Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The assessment began at nine o'clock, and it was still before eight when I arrived at the Water Training Complex with my Unit. The other Units had yet to arrive, so I decided to have all the soldiers train together for a while.
This week’s competitive training had proven effective; both new and veteran soldiers had significantly improved their coordination and teamwork. I had long noticed that in the old training model, a Unit's excellence often relied solely on the commander's ability to direct effectively, with soldiers merely following procedures, resulting in decent training outcomes.
However, when commands are given effectively alongside improved training methods, enhanced efficiency, and the soldiers' initiative is encouraged, training results and standards can greatly improve. What unfolded before me was exactly what I envisioned: at the sound of a command, all personnel sprang into action. Some soldiers were pushing the Bailey Bridge into the water while others were already jumping onto it to prepare for deployment. The Speedboat had also started up and was positioned downstream of the Bailey Bridge, ready to connect with it once it was launched… Everyone was busy; no one was idly waiting for tasks. Soldiers who completed their first step immediately moved on to the third task, while those finishing their second step proceeded to tackle the fourth…
The entire Unit operated like a massive, precise machine; once it started moving, it would rumble over any obstacle. Everyone functioned as a cohesive whole, eliminating the chaotic situation of individual efforts seen in past trainings. Just like Fatty Jinghe, who could skillfully and gracefully work alongside fellow comrades in a dense atmosphere, contributing to our team’s training achievements—it felt incredibly proud and satisfying.
Of course, I wasn’t idle either. From the moment the boats hit the water, I took a hammer with me to supervise and check each boat's connections. After all, once the bridge was built, it needed to support vehicles; this training closely mirrored real combat scenarios. It wasn’t enough just to connect the bridge haphazardly; there was an unwritten rule in our team: after every Floating Bridge assembly, either the main Company Commander or I had to drive through in the first truck. This ensured that no one dared to be careless. Therefore, I needed to inspect each connection for stability and security; if anything seemed off, we would have to redo it before connecting the next section of Bailey Bridge. Speed and quality had to achieve optimal synergy.
The water-based foundational training assessment only required two Bailey Bridges to be launched, deployed, and connected. However, after having all soldiers go through it once, I checked the time—it took less than ten minutes! We had managed to launch eight Bailey Bridges. It seemed that next, we could test whether a single Unit could construct a Floating Bridge. After all, our Speedboat operators were adequately trained; with one Speedboat per Bailey Bridge, ten Speedboats would suffice. If we needed more, we could borrow from the Waterborne Unit—I calculated this in my mind. I no longer worried about today’s foundational assessment; being highly competitive and prideful, once I realized that this part wouldn’t be an issue anymore, I focused solely on how quickly we could improve.
After finishing our practice session, I instructed everyone to pack up equipment and rest onshore. By now it was already 8:30 AM, and various Units began arriving at the training ground. Next to us was Bridge Two Squad; they were also the top Unit from last time’s foundational assessment. Their Company Commander and my Old Company Commander were classmates who graduated from our local Engineer Corps academy before returning here. Bridge Two Squad arrived last; upon seeing our resting soldiers, their Second Platoon Leader approached me.
“Wang,” he said casually, “you guys got here early! Aren’t you going to practice a bit more?”
I stood up politely and replied, “Thanks for your concern! We’re about done—just waiting for the assessment to start.”
“Don’t be too nervous! You’ve all been practicing hard lately; you should do fine in the assessment.”
I smiled but didn’t respond further. Captain Liang was a good person but somewhat conservative and rigid—my Old Company Commander had been similar in his day. Many of their generation of Company Commanders joined right after middle school; quite a few were promoted from within without much education. They tended to cling to rules and systems without considering flexibility. Times have changed; soldiers’ backgrounds are increasingly diverse and individualized with more complex thoughts and ideas emerging.
The military must act like a purifier—filtering out impurities while retaining what is pure. The old methods of leading troops are gradually becoming ineffective; change is necessary.
Old Company Commander—if he truly wanted change—would willingly hand over command of this capable Unit as a testing ground for innovative leadership and training approaches by those with knowledge and ideas. No matter how strong a Unit is, it cannot carry an entire regiment; similarly, no regiment can drive forward an army's development alone. However, if someone persists in making changes—like the butterfly effect—it will eventually lead to significant transformation.
I understood that Old Company Commander chose me not necessarily because of my excellence but likely because I was a Local University Student without some negative habits or styles from military life—I had my own thoughts and insights. When I took over the baton from him, I promised Old Company Commander that I would do my utmost to enhance our Unit's training and management standards; as for whether this would spark significant change—that would depend on my efforts alone.
