Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 345: Things are never good, but they always get better.

Even if you're full of questions after studying, you still don't know where you went wrong.

But at this moment, he didn't dare to offend the battalion commander. He just covered his buttocks in grievance, turned back every half step, and limped towards the artillery company's dormitory area.

"That son of a bitch, he's quite the actor."

Cheng Dong watched as Man Xuexi covered his buttocks the whole way, grinned and cursed.

With the force of that kick from the scholar, how could a rough man like him possibly feel pain for so long?

"Oh right, why did you suddenly think of transferring Xiaoman to the artillery company again?"

After regaining his senses, Cheng Dong looked at Chen Mo curiously.

Others might not understand the scholar's temperament, but he knew it perfectly.

The scholar wouldn't interfere with the cadres' work for no reason. Besides, the tank company hadn't really put in much effort in this military exercise, so there was no question of whether they performed well or not.

"I will be transferred to Zhongpei after the New Year."

Chen Mo took out a cigarette from his pocket and offered one to the two of them. The three of them lit the cigarettes while shielding each other from the wind.

Then he continued, "Company Commander, you should take over as the battalion commander of the Blue Army. Lao Man is quick-witted and well-liked in the battalion. Plus, he's capable. Let him serve as chief of staff or deputy battalion commander."

"He's just a bit lacking in experience; he needs to be trained."

"While I'm still here, let him learn the work of the main companies, so it will be easier for him to take over later."

Zhongpei?!

Upon hearing this, Cheng Dong and Wang Jianbin exchanged a glance, both quite surprised.

Training for intermediate-level cadres is a privilege not everyone receives.

It's not that the higher-ups don't make arrangements, but most cadres simply can't make it to that stage before they have to be transferred to civilian jobs.

For many officers, the rank of captain (company commander) is the pinnacle. Even if some colonel-level officers are promoted to the rank of colonel due to special circumstances, they are unlikely to go for training at the intermediate level.

For example, Cheng Dong himself is almost forty years old.

I don't think I have that opportunity.

The Ironclad Regiment is in a special situation; this year's demobilization season has so many slots available for those who wish to remain in the unit that they can prepare one for each individual.

Therefore, there won't be a discharge season here for the next two or three years, unless they apply for discharge themselves.

The situation was similar when Cheng Dong took over as battalion commander.

The regiment is responsible for training cadres for the entire army, so the vast majority of cadre transfers and appointments can be approved simply by applying.

Adjustments to military ranks below lieutenant colonel are generally not too difficult and will not present significant barriers, provided they are in accordance with the configuration requirements of battalion-level units.

No matter how much the system was adjusted, not just anyone could go to Zhongpei. After all, the system at the beginning of the century was not comparable to the more mature system of later generations.

"when are you leaving?"

Cheng Dong sensed the urgency of time.

How could we not be eager!
Chen Mo's abilities were actually not that strong. In terms of leading troops and companies, many officers in the battalion were more capable than Xiucai.

In fact, to be honest, he probably hasn't fully grasped the essence of what he's learned.

Even with his individual abilities, Chen Mo might not be able to lead many companies in the armored regiment effectively.

But none of that matters.

Importantly, as the first battalion commander of the Blue Army Battalion, he controlled the development direction of the entire battalion, leading it from scratch to its current status as a model battalion directly under the command of a major military region regiment.

The Blue Army battalion is also a first-class merit battalion, having participated in several exercises with good results, and this time it even defeated the Red Army division.

In this situation, it's no longer a matter of individual ability, but rather that no one can replace the influence of the first battalion commander.

Even Cheng Dong couldn't do it.

The armored regiment with Chen Mo and the armored regiment without him are completely different units.

"It'll probably take a few more months, maybe until the middle of the year." Chen Mo shook his head slightly and smiled, "Don't worry, it won't be that fast."

"The issue of family members accompanying the military needs to be resolved, Lao Man also needs to be trained, the bottom-ranking elimination system needs to continue, and the new recruits haven't been awarded ranks yet, so I can't leave for the time being."

"Go back and rest first. It's too late today. We'll announce the details tomorrow."

"Row!"

