Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

"Deputy Company Commander, which company did San Duo get assigned to?" Shi Jin asked with a smile during a training break.

"Hmm, why don't you ask the company commander? After all, whether it's the Steel Seventh Company or the recruit company, the company commander is the number one person." Zhang Anbang asked Shi Jin knowingly.

"Hehe, well, because of this, the company commander hasn't given me a kind look. Besides, you know the deputy company commander, asking you wouldn't make a difference." Shi Jin scratched his head. How could he possibly ignore the easy-going person and go and provoke the company commander's bad temper?

Zhang Anbang knew, of course, that Gao Cheng’s face would turn sour every time Shi Jin mentioned Xu Sanduo. “Yeah, I know, I’ve seen it, the fourth squad of the second platoon of the third company.”

"A combat squad?" Shi Jin asked in surprise.

"Yes, that's right. Is it that hard to believe? It's a combat platoon. You know his recruit training results better than anyone. Although he might not make it into the Steel Seventh Company, he could still get into the Third Company."

"That's good, that's good. I promised myself that I would bring him out and make him a respectable soldier," Shi Jin murmured.

Zhang Anbang looked at the soldiers training in the distance and said, "What are you talking about? Let me tell you, although Xu Sanduo has joined the combat unit, I don't have high hopes for him."

"Huh?" Shi Jin was a little stunned.

Seeing Shi Jin's puzzled look, Zhang Anbang explained, "You know his performance in the recruit training camp. You, Liu Yi, and even I have encouraged and paid attention to him a lot. Even so, after three months, his grades are still at the bottom."

However, after a new recruit is assigned to his unit, other squad leaders and officers are unlikely to encourage or pay much attention to him. You know, the current way our troops lead soldiers is largely based on rigid management.

Although Xu Sanduo now resembles a soldier, he lacks the essence of one. He lacks courage and his first thought when faced with a problem is "I can't do it." Although his deep-seated inferiority and cowardice have improved somewhat, they haven't been completely eradicated.

He also lacks tactical awareness and only mechanically executes orders, which is something he needs to improve a lot.

Most importantly, he still lacks a sense of collective consciousness; he doesn't understand what a collective or an army is.

To put it bluntly, Xu Sanduo still doesn't understand what a soldier is, or what a soldier should do.

Zhang Anbang's words were very direct. If Xu Sanduo heard them here, he would probably be crying and hanging his head. But Shi Jin heard them clearly. Yes, why did Xu Sanduo join the army?

For the first time, he began to ponder this question: why did Xu Sanduo join the army?

The core reason why Xu Sanduo joined the army should be the multiple real-world pressures and passive choice.

His father, Xu Baishun, wanted to find a proper way out for his son. For rural children, the proper way out was either to join the army or to go to university. In the year 2000, an average village had less than one college student, which was undoubtedly a dead end.

So joining the army is the only remaining path. It's the best way for rural children to escape the fields and find a stable job. Even if they can't stay in the army, they can still become village chiefs when they return to their hometowns.

He remembered Xu Baishun telling him that Xu Sanduo's two older brothers, Xu Yile and Xu Erhe, failed the physical examination, leaving only Xu Sanduo.

During the home visit, Xu Sanduo said he liked reading because there were many interesting things in books, but his father wouldn't let him read. He wanted him to join the army, and even if he couldn't join, his father wouldn't let him read.

He even told Xu Sanduo with a smile that he was able to finish junior high school by enduring beatings.

Xu Sanduo joined the army to escape his father and his village, where the villagers looked down on him, his father would beat and scold him at any time, and his two older brothers would often tease him.

For him, joining the army was far from about protecting his country; rather, it was an escape from his father's scolding and the villagers' pointing fingers. Yes, it was an escape.

Seeing his situation, I empathized with the boy I once was, and agreed to take him in. I helped him pass the conscription hurdle and made a promise in my heart to train him to become a respectable soldier.

Upon closer examination, Xu Sanduo's decision to join the army was never a voluntary choice, but rather the result of a combination of three forces: his father's forceful arrangement, his own escapist mentality, and his father's well-intentioned support.

Shi Jin looked up. "I understand, Deputy Company Commander. You're right, that's the root of the problem. I'll go back and see him when I have time, and help him out."

Zhang Anbang frowned. "Stop, my Squad Leader Shi. Although our garrisons are very close, and it won't take you long to walk there, he belongs to a different company and even a different battalion than us."

