Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 373 Is this also my job?

The future of warfare has always been a topic of great interest in the field of strategic studies, because only tactics require extensive research into modern warfare history and analysis of numerous battle examples.

Then, written teaching examples were created to teach various practical techniques.

There are examples and sources, which can be provided to more people for discussion.

When it comes to the operational level, there aren't many real-world examples to follow, so we can only imagine various possible future scales and conduct simulations.

But someone like Chen Mo...

To start by talking about the scale of World War III thirty years from now and advocating unmanned warfare—this kind of thinking isn't something no one understands right now; on the contrary, quite a few people do.

The problem is, the person who understands this is not in Commander Lu's office.

The academy's mission is to train more and better commanders, not military strategists.

Whether unmanned warfare will become the mainstream in the future, or whether it is the ultimate manifestation of informatization, has little to do with current teaching methods.

A forward-looking lesson.

Not to mention the people from Zhongpei were completely bewildered.

Even the old principal, Li Yazhong, was so enraged that the veins on his forehead bulged and his chest burned with fury.

Inside the auditorium.

The last shred of hope in the hearts of many cadres was ruthlessly shattered, and many people felt their minds buzzing, as if a hornet's nest had been stuffed inside.

This situation is not because Chen Mo's lectures were bad, but because his lectures were too forward-looking.

It is observed that many people have lost their sense of self.

Do you know what a soldier's faith is?

Do you know where the field army's belief in being invincible came from?
Many grassroots officers and soldiers in the field army have had such a magnificent picture in their minds.

This scene is titled "A Century of Darkness and Humiliation."

Looking down upon the desolate land, war raged, the landscape was ravaged, the mountains and rivers were shrouded in mourning, imperialism, feudalism, warlordism were fighting each other, the dead lay everywhere, and people resorted to cannibalism, all hope was lost.

Until one day, in the cold, dark night, a spark was born, the dragon gradually awakened, and the waves swept across the land from north to south.

Under the leadership of the Party, the field army was born, an unprecedented army belonging to the people.

It was not part of the army of feudal emperors.

This is a force that dares to change the world, and it is also a force that, for the first time in a century of hardship, is fearless, willing to die, and ready to face death today.

The martyrs roared.

Over seventy years of glorious history, we fought bloody battles against the Japanese invaders, drew our swords against the bald eagles, brandished our swords against the white elephants, bared our teeth at the hungry bears of the north, smashed the Indochina Peninsula with our iron fists, stood amidst the flames of war, subdued all sides, and established our nation with blood.

This is an army that, since the founding of the nation, has never allowed a war to take place in its own territory. All the wars, including those in Korea, Baekhyang, and the Indochina Peninsula, were fought in other people's homes.

Because in the past, darkness reigned, and invaders came, slaughtering countless people. But with this army, from now on, only I can go against you. I can fight back, go to your home and crush you. That's how tough I am.

This is a force that was extremely poor and had faced extreme pressure from two superpowers.

This is a force that terrifies the world when it acts like a rogue.

of course.

This is also a gun. The last bullet is for me. The last shell of the J-7 is me. Fire at my position. I am going now. I am torn between loyalty to my country and filial piety. I can only kill the enemy and serve my country. Heroes will emerge to form the national defense line.

To become a member of this unit is itself a belief.

However, just now...

A scholar surnamed Gou (meaning "dog") boasted that future wars would become unmanned, and that military branches would become the biggest weakness in the future.

How can anyone accept this?
Looking ahead is fine, but you can't be too far ahead, can you?

If what you see before you makes you lose your way, then you've strayed from the original purpose of the first lesson upon entering school.

They sensed something was off about the atmosphere in the auditorium.

The once composed and unflappable principal finally couldn't hold back any longer.

He jumped up and strode to the podium. Glancing at Chen Mo, who was still standing there like a welcoming pine tree, Li Yazhong bared his teeth and cursed, "Get down!"

"Yes!"

Chen Mo straightened his chest, stood at attention, and saluted.

He then turned around and quickly ran to his seat.

The forward-looking textbook was not his original intention. When discussing the most likely future direction of information technology development, it is impossible to avoid the topic of automation.

He's not a professional lecturer, much less a senior professor. To be able to speak to this extent in front of a bunch of stubborn people is quite an achievement.

As for the claim that he shattered the Dao hearts of a group of students, that's pure nonsense.

Severe cases require strong medication.

The first batch of experimental units opened up for digital reform are not so easy to manage. We need to let these people see the future development and put some pressure on them.

They really thought that the Blue Army camp could represent informatization, and that reform could be carried out step by step, but cadres must have a sufficient vision for the future.