Cheng Dong opened his mouth, but only managed to utter this one word.

Wang Jianbin, despite his big mouth, remained silent throughout, and did not express any opinion on who should succeed him as battalion commander.

The main problem is that this is hard to say.

If it were any other battalion, taking over wouldn't be a big problem, but the Blue Army battalion is in a very special situation. It is based in the border region and has a heavy workload.

Others probably can't control it.

If the first battalion commander leaves and doesn't properly arrange things in the battalion, there's a high probability of trouble arising afterward, affecting the battalion's overall combat effectiveness.

At the very least, they should at least make a promise to the camp before leaving.

Otherwise, just look at the period of the transfer; it was only half a month, but the companies had already started discussing it.

A new unit is not so easy to manage. With the old battalion commander, many things can be suppressed, but it's not certain that things will be the same with a new person.

Cheng Dong and Lao Wang walked to the entrance of the dormitory building and saw that Xiucai had not come to the dormitory, but was walking towards the administration building.

Wang Jianbin sighed, raised his hand and patted Cheng Dong on the shoulder, saying, "Old Cheng, you need to step up your game."

“You son of a bitch, Xiucai, you’ve put all your courage in our hands, you have to hold on.”

"Yes!"

"In other words, we can't stop things like Zhongpei no matter what. Otherwise, I really can't take on the Blue Army camp, and I won't take it on."

Cheng Dong looked worried.

He wasn't being deliberately modest when he said that. The Blue Army Battalion was under the Ironclad Regiment, which was a unit that several major military regions were keeping an eye on.

Even the Kyoto Military District is paying attention.

In this situation, how many people can really withstand it?

It's a complete hot potato; if handled well, that's to be expected.

If you don't handle it properly, it'll really be like pulling a millstone with your pants down, making a complete fool of yourself.

Even losing face would be the least of your worries; if you bring down the experimental unit, the trouble would be much greater.

Therefore, this position is not so easy to take.

. . . . . . . . . .

Chen Mo was also aware of the situation in the Blue Army camp; the backbone members were the core of a unit.

Unfortunately, the armored regiment is now constantly supplying key personnel to other military regions, resulting in a continuous loss of veterans. Even if the rate of loss is slow, it's only about a hundred people a year.

However, the cleanup work is still difficult to handle.

come back to the office.

Chen Mo summoned Wang Jianyong and asked him to call Hou Zhanye, the reconnaissance company commander, and Fang Peijun, the political instructor.

Let's have a short meeting beforehand.

The meeting's main purpose was to first determine the list of companies, platoons, and individual soldiers who performed well in this military exercise, and then have the political instructors submit an application for commendation to the military headquarters.

Afterwards, the group sat in the office with the list of family members accompanying the military personnel, chatting until late at night.

Trying to find a reasonable arrangement.

The camp can only provide a limited number of rental shops, which is not enough to accommodate so many family members.

Deciding who to give to and who not to give to is another difficult question.

After discussing it for a long time, the three of them finally decided that during the Spring Festival, the instructor would take some time to visit the soldiers in each company who had applied for family reunification and chat with them.

Communicate in advance and ask about everyone's needs so that arrangements can be made later.

After a night.

The next morning, February 1st, was the 2th day of the twelfth lunar month.

6:15.

"One two one, one two one, one two three four."

After washing up in the dormitory, Chen Mo came downstairs. The morning fog on the vast grassland was thick, and the visibility was extremely low. He could not see the scenery in the distance even ten meters away.

All that could be heard was the deafening sound of slogans echoing around the camp, each shout higher than the last.

It sounds quite inspiring.

"Which company is doing morning exercises so enthusiastically?"

Chen Mo stretched and then looked at Cheng Dong, who was passing by.

Upon hearing the question, Lao Cheng couldn't help but laugh and said, "Who else could it be but Xiaoman's new recruit company?"

"That son of a bitch, I was scolded by you last night. I was just showing off, so you would see me. I gathered the new recruits for a talk and drills this morning."

"correct."

After Cheng Dong finished speaking, he seemed to remember something and asked, "Our regiment hasn't heard anything about whether or not we need to be on standby for combat this year, and there haven't been any orders from above."