When you go to help or teach others, have you ever thought about the fourth squad leader, the third company commander, or the soldiers of your third squad? What do they think?

Besides, the fourth squad leader of the third company was in the same class as you, right? I remember you two were both trained by Old Ma. Isn't what you're doing a slap in the face? Does that make sense?

Shi Jin was taken aback, then gave an awkward laugh, "Yes, it's not really appropriate."

"That's it. Besides, sometimes you have to let some people go through things on their own. You have to know that you can't make a good person out of nothing."

Only after draining the excess water and turning it into good mud can it be fired into bricks and tiles. This way, it can not only be used on walls, but also stay on rooftops.

"Deputy Company Commander, what do you mean by that?" Shi Jin didn't react immediately. He felt that it was about Xu Sanduo, but it was still unclear. But it didn't matter. He could ask if he didn't understand. The deputy company commander was much more stable than the company commander.

Looking at Shi Jin's eager eyes, Zhang Anbang said, "Alright, let me tell you. The problems I mentioned earlier about Xu Sanduo—lacking courage, lacking awareness, and not understanding what it means to be a soldier—are all issues that will come later."

The most important thing now is for him to learn to take initiative and do things on his own, instead of being pushed by others. Even if he doesn't know what a soldier is, he should at least understand the fundamental nature of a soldier.

He first needs to achieve something himself, to have a sense of accomplishment from doing things proactively, not from being pushed by others. Only then can he stay in the military, only then will he have a future. Do you understand?

Shi Jin nodded. "I understand, Deputy Company Commander, but I don't want to understand. Isn't this a bit too cruel to him? He's still just a child, a child with problems."

Shi Jin truly lives up to her reputation as the "mother of the army"; the phrase "iron-willed yet tender-hearted" suits her perfectly. "Shi Jin, I remember when I was little, my grandfather told me a saying, and today I'm giving it to you as well."

If you put on a military uniform, don't think about what cruelty is. Soldiers are supposed to carry cruelty on their shoulders, guard the country's borders, and protect the people, so that they don't have to experience cruelty.

I didn't understand when I was little, but I do now. I hope this is helpful to you too. Once you enter this area, you're no longer a nineteen-year-old boy, but a soldier. Okay, that's enough. Think about it slowly. Assemble the team and head to the 400-meter obstacle course.

"Yes."

Logically speaking, as the deputy company commander, Zhang Anbang's job was to be Gao Cheng's deputy, while Gao Cheng, as the company's military commander and supreme commander, was responsible for the company's operations.

His responsibilities include being fully in charge of the company's core tasks such as military training, combat readiness, and exercises; formulating training plans and operational schemes; and coordinating the allocation of the company's weapons, equipment, training grounds, and other resources.

He represents the company in liaising with higher military authorities and executing combat and exercise orders; he bears full responsibility for the company's combat effectiveness.

As the deputy company commander, Zhang Anbang's responsibilities include assisting the company commander in military training, organizing training sessions, ensuring safety, serving as an instructor for some subjects, and overseeing the company's daily administrative management, drill training, housekeeping inspections, and equipment maintenance.

When the company commander is away, he acts as the company commander, presiding over the company's military work and coordinating cross-company military cooperation.

In general, when a battle comes, the company commander determines the direction, tactics, and whether and how the battle can be fought. This is the company's operational direction.

The deputy company commander is responsible for implementation, attention to detail, and how to fight the battle. In other words, he breaks down the company commander's tactical intentions into specific actions that soldiers can execute step by step.

The company political instructor, on the other hand, boosts morale and explains the significance of the battle—why we are fighting, who we are fighting for, and why we are fighting. This helps to dispel the soldiers' fear and reluctance, transforming their passive execution of tasks into an active pursuit of honor.

The company commander, political instructor, and deputy company commander are the three driving forces or "three giants" of the company, with clear division of labor, forming a closed management loop of military commander, political commander, and military deputy.

The company commander is the brain that sets the strategy, the political instructor is the heart that supplies power, and the deputy company commander is the hands and feet that implement it, working closely together.

This is the normal operating procedure of the company, but it is a little different in the Steel Seventh Company. Gao Cheng delegates many things to Zhang Anbang. Many times, he is not only a deputy company commander but also like half a company commander. Gao Cheng is also a man who can't sit still and often trains with him on the training ground.

Instructor Hong Xingguo is also a very smart person. He often chats with Zhang Anbang about his work as an instructor, which has led to Zhang Anbang doing his political work quite well now.