At least in terms of mindset, we must not fall behind; to put it more bluntly, we cannot be satisfied with the status quo of only a little bit of development.

If Chen Mo himself were so easily satisfied and only wanted to turn the original vision of the Army Academy into reality, then the Blue Army Camp would not have reached this point today.

Not to mention squad-based operations, and the Academy of Sciences will subsequently arrange for more new weapons to be tested there.

Only with ambition can there be a future!

But it is clear that in this day and age, his ideas cannot be accepted by everyone.

After Li Yazhong went on stage, he glanced at everyone in the auditorium and after a long while, he said in a deep voice, "That's enough."

"Commander Chen's sharing of the task force combat group and the possible forms of the three future wars was very good."

"But that's not something we should be considering right now."

"The three branches of the armed forces will not be eliminated in the future. If they are all eliminated, what will happen to the border and flood control and disaster relief?"

"These things always need to be done by someone."

"Unmanned equipment has not yet reached that stage."

The old principal's speech made the group of cadres who had just undergone a spiritual baptism feel as if they had grasped at their last straw.

Yup!

Doesn't a border stretching tens of thousands of miles need someone to guard it?
Everyone turned to look at Chen Mo.

Chen Mo grinned but did not respond. He reiterated that the forward-looking view was an academic theory, merely mentioning future development directions.

The aim is to compare with the present and have a clear direction for development, as long as we don't become complacent.

As for unmanned operation, according to the best estimates from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the timeline will be extended to 2040.

That will be a full forty years from now.

At that time, who among those present will still be a battalion commander by then?

Even if there are such outrageous people, there are no such outrageous rules to support them.

Forty years.

That's almost the time it takes for two generations to grow up. By then, apart from Chen Mo who will still be relatively young...

The others will at least be in their seventies.

Therefore, the concept of unmanned combat in World War III is essentially just an academic, forward-looking lesson.

"But Battalion Commander Chen also raised a very real issue."

Li Yazhong first denied Chen Mo's tone, and then looked at the audience with a serious expression.

"The development of information technology will indeed enter a period of rapid growth, and no one can resist it or change this reality." "When the times eliminate you, you simply cannot resist."

"Alright, staff from the school administration, please register the list of all personnel who have passed the assessment at the training center."

"We'll rest tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, the combat training class will officially begin. But before the class starts, all comrades must write an academic report on the future development of information technology and submit it to me."

"The reports are required to be innovative, directional, and strategically macro-level. No one should try to get by with a sloppy report. I will review all of these reports, and the final score will be included in your graduation assessment score."

"get out of class is over!"

The old principal gave the order.

Inside the auditorium, a group of senior professors, including Professor Lu, first packed up their notebooks and then got up to leave.

Afterwards, the more than sixty trainees breathed a sigh of relief, packed their belongings, and signed in one by one before leaving under the supervision of the school officials.

During this time, some people looked at Chen Mo and found that this bald rascal was not enthusiastic at all. Even after class was over, he was still alone on the desk in the auditorium, studying the three PPT slides he was using for projection.

"Chen Ying, let's go!"

"Haha, I'll wait a bit."

"What are you waiting for? The principal requires us to write academic reports that are innovative and have a clear direction. You're the most qualified to speak on this. Shall we go to your dorm and chat for a bit?"

"Screw the conversation, I'm not talking!"

Chen Mo pursed his lips. He remembered very clearly that when someone called him an old monkey from below the stage, this cadre who invited him to chat laughed the loudest.

I consider myself to be generous and never hold grudges.

But you're laughing so happily, and now you're saying you want to talk about the future development of information technology? What the hell? Do you really think I have no temper?

Of course.

There was another reason why Chen Mo didn't leave.

That is, although the old principal announced the end of get out of class, he himself did not leave.

He stood in front of the national emblem at the front of the auditorium, hands behind his back, his face grim, staring at each person leaving.

His expression was as if someone owed him eight million.

Chen Mo didn't even need to try; he could guess that the other party was definitely holding back their anger, waiting to unleash it on him.

When the auditorium is crowded, the other party can still keep the situation under control.

But if I lose my sense of judgment and try to leave with the crowd, the old man will probably throw a tantrum on the spot.

Therefore, Chen Mo did not give the old man a chance to cause trouble. He waited until the last school affairs officer left the auditorium.

He ran up to Li Yazhong without hesitation, stood at attention, saluted, and said in a loud voice, "Reporting to the principal, are you satisfied with this preliminary course?"

"satisfy?"

Hearing such a shameless question, Li Yazhong almost laughed out of anger.

Before I asked you to prepare, did I show you any documents about digital reform?

"Report, I've seen it."

