Chapter 309: The Support Company’s Greatest Regret
The issue with the Maintenance Platoon was finally resolved, and combined with the major trouble solved earlier in the Cook Platoon, it reduced Company Commander Xu Zhiqiang’s pressure by half.
The disheveled appearance he had when he first met Chen Jun now showed much more ease.
He had full confidence in the next two platoons.
Dealing with the major trouble in the Maintenance Platoon had truly taken Chen Jun a great deal of energy, and since it was already late that day, he did not continue working.
After a night’s rest and recovery, he arrived at the Sanitation Platoon the next morning.
Troops are a collective small society living in groups, and they are relatively detached from society, with few ties to external institutions.
But in daily life and training.
Various injuries and illnesses are inevitable.
Major illnesses are sent to the Field Hospital or military hospital, while minor aches and pains must be handled with their own methods.
The Sanitation Platoon, as the Steel Seventh Battalion’s exclusive “hospital,” is normally responsible for the routine training health of all battalion warriors, and in wartime, it still provides life support for all battalion warriors.
If a regular unit were like the Steel Seventh Battalion, maintaining ten hours of high-intensity training every day.
Then the injuries and illnesses from high-intensity training would definitely become the Steel Seventh Battalion’s biggest trouble, and the Sanitation Platoon’s workload would be even higher than the Maintenance Platoon’s.
Fortunately, the training plan Chen Jun put forward, though appearing for the first time in this era and all original creations of Chen Jun personally.
Was not actually a brand-new thing; it still needed time and the training ground for refinement.
New things inevitably have minor issues.
What Chen Jun brought out were training plans from later generations’ armies, used for over a dozen or twenty years, with all flaws identified and corrected, mature in every aspect with almost no shortcomings.
Sufficiently mature and scientific training plans could maximize avoidance of training accidents, ensure warriors’ training results, and protect their bodies to the greatest extent.
That is, Chen Jun’s training plan was too impressive; warriors rarely had accidents during training, and even with high intensity, it was controlled within bodily limits.
There would be no injuries to warriors due to lack of understanding of specific values leading to excessive intensity.
Originally, under this high-intensity training rhythm, the Sanitation Platoon should have been as exhausted as the original Cookhouse, but its work was instead the easiest in the entire company.
Not to mention major injuries needing emergency rescue, even small wounds requiring stitches and bleeding were rare.
Basically just sprains, bruises, and routine minor issues like toothaches, colds, and heatstroke caused by individual constitutions.
This left several military doctors who were graduates of medical universities and professional doctors with no place to apply their skills.
Even great talents had no use!
The Sanitation Platoon’s workload was very low, the sanitarians and military doctors were in good spirits, and the platoon’s operations in all aspects were very stable.
Chen Jun himself was not professional in medical matters and could not offer any professional guidance.
The only thing he could do was, before leaving, specially call over the Sanitation Platoon Leader and give him some instructions.
Telling him not to slack off just because work was light; training and war were completely different concepts, and in wartime, the Sanitation Platoon had to support a battalion—and a super reinforced battalion—with very arduous responsibilities.
The Sanitation Platoon must take actual combat as the standard, actively conduct training while supporting the battalion’s training, and maximize support capability as much as possible.
And he left behind one sentence—
After the one-year intensive training plan ended, all units in the battalion would undergo a round of assessment, and the Sanitation Platoon would be assessed against temporary standards.
If the Sanitation Platoon failed the assessment, the responsible Sanitation Platoon Leader would pack up and leave.
The Sanitation Platoon Leader, who had indeed been somewhat slack due to relatively easy work, felt a jolt upon hearing this.
Afraid that Chen Jun knew he had neglected Sanitation Platoon training recently.
He hurriedly made various guarantees to Chen Jun and even stood his own military order: if he could not pass the assessment then, he would directly remove his uniform and transfer to civilian work.
Chen Jun’s punishment was just transfer out of the Steel Seventh Battalion, but the platoon leader’s military order was direct transfer to civilian life.
One had to say.
He was truly scared and truly determined.
And he was very smart in doing so; after all, with the Steel Seventh Battalion’s current status in the entire army, staying there meant limitless future.
But if “driven away” due to insufficient ability, it was basically a death sentence.
No opportunities in any troop he went to.
He might even have to transfer to civilian life after finishing as platoon leader.