"Recently, many companies have come to inquire about taking leave for the Spring Festival. How do you plan to approve leave after the exercise ends?"

"Whatever the calculation method, follow the normal procedure."

Chen Mo shook his head, took out a cigarette and offered one to Cheng Dong, instructing him: "With the end of the year approaching, those who haven't taken their annual leave should be approved. You've been busy all year, and we can't hold you back at this crucial time. If you don't leave now, you won't be able to get home in time for the New Year."

"Just pay attention to the proportion of leave approved in each batch."

"Okay." Cheng Dong nodded and noted everything down.

"Also, with the year-end approaching, we should contact the border defense to plan ahead the areas where we will be sending people to take over patrols."

"Our guards will also work hard and spend this New Year together with our local comrades."

"Within the group, the leave application and cancellation system must be strictly implemented, as well as the morning, noon, and evening roll call system."

"During the New Year period, even if there is no combat readiness, the system of checking dormitories and sentry posts must be implemented."

Chen Mo looked up and thought for a moment, then added, "The closer it gets to a major holiday, the more we need to strengthen management. We must not let the soldiers be too idle, and we should find ways to expend their energy."

"If you're idle, trouble will happen. Besides the daily training, tell Lao Man to get the new recruits involved in a whole series of activities, such as soccer, basketball, and tug-of-war."

"Also, control your alcohol intake."

"We are in the border region, and the weather is unpredictable. Although the New Year is a time for new beginnings, we still need to be careful during the first New Year. If there is a banquet, please report it to the military's combat readiness duty room in advance."

"You've worked hard all year, don't cause any trouble at this crucial moment."

"Also, instruct the logistics team to purchase the necessary supplies for the New Year as soon as possible. Some villagers in the vicinity who are in difficult circumstances have also brought some New Year's goods. Since there are many of us, we can save a little and it will be enough for several families to have a comfortable New Year."

"Row."

Cheng Dong nodded, focusing on taking notes without offering any opinions.

There's really nothing to mention.

The scholar had basically considered all the necessary aspects.

Previously, due to the exercise, we didn't have time to make arrangements, but now that the exercise is over, we definitely need to implement everything.

What Chen Mo just said were all experiences he accumulated when he served as a confidential secretary.

Soldiers are all young men full of vigor and vitality; they are prone to getting into trouble when they are idle.

Especially recently, the higher authorities have been organizing holiday safety education meetings and constantly requiring all subordinate units to implement them effectively at the grassroots level.

There are no tigers in the mountains, and the monkeys are kings.

Some veterans couldn't sit still any longer.

Therefore, as the year draws to a close, we must conduct thorough investigations to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Although there are no rivers, lakes, or seas near the Zhuri River, the climate in the border region is unpredictable and poses greater risks than inland areas. It's always better to be cautious.

After explaining the situation in the camp.

Chen Mo strolled outside the camp. He had just been listening to the slogans of the new recruits' morning exercises, and Man Xuexi's hoarse voice kept urging him on.

Until we got closer.

Only then did I realize that Man Xuexi was standing on the roof of a jeep, his right hand on his hip and his left hand holding a megaphone, shouting at the top of his lungs.

All they do is talk and no action, just putting on a show.

From Chen Mo's perspective, he couldn't see the soldiers at all, and he had no idea who this guy was putting on such a show for.

He patted the hood of the car and said sternly, "Get out!"

"Eh!"

"coming."

Upon seeing the battalion commander standing in front of him, Lao Man grinned and jumped off the roof of the vehicle.

He tucked the megaphone under his arm, rubbed his hands together, and chuckled, "Battalion Commander, what are your orders?"

Chen Mo glanced at him sideways: "How's the new recruit training going lately?"

"Good!"

"It has to be good!"

"Especially Li Zhiang and Yang Dali, these two soldiers who enlisted twice, their physical fitness is absolutely amazing."

Man Xuexue thumped his chest loudly.

The new recruits in the armored regiment are all quite capable overall and well-educated, after all, the military had already issued a document before the recruitment.

Applicants with rural household registration must have a junior high school diploma, while applicants with urban household registration must have a high school diploma, vocational school diploma, or technical secondary school diploma.

