is squatting. In the past, they were made to squat at the entrance of the cafeteria, but now they are simply made to squat at the entrance of the outhouse.

They would squat for four or five hours at a time.

Who the hell can withstand this? It's torture for both the body and the sense of smell.

Under such stimulation.

The work in the camp proceeded much faster.

Even veterans who have no work to do will find something to do themselves. Whenever they see weeds on the training ground, several of them will rush over to pull them out.

The ground there is uneven.

Several veterans would rush up and use shovels to flatten it with a series of bangs.

With so many people in the camp, there was nothing left to do in the end.

After discussing it, the company commanders decided to use the front row baseline as the standard and move all the wheeled vehicles to the baseline and line them up in a row.

Eleven o'clock in the morning.

After finishing their work, the soldiers changed into their new uniforms, went to the mess hall early to eat, and received their combat gear, such as helmets, ammunition belts, rifles, and grenade belts.

Nobody even cares about lunch breaks anymore.

They scattered around the training ground to rest and await the upcoming conference.

One p.m.

Soldiers on duty at the West Campus spotted more than a dozen vehicles approaching from the direction of Jinyang, including jeeps and black Volkswagen Santanas.

The soldiers quickly blew the assembly whistle.

The whistle blew, and the entire battalion sprang into action.

Chen Mo led a group of cadres to the west campus gate and stood at attention to wait.

The other soldiers quickly formed ranks.

Xu Hong was sitting in the second car that arrived at the demonstration camp.

This was Chief of Staff Xu's first time visiting the Army's first sergeant academy. He hadn't come before because he never expected the demonstration battalion to grow so quickly.

Looking at the officials who were waiting at the gate.

Xu Hong ordered the convoy to stop. Seeing Chen Mo and the others running towards him, he smiled and waved to indicate that they didn't need to greet him.

Then he strolled and led the team into the camp.

What I saw, besides the squads of spirited soldiers, were strange slogans everywhere.

10 seconds until World War III!
Ten thousand years is too long; seize the day!
A real man should train for eight hours every day!

Slogans were everywhere in the camp, their red backgrounds and gold lettering creating a sense of tension just by looking at them.

I couldn't help but feel my blood boil.

"Okay!"

"Creative and vibrant."

Xu Hong nodded slightly: "When the youth are strong, the nation is strong; this is absolutely true."

"The rising sun shines brightly, the river bursts forth from its hidden source and flows into a vast ocean, the dragon rises from the abyss with its scales and claws flying, the young tiger roars in the valley and all beasts tremble in fear, the eagle tests its wings and the dust rises and the wind blows. How wonderful!"

"The future ultimately belongs to you."

Xu Hong looked at Chen Mo, who had been by his side the whole time, with a gentle expression. Over the years, he had forgotten how long it had been since he had been attracted to a battalion-level unit.

Today, I truly witnessed a different side of the demonstration camp.

"Let's begin, don't keep the comrades waiting."

Xu Hong turned his head and gave an instruction.

Political Commissar Liao Hongjun nodded quickly and strode towards the flag-raising platform.

Without excessive lengthy and cumbersome procedures, the leaders demonstrated their decisive and efficient approach.

Two soldiers emerged from the crowd alongside Liao Hongjun, each carrying a neatly folded flag.

If my guess is correct.

Those are the regimental flag and battalion flag of their demonstration battalion.

Chen Mo stared at the flag, his breathing becoming slightly rapid.

This includes the scene where two flags are carried as they pass in front of the procession.

The eyes of all the soldiers in the battalion were drawn to it and could not be looked away.

旗！
It is the soul of a unit, or you could say it is the tangible symbol of a unit's designation, as long as one member of the unit is still alive.

The flag must not be lost.

(End of this chapter)