Since failing meant the same outcome anyway, better to make it a condition with a military order, at least earning some good impression from Chen Jun.
If he could make Chen Jun remember him as this platoon leader, it would even win a chance for the future.
With Chen Jun’s scorching fame and his unmatched momentum in the entire army right now, if looked upon and promoted by Chen Jun, not to mention smooth advancement, reaching regiment level would be no pressure.
“Alright, quite courageous, keep up the effort, don’t disappoint me.”
Chen Jun truly appreciated the platoon leader’s courage, patted his shoulder in satisfaction, and this action stimulated the platoon leader like he had been injected with chicken blood, his face flushed with exceptional excitement.
He snapped a salute.
Then bellowed in a voice like a bell: “Yes, guarantee mission completion.”
…
The refinement work for the Sanitation Platoon was very easy, the easiest spot since the refinement inspection began; just a few words of encouragement and it was perfectly wrapped up.
But when it came to the Logistics Company’s final Engineer Platoon, things became somewhat tricky again.
Not that it was insufficient.
But rather somewhat redundant.
The Engineer Platoon originally had fifty people, expanded later by twenty more, totaling seventy, already not a small establishment scale.
It could match half an Engineer Company!
In a Motorized Infantry Battalion, or Infantry Battalion, or even a semi-mechanized Infantry Battalion, a seventy-man Engineer Platoon would be fully sufficient.
But the Steel Seventh Battalion’s scale was a full eight companies, with numbers larger than two regular battalions.
By this scale, it needed at least an Engineer Company.
One Engineer Platoon was not enough.
Not to mention the Steel Seventh Battalion was an assault Combined Arms Battalion, with combat style centered on speed, destined to fight fast.
And though the Engineer Platoon was equipped with lots of engineering equipment, including quite a few large engineering machines.
Paving roads, clearing obstacles, building bridges…
All could be done.
But because they used conventional engineering equipment, similar to what external engineering teams used, without specialized mechanized engineering equipment.
Like the kind researched and developed by later generations’ armies, with mechanized armored chassis for carrying, able to charge at dozens of kilometers per hour, and upon arrival just press a few buttons for mechanical arms to deploy and pave roads or build bridges—professional military engineering vehicles.
No such dedicated military pontoon-bridge vehicles, only conventional excavators, bulldozers, and such vehicles.
They simply could not meet the Steel Seventh Battalion’s combat demands in rapid assault operations, and even struggled to keep up with the Steel Seventh Battalion’s marching pace.
Logistics troops unable to keep up with the main force would provide no boost to combat effectiveness.
For example:
Steel Seventh Battalion assault troops advance at a steady forty kilometers per hour, rapidly striking toward the enemy position, but after three hours, a river blocks the route.
The Engineer Platoon’s equipment is too bulky to keep up, even at best only twenty kilometers per hour.
Three hours meant falling sixty kilometers behind; assault troops would wait three hours by the river before the Engineer Platoon arrived.
Not to mention bridge-building took time, impossible without several hours.
After such a delay.
Even if Steel Seventh Battalion assault troops were strong and arrived fast, waiting hours by the river wasted all the time.
The so-called fully mechanized assault Combined Arms Battalion would be no faster than motorized troops.
If the Steel Seventh Battalion, built with massive effort and resources, had combat speed similar to ordinary troops, wouldn’t it all be for nothing?
If Steel Seventh Battalion assault troops detoured to routes with bridges or no rivers.
Wouldn’t the Engineer Platoon become mere decoration?
With the Engineer Platoon useless for road paving and bridge-building, usable roles left only mine clearing and laying, maintaining barracks facilities, and such basic work.
But infantry could do these basics too; if the Engineer Platoon could only do that, better to disband it and save the establishment.
Or turn the Engineer Platoon into an Infantry Company; seventy Armored Infantry would be no small combat power.
“If the troops now had those professional pontoon-bridge vehicles from a dozen years later, then the Engineer Platoon would truly be an Engineer Platoon, but now… sigh~”
Even with thoughts racing in his mind, Chen Jun could only end with a sigh.
The Engineer Platoon was too limited by professional equipment, and professional equipment too tested the nation’s heavy industry, truly hard to solve in the short term.
“Forget it, the Engineer Platoon will just make up the numbers for now; once we reach the Combined Arms Regiment later, we must set up a Pontoon-Bridge Battalion—that’s the strongest Combined Arms Battalion state.”
