Chapter 231: The Trouble-making Thorn Who Defies The Chief Of Staff!
Chen Jun creating an all-NCO battalion was already exaggerated enough; the entire army now has just this one, with no others like it.
On this basis, he even managed to form an all-officer platoon, completing something that was fundamentally impossible in grassroots units—a god-level operation that can be called a miracle.
Man Guangzhi and Ma Tianxiang were truly convinced, and even without having met him, they genuinely admired him.
The accompanying staff officers were all stunned!
They had all been in the troops for no short time; even if not extremely knowledgeable, they were experienced, not the kind of newbies fresh out of military academy.
Yet a mere junior officer could have such great ability, accomplishing so many major things in a short time.
They had never seen it!!
Chen Jun was the first and also the only one.
The chief of staff saw everyone praising him effusively, all admiration and respect for Chen Jun, and he was very happy inside, with wrinkles forming from his smile.
The chief of staff had appreciated Chen Jun from the start and was also the earliest to propose pulling him into the staff department.
Having witnessed Chen Jun’s rapid growth along the way, his feelings for him far exceeded those for an ordinary soldier, as if watching his own child.
At his age of over forty, he could indeed be Chen Jun’s father.
His favorite and most admired young cadre being praised and admired by so many people was, for the chief of staff, just like praising his own child.
How could his mood not be beautiful!
However, just when the atmosphere was great, an untimely voice suddenly popped up, and the point of criticism was exactly what everyone admired most.
“Combined arms battalion plus special operations—it’s simply messing around.”
Sun Dongping’s voice wasn’t loud, but his fierce rebuttal, even carrying disdain, was like a bolt from the blue.
It was exceptionally clear to hear.
The crowd, who had been discussing heatedly, was all startled by Sun Dongping’s words.
In just two seconds.
Everyone present stopped discussing; the joy and excitement on their faces completely vanished, turning into confusion and bewilderment, as they all looked toward the outspoken Sun Dongping.
The chief of staff, who had been in a great mood with a full smile, saw his smile gradually fade.
Strongly suppressing the anger in his heart, he asked expressionlessly: “Battalion Commander Sun, you say special operations is nonsense, so I’d like to hear your esteemed opinion.”
Sun Dongping didn’t know if it was low emotional intelligence or if he simply didn’t care about others’ feelings.
Even though the chief of staff’s face was already full of displeasure, Sun Dongping still didn’t hold back, not offering an apology or claiming straightforwardness to smooth it over.
He stubbornly retorted: “I was in a European combined arms unit for a year, received systematic training, and learned the most frontline combined arms tactics.
Whether combined arms battalion, combined arms regiment, combined arms brigade, or combined arms division, I believe I have the right to speak.
The combined arms battalion is the most foundational combined arms tactics unit; its tactical positioning is as a phalanx for battalion-level combat, relying on multi-arm coordination to form suppression against the enemy.
Special operations is small-unit combat, executing special operations missions in the enemy rear; only at regiment or brigade level can its significance be demonstrated.
Putting it in a combined arms battalion has absolutely no value; the tactical system doesn’t need special operations teams, and it would occupy a lot of funding—what I see is just a burden.
Even in the current combined arms battalion establishments in Europe and America, there are no so-called special operations platoons.
This already proves that having a special operations platoon in a combined arms battalion is pure nonsense; aside from sounding flashy and making people think it’s impressive, it has no meaning—it’s just gilding the lily.”
Sun Dongping’s words sounded logical, constantly referencing foreign combined arms units.
Plus, with his status as a battalion commander candidate, the people present more or less knew his personal resume was quite impressive.
It really made some of the officers present feel he had a point.
The chief of staff and Regiment Commander Wang were truly birds of a feather; both had protective tempers, and seeing Chen Jun’s special operations ace being dismissed as worthless.
He really couldn’t hold back!
He immediately countered with a stern face: “Battalion Commander Sun, going abroad for training is truly impressive; you speak so knowledgeably.
But I’m very curious to ask you: you’ve been abroad so long—have you ever led a combined arms battalion?
If not, it’s just empty talk, still lacking a bit; after all, anyone can point fingers with just their mouth.
In our 702nd Regiment, we like real action, never just talking with our mouths open.”
The chief of staff was after all only a deputy regiment-level cadre, while Sun Dongping was now positive battalion level, and if his candidate status turned official, he’d be on the same level.