It’s quite interesting to think back to when I graduated from university and signed the contract for the officer selection program. At that time, I had no idea that our forces included an Engineering Corps. I only knew about the Army, infantry, and Special Forces, and I even looked down on those in logistics. However, after spending a few months here, I realized that I actually quite like this type of unit. This is a special group of soldiers; rivers are our battlefield, and the rushing waters are our "enemies." Perhaps we will never experience the charge into battle amidst gunfire and smoke or engage in life-and-death struggles with the enemy, but what we go through is equally filled with challenges and tests of survival. Those bridge-laying units standing tall amidst raging waves and the Assault Boats navigating through floodwaters are undoubtedly monuments forged from our hard work and dedication.
Before nine o'clock, I saw the Commander’s vehicle arrive. I wasn’t surprised at all; the last time the Commander passed by us and made that strange comment, it left me feeling uneasy. I thought that since the Commander also came from Sharp Blade Company, his pride might be even stronger than mine. If he witnessed poor training assessment results firsthand this time, he would likely dismiss me on the spot.
Summer was approaching, and the unit still had to undertake flood control and ground training missions. There wouldn’t be much time for specialized training; if any situation arose, how could we withstand the test of real combat? So, I figured the Commander must be feeling anxious as well; it was understandable for him to come and observe.
The assessment was still presided over by the Deputy Chief of Staff, following the established order with Sharp Blade Company going first. The designated assessment area had already been marked out, and standard equipment was piled up on the shore. Following instructions, I led everyone to the assembly departure area.
At exactly nine o'clock, the assessment began. The Deputy Chief of Staff started checking off names on the roster, counting each officer and soldier participating in the training one by one. Old Tang, as an instructor, did not participate in the assessment; instead, he brought several soldiers from the Culinary Team to set up logistics with dozens of boxes of bottled water.
Once everyone was accounted for, we lined up in formation at the departure area, waiting for the signal to start. All eyes were on the timer standing beside us.
He adjusted his stopwatch, glanced at us, raised his left hand, pressed down on the stopwatch while swinging his left hand downward, and said, "Start!"
Everyone dashed out of the departure area toward the equipment; I was no exception. Before launching the equipment into the water, I had to help transport the Bailey Bridge until we pushed it into the water. According to our pre-assigned roles, aside from driving the Speedboat, everyone else surrounded a Bailey Bridge and quickly lifted it toward the water.
With so many people working together to move the Bailey Bridge, it was soon transported to the water's edge and pushed into it. Once in the water, people quickly climbed onto the Bailey Bridge to adjust its direction and prepare for deployment.
After pushing the Bailey Bridge into the water, I clapped my hands; from there on out, everything proceeded according to plan. As a commander, I would take a few soldiers as a reserve team to support wherever needed.
Before long, our docked Bailey Bridge was secured in place while other three bridge sections were fully deployed. The Speedboat adjusted its position to prepare for docking with the extended Bailey Bridge; everything was proceeding smoothly. I jumped onto a dock bridge at the shore to observe other Bailey Bridges coming together.
The current was relatively slow today; thus, docking with the Bailey Bridge wasn’t significantly affected. During this period of time, we measured water flow speeds around one meter per second—this speed was manageable for us since flood season hadn’t arrived yet.
Several warriors extended their hooks, and the second section of the Bailey Bridge was pulled over, ready to be connected. The third section of the Bailey Bridge was not far behind, aligning with the fourth section. Everything was going smoothly, and I nodded in satisfaction. There was no time to check the clock; I focused on the movements of the six warriors on both sides of the Bailey Bridge. The two sections were getting closer and closer, and then, with a snap! The two sections of the Bailey Bridge connected together, and several warriors quickly began securing them with pins.
I stood at the junction of the two Bailey Bridges, carefully inspecting each connection point. After all, if the river's current was too strong and the connection was unstable, it could wash away the Floating Bridge. Moreover, if I had to test it by going On the Vehicle and it collapsed, I would fall into the river! I couldn't swim! At this thought, I touched my life jacket and shivered.
Well, for safety's sake, I needed to check thoroughly. I crouched down and examined each point one by one. Once all points were confirmed to be secure, I waved my hand, and all the warriors on the Bailey Bridge ran off to retrieve the next section.
(To be continued; more exciting content tomorrow!)
Comment 0 Comment Count