You must meet these requirements to register.

This alone makes the overall recruitment situation much better compared to previous years.

Since the new recruits arrived at the camp, Chen Mo has rarely inquired about their affairs in the past two months.

Firstly, there are too many veterans and senior officers in the regiment. If you want to find officers with experience in leading troops, you can call up a large group of them anytime, anywhere.

There's absolutely no need for a battalion commander with such mediocre leadership skills.

Secondly.

Chen Mo had his own plans for this batch of new recruits. Since the armored regiment was the first informationized battalion, it also bore heavy responsibilities.

Therefore, the training of new recruits can no longer be carried out in the old way, and it just so happens that this batch of recruits also has the right educational background.

Chen Mo originally planned to make specific plans after the New Year.

Now, here is the notification from Zhongpei.

This disrupted part of his plans, forcing him to bring some immature ideas to the forefront ahead of time.

Looking at the recruit company in the distance, the shadowy formations had already finished their morning exercises and were beginning to assemble and head towards the dormitory.

Make room for the veterans from each company to do their morning exercises.

Chen Mo spoke up: "Old Man."

"Here!" Man Xuexi hurriedly puffed out his chest, looking like a colorful rooster.

"During the Spring Festival, the recruit training company will conduct more joint operations training courses. Now the physical fitness of each recruit class is almost complete."

"After the New Year, we don't need to focus all our energy on physical training. Let them learn some other courses in advance, including the functions of non-commissioned officers, internal management and training, external coordination with different units, and some military staff skills, etc. You should be able to handle these."

"You don't need to learn it thoroughly, but you must talk about it a lot and instill it in people."

"what?!"

Upon hearing this, Man Xuexi was stunned for a moment.

He can understand it if new recruits are taught the duties of non-commissioned officers, attend classes, and learn about internal management and training, as well as how to coordinate operations between different units.

After all, the armored regiment is an information-mechanized combined arms regiment. The organizational structure between companies will eventually be eliminated, and it will be reduced to the size of detachments. Knowing this in advance will help you get to your post as soon as possible after you are assigned to your unit.

Is it too demanding to be proficient in some military staff skills?

These are new recruits, not veteran sergeants.

"Battalion Commander, are you planning to train a group of operations staff officers or a group of sergeant majors?"

Manxue scratched his head awkwardly: "These people are still greenhorns."

"New recruits aren't sergeants, much less officers," Lao Man reminded him.

"Of course I know they're new recruits."

Chen Mo glared at Lao Man with annoyance: "Learning these things is only the first step for new recruits. Later, the entire battalion and even the entire regiment will have to learn them."

"If information-based integrated units want to achieve true integration, they must exert the efforts of PLA officers."

PLA officers' energy?

Man Xuexi was a top student with a quick mind, and after hearing what the battalion commander said, he roughly understood what was going on.

indeed.

Whether it's the previous Blue Army battalion or this newly designated Blue Army battalion, the combination of squad sizes is just a facade of multiple military branches.

Compared to a single company, its combat effectiveness is simply more convenient and faster, allowing for quick adjustments to firepower based on the enemy's formation on the battlefield.

However, this does not mean that the squad has unleashed the full power of the combined system.

Man Xuexi only had a vague feeling about it, but Chen Mo knew it perfectly well.

Training combined arms is not that easy. If it were that simple, the reform of combined arms battalions in later generations would not have stumped so many units.

Of course.

This is not to say that the size of the Blue Army battalion is wrong. On the contrary, their combat methods have exceeded the size of a combined battalion and entered the integrated combat phase.

However, due to the short timeframe, it is not yet perfect.

At present, the commanders of the grassroots companies of the Blue Army are preoccupied with a lot of things every day.

For example, even a simple infantry-tank or mechanized infantry training exercise requires coordination from the commanding officer regarding fuel, ammunition, training grounds, and participation rates.

It might not sound like much, and it feels like these are things that cadres should be doing anyway.

In reality, however, these tangled and trivial matters consumed too much of the cadres' energy.

Instead, it prevents them from fulfilling their primary function of commanding operations.

To know.