He really couldn’t fully deter Sun Dongping, so the criticism could only be veiled.
“Real action?”
Sun Dongping’s gaze darkened, confidently saying: “Whether I have the ability for real action, you’ll know soon; I’ll let everyone know what a true combined arms battalion is, what combat in the informatized and digitalized era means.”
Hearing this, the chief of staff was even more displeased, his face darkening a few shades more than before.
“I’m afraid you won’t have to wait that long; your primary task right now isn’t to show me a true combined arms battalion, but to strive to drop those ‘candidate’ words.”
The chief of staff was openly saying: you’re just a candidate right now, Sun Dongping; don’t speak too soon.
Hearing this, Sun Dongping’s face looked even worse.
Ma Tianxiang saw the situation wasn’t right; those in political work were best at mediating conflicts, and he didn’t want the combined arms battalion to have internal strife before officially moving in.
So he hurriedly interjected: “This is the entire army’s first combined arms battalion—a pilot, after all, advancing by trial and error; it’s impossible for every step to be perfect.
Only by finding problems one by one and solving them can we overcome difficulties and achieve success.
Right now, the pilot combined arms battalion is full of talent; I believe as long as we advance together and unite as one, this pilot will surely achieve complete victory.”
Ma Tianxiang’s words were very skillful; he didn’t choose to persuade both sides.
Instead, he used a higher-level sublimation, pulling everyone onto the same plane, with the goal of united effort to build the combined arms battalion.
Hinting that everyone was for building the combined arms battalion, no need to damage harmony with verbal disputes.
Sun Dongping was very arrogant, but he wasn’t stupid.
Ma Tianxiang was already confirmed as the combined arms battalion political instructor; in the future, they’d be fellow chief officers in the combined arms battalion, partnering for a long time.
Moreover, Ma Tianxiang snatching the political instructor position meant his background was no less than Sun Dongping’s.
So even if Sun Dongping didn’t care about the chief of staff, he had to give Ma Tianxiang some face and not offend his future partner.
Plus, the chief of staff was from regiment headquarters; flipping out right at first meeting wouldn’t be good for him.
After weighing pros and cons, Sun Dongping had to stop arguing with the chief of staff, no longer rebutting, and turned his gaze aside as if he hadn’t heard.
The chief of staff hadn’t expected Sun Dongping to be so aggressive, not even giving him, the regiment staff officer, any regard.
He was truly annoyed inside!
But thinking that Sun Dongping did have capital for arrogance, plus coming from military region headquarters with background—who knows what big shot was backing him.
And since Sun Dongping had already backed off, he could count it as a small victory.
The chief of staff didn’t continue, forcing Sun Dongping to explain clearly; instead, he picked up on Ma Tianxiang’s words, representing the 702nd Regiment in welcoming everyone to join.
Even more anticipating that with everyone’s united effort, they’d successfully complete the military region’s pilot mission.
What the chief of staff and political instructor said were just pleasantries; in reality, the topic was dead, and the earlier argument had made the atmosphere awkward.
So everyone lost the mood to visit and soon returned to regiment headquarters by car.
Then, under the logistics department’s arrangements, Ma Tianxiang, Sun Dongping, and the others from the military region temporarily stayed at the regiment guesthouse.
Once the battalion commander was finally confirmed and the combined arms battalion officially moved in, they’d live in the battalion headquarters.
And after arranging for Sun Dongping and others to check in, the truly angered chief of staff grew more and more upset, storming off to find the regiment commander.
He recounted everything that happened during the base visit to Regiment Commander Wang in full detail.
“Old Yang, you’ve been in the troops no short time; some things I won’t spell out—you should understand; these people from the military region aren’t simple.
New recruit companies have prickly recruits every year; what’s more for these folks—having a few thorns is normal; capable people are all proud, don’t take it too personally; first set up the combined arms leadership team—that’s the most important thing.”
Regiment Commander Wang was actually quite uncomfortable inside too, but he couldn’t add fuel to the fire at this point.
It had been hard to set up the combined arms battalion framework; it absolutely couldn’t be affected by any matter—when needed, he had to endure.
Not to mention the chief of staff.
Even he, the regiment commander, was the same!
The chief of staff had just been holding it in uncomfortably, wanting to vent to someone, not really wanting the regiment commander to do anything for him.
