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墨書 Inktalez
“Company Commander! Company Commander!” As soon as I arrived at the Unit, I was stopped by Sheng Xiong.
“What’s going on? Didn’t Instructor come with you? Why aren’t you packing your things?” I noticed that everyone behind Sheng Xiong was hurriedly packing their bags. Many who had already organized their gear were heading to the third-floor armory to collect their weapons. I had already given the keys to Old Tang, and those who had received their weapons and finished packing began to gather downstairs for the team assembly. It seemed everyone was moving quickly