"Have I told you about the specific arrangements for this training program?"

"Report, we have been notified."

"Then why are you spouting nonsense about special task force battle groups and unmanned combat systems in World War III?!"

Li Yazhong raised his hand and slapped the podium with a loud "smack." Because the microphone was still on, the entire auditorium was filled with the sound of the commotion.

The old man had a sinister air about him, and his face was gloomy.

"You really don't know any better."

Li Yazhong sighed: "In the military, seniority is the biggest issue of qualifications."

"Do you really think that intermediate-level cadre training is just as simple as lacking a temporary instructor?"

"Zhongpei is waiting for you to share your experience in developing the Blue Army Camp. Do you know why?"

"Because these people will be trainees who will be promoted at the same time as you in the Kyoto Military Region in the future, having you give lectures is to eliminate the impact of your lack of seniority, and this is all you've shown?"

"Do you even need to tell me about the task force? There are plenty of talented people in the field army. Do you know how much pressure the academy will be under if we make you a temporary instructor? Huh!"

"It's like feeding you food, you dog, and you don't even know to swallow it. What are you talking about in World War III, what are you talking about in terms of unmanned systems? These are things you should be talking about!"

Faced with the furious old man, Chen Mo blinked, and after a long while, straightened his chest and said, "Report, Principal, are you saying that my speech was inadequate?"

"Nonsense, do I need to present you with another award?" Li Yazhong glared at Chen Mo in annoyance: "I asked you to share the original intention and development trajectory of the Blue Army Camp, not for you to flaunt the Blue Army Camp here."

"What else can you do besides dampen the trainees' enthusiasm?"

"Report, Principal, could you please hear me out?" Chen Mo took a deep breath.

He was indeed unprepared for this advanced course, and the academy did not give him the opportunity to prepare. But if we talk about special task force battle groups, unmanned systems, and World War III, then he is not prepared.

These things are not just idle talk.

Because the pace of information technology development will accelerate rapidly, so much so that many units will not have time to react. When the second Desert Storm arrives, many units and even military regions will have to be downsized in order to focus on information technology development.

If digitalization is to be implemented, the first thing to do is to step out of your comfort zone, and that makes sense.

"Say!"

"I didn't shut you up, so why shouldn't I let you talk?" Li Yazhong sneered.

"Yes!"

“Principal, I admit that what I proposed was too advanced, but it’s impossible that I discouraged these students.”

"The fighting spirit of soldiers is ingrained in their bones and blood. Those who come to the training class and ultimately stay are all battlefield veterans, and all have gone through numerous elimination rounds."

"As a commander, arrogance is a basic quality."

"Principal, do you believe it or not, when you come to class the day after tomorrow, the academic reports on information technology submitted by the 67 trainees from Zhongpei will definitely be wildly imaginative and include all sorts of theories."

Chen Mo patted his chest and said, "Information technology itself is a future-oriented topic. If we don't broaden their horizons and thinking, many people's understanding of information technology will be limited to the 'blue army' (a metaphor for a hostile force).

"But the Blue Army battalion is just one manifestation of informatization. If a hundred people lead it, they can create a hundred different Blue Army battalions with different styles and even different organizational structures."

"Shouldn't academic issues be addressed by first allowing a hundred different ideas to flourish, and then selecting the best from the best?"

"War will result in victory or defeat; that is the established outcome. We soldiers should not be afraid of winning, nor should we be afraid of losing. As long as we have the courage and determination to turn the tide, what are we afraid of in a few words of misleading advice?"

"Besides, I didn't mislead anyone."

As Chen Mo spoke, he shrugged with an extremely innocent expression.

The old principal was speechless for a long time.

He understood what the kid meant. Currently, many people regard the Blue Army Battalion as an informationized force. The Blue Army Battalion is indeed informationized, but informationization is not the Blue Army Battalion.

Since the higher authorities are promoting digitalization, and Zhongpei has just begun, the main thing is to vigorously expand people's understanding of information technology.

Since the Blue Army camp already exists, there is no need to use it as a target, because replicating more Blue Army camps would be meaningless and would not promote the development of informatization.

This kid's thinking is indeed sound, but his lecture was really disjointed.

The old principal stood there for a long time, and finally had to wave his hand and say, "Alright."

"The training program officially starts the day after tomorrow. Let's take a look at the opening report first."

"But don't get too cocky, kid. You'll be in for a rough time once classes start. Oh, and you're the last one to leave, so clean up the auditorium."

After saying that, Li Yazhong turned and left angrily.

Chen Mo stared in astonishment at the tiered auditorium, which spanned over a thousand square meters, his face darkening.

Damn it, is this my job too?

(End of this chapter)