Once said, he was vented.
He understood the reasoning too.
He then asked Regiment Commander Wang: “Regiment Commander, now both candidates are in place; personnel coordination is progressing even faster than expected.
With just over half a month until moving in, the combined arms battalion commander needs to be confirmed before then, right.
Have you heard any news on this? When does the combined arms battalion commander selection start, and roughly in what way?”
The question the chief of staff wanted to know was actually what the entire 702nd Regiment was concerned about.
But the military regions were too far apart; even inquiring about insider news was difficult, so there was zero information on this.
The reason the chief of staff deliberately asked Regiment Commander Wang was mainly because he knew Regiment Commander Wang was very close to Army Commander Gao.
If Regiment Commander Wang really used that connection, getting this intel would be a piece of cake.
Unfortunately.
He wasn’t the type to use connections.
Otherwise, with his bromance with Army Commander Gao, as long as he opened his mouth.
How could Regiment Commander Wang still just be a regiment commander; even without transferring to military region headquarters, he’d at least be a division-level cadre in some division.
After all, when Army Commander Gao was still a company commander, Regiment Commander Wang was his platoon leader.
Seniority was definitely enough; just lacking luck and military merits.
Regiment Commander Wang wouldn’t even use personal connections for his own major life matters, let alone trouble an old friend for such insider news.
So Regiment Commander Wang’s answer could only disappoint the chief of staff.
Regiment Commander Wang didn’t know either!
But the two didn’t wait too long; with the combined arms battalion move-in time approaching, not only was the regiment anxious, the group army side was actually just as anxious.
So ten days before move-in, the military region’s document finally arrived at T Division headquarters.
The division commander smiled after reading the document!
It felt quite interesting!
The document’s core content was just one thing: selecting the 702nd Regiment combined arms battalion commander.
The interesting point wasn’t the selection method; this time’s method wasn’t particularly novel, still using the traditional confrontation.
It was just a slight different adjustment added to the traditional confrontation.
It was that the three participating troops in this confrontation had a clear requirement in the document: they couldn’t come from the same regiment, but had to come from three different regiments respectively.
And the troops commanded by candidate Sun Dongping must come from outside the 702nd Regiment.
No specific unit required; T Division was responsible for the arrangements.
The two candidates each lead a battalion for confrontation: see who first captures the position defended by one battalion—whoever takes the position first wins.
Requiring three battalions from three regiments sounded like no problem.
But specifically stipulating that the troops commanded by Sun Dongping couldn’t be some battalion from the 702nd Regiment seemed a bit off.
That was the interesting point!
The division commander, having mixed in the troops for most of his life, immediately reacted upon seeing this requirement: someone above was intentionally protecting Sun Dongping.
Worried that if Sun Dongping’s troops came from the 702nd Regiment, some uncontrollable factor might arise in the confrontation with the 702nd Regiment’s candidate.
Like the 702nd Regiment intentionally going easy on their own, causing Sun Dongping to lose to the 702nd Regiment’s candidate.
Precisely because of this factor, the people above wanting to protect Sun Dongping wrote the requirement in the document without any concerns.
To put it bluntly.
Avoiding suspicion was very important; it was indeed a reasonable requirement.
The division commander knew how the combined arms battalion pilot came about; he recognized only Chen Jun as the combined arms battalion commander and believed only Chen Jun could make the combined arms battalion succeed.
He naturally thought that no matter who became battalion commander, there wasn’t much difference.
They’d all be figureheads; Chen Jun was the core.
So even seeing the oddity in the document, he didn’t pay too much attention, made no special arrangements, and just executed it directly.
He respectively drew troops from the 701st Regiment and 703rd Regiment to form a reinforced battalion each.
A heavy reinforced battalion with full infantry, tanks, and artillery!
Then he notified Regiment Commander Wang of the 702nd Regiment to select an equivalent-scale reinforced battalion from the regiment to participate in the upcoming selection confrontation exercise.
Finally, he designated a suitable area, planning it as the exercise confrontation war zone.
Due to the tight remaining time, each regiment had only five days to prepare; by the sixth day, personnel must be in position in the exercise area.
On the seventh day at exactly 8:00 a.m., the confrontation exercise would formally begin.
The two candidates each lead a battalion; no matter what methods or tactics they use, whoever first seizes the position’s green flag is the final winner.