Chen Jun finally decided in his mind and did not make sweeping changes to the Engineer Platoon.
Similar to the previous Sanitation Platoon, just urging them to train, mainly strengthening mine clearing and laying, obstacle clearing, and related training.
The purpose of this arrangement was just one.
To treat the Engineer Platoon as pure mine-laying troops; as long as mine laying and clearing were trained to perfection, the Engineer Platoon could still play a role on the battlefield without becoming pure decoration.
Chen Jun had participated in numerous confrontation exercises; he knew better than anyone how nauseating minefields were, and used right, they could even have miraculous effects.
If these seventy in the Engineer Platoon could all master mine laying proficiently, they could truly become a trump card for the Steel Seventh Battalion.
…
After completing the inspection of the Engineer Platoon, the Logistics Company’s refinement work also reached its end.
Chen Jun originally planned to use the remaining time to first check out one of the remaining companies, so he could formally start refinement work tomorrow.
But just as Chen Jun was about to leave, Company Commander Xu Zhiqiang complained to him again.
“Deputy Battalion Commander, there’s one more thing I need to tell you; it’s quite important, and I hope you can help our company think of a way.”
Xu Zhiqiang spoke hesitantly, with some trepidation on his face, though he had mustered courage to say it.
Seeing his odd expression, Chen Jun realized it was definitely no small matter and said straightforwardly: “Company Commander Xu, I’m here at the company to solve problems, no matter big or small, I’ll handle them.
Don’t have any concerns; just say what it is.”
With Chen Jun’s affirmative answer, Xu Zhiqiang gained more courage, organized his thoughts, and then cautiously said: “Deputy Battalion Commander, let me state first, it’s not that I, Xu Zhiqiang, can’t handle hardship, nor that our company’s other cadres lack ability.
Mainly, the Logistics Company’s work is too much—no, too miscellaneous, and there are really too many people, over three hundred.
But our company has only three company cadres; the Political Instructor mainly handles political work.
Five platoons add up to over thirty squads; all aspects of work must be overseen by me and the Deputy Company Commander—it’s really too much to manage.
Even now with the Political Instructor helping, shifting mainly to military work, it’s only barely coping.”
At this point.
Xu Zhiqiang played pitiful again, pointing to his two big dark circles: “Look at my eyes; the dark circles have lasted months.
I’m not afraid of hardship; for the Combined Arms Battalion, even dying at my post, I’d be willing.
But under this fatigued state, if any mistake happens affecting our Steel Seventh Battalion, that would be the real issue.”
Xu Zhiqiang was worthy of logistics work; his emotional intelligence was truly much higher than average company commanders.
This speech showed his attitude, explained the severity, added various hints, and with vivid delivery.
Not only clarified the matter but also shifted blame off his own insufficient ability.
Chen Jun’s brows furrowed.
Because Chen Jun previously hadn’t thought of it at all, his mind full only of grassroots company training work, momentarily overlooking command at the leadership level.
Other regular companies were fine; mature company headquarters mechanisms had no issues.
But the Logistics Company was completely different; over three hundred people under two military cadres was truly over capacity.
Under the Steel Seventh Battalion’s current intensive training mode, all subordinate companies were spinning nonstop.
The Support Company responsible for logistics support was definitely spinning nonstop too.
Unless they had three heads and six arms, they really couldn’t cope.
After all, every work mobilization in the company, every supply in and out of storage, every training launch needed the Company Commander or Deputy Company Commander to approve.
“Yes, your company’s issue is indeed a big problem and must be resolved quickly.”
Chen Jun also realized the problem, but while he could decide grassroots troop reforms unilaterally, company headquarters changes could not be decided by one person.
That required Battalion Headquarters to convene a Battalion Party Committee meeting for discussion and final decision.
So after confirming the issue, Chen Jun did not decide immediately.
Instead, he replied: “Alright, Company Commander Xu, I’ll go back, find the Battalion Commander, organize Battalion Headquarters for a meeting, and quickly discuss a feasible plan—what do you think?”
“Good, then thank you, Deputy Battalion Commander, for supporting our work.”
Company Commander Xu saw the biggest issue finally had progress, and his suspended heart fully relaxed; he believed Chen Jun would soon give an answer.