The Ironclad Regiment has no shortage of professionally trained commanders or experienced veterans.

However, in training now, the General Staff still provides the outline, and the company commanders are busy setting up the training grounds, assigning mobile tasks, and rationally planning the order of operations.

They had no opportunity to command at all, and instead always obeyed the orders of the battalion command or the staff.

If it's just one battalion.

That doesn't matter. Chen Mo's original plan was to downplay the responsibilities of the company commander and have the battalion headquarters take over command.

The role of the company level is simply to relay information from above and supervise subordinates.

But before Wang Songhe left yesterday, he specifically mentioned that the armored regiment was likely to be expanded, and that it would be expanded when he returned.

A regiment can no longer operate on the battalion model and diminish the role of the company.

After all, can a regimental headquarters command twenty or thirty companies in the entire regiment at the same time?

That's just utter nonsense.

Even if he had three heads and six mouths, it would be impossible for one person to command the details of so many companies' operations.

Therefore, to solve this problem, the future planning for non-commissioned officers in the regiment must be implemented and can no longer be ambiguous.

In the future, the specialties of all non-commissioned officers in the regiment must be further refined, such as command non-commissioned officers, medical non-commissioned officers, quartermaster non-commissioned officers, ordnance non-commissioned officers, tank driving non-commissioned officers, maintenance non-commissioned officers, and so on.

Cultivating diversified careers and interdisciplinary skills among non-commissioned officers is an inevitable direction.

Start with the new recruits, gradually changing the situation in the battalion, and gradually absorbing the energy of the People's Liberation Army officers.

To make the overall information technology of the Blue Army camp more professional and complete.

However, this is easier said than done; joint unit operations still have a long way to go.

The camp is mostly made up of veterans.

But mindset can't be changed in a day or two; it takes at least a year to gradually correct it.

"I still think it's too demanding; not many people can do it."

Man Xuexi shook his head, looking worried.

"So, you're the company commander of the recruit training camp, and I think you're the one who should trust them the most."

Chen Mo smiled and patted Lao Man on the shoulder: "Go for it. The final result will never be good, but it will get better someday."

"Have more confidence in yourself, it's not a big deal."

Man Xuexi still doesn't understand why Chen Mo asked him to lead the new recruit company.

The Blue Army has so many highly experienced officers; any one of them is more experienced than Lao Man.

That's why I gave it to him.

It's because Chen Mo planned to give him control of the Blue Army Battalion, and with the future expansion of the regiment, the existing members of the Blue Army Battalion wouldn't be able to gather together.

They will definitely be dispersed to different camps, just like good eggs won't be put in the same pot, it's the same principle.

The Blue Army camp will then be reorganized and expanded based on its existing foundation.

The new recruit company that Lao Man is leading will likely become his own core group in the future.

The core team supporting the entire Blue Army camp.

No matter what, Cheng Dong had a reconnaissance company, an engineering company, and even Liang Hongjie from the logistics company was trained by him.

He has a high level of seniority in the battalion, so there shouldn't be any problem with him taking over as battalion commander.

Even if there is expansion in the future, it can adapt to any camp.

Lao Man is a bit lacking.

Therefore, Chen Mo planned to give the new recruits to him. After all, expanding the force is not something that can be done overnight, so he could train them slowly.

As for this experiment, if we don't start with these new recruits, where else can we start?
After explaining to Lao Man.

Chen Mo wandered around again.

Next half month.

Due to the New Year, the application for commendation for the military exercise submitted by headquarters has not been approved.

Chen Mo did not hold an awards ceremony, nor did he publicize his departure.

Every day, he would either wander around to see which parts of the camp needed rest or go over to observe the training details of each company.

Offer some suggestions, but only suggestions.

Let Cheng Dong handle it; gradually delegate authority.

Time passed by day by day.
. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .

P.S.: It's time to write about Zhongpei. There are some things in the group that need to be explained. After all, things will be very different when I come back next time, and it can't seem abrupt.

I'm having a bit of writer's block during this part of the story. Dear readers, please allow me a moment to catch my breath. Once I've sorted out the plot, I'll definitely be updating a lot more. Thank you!

(End of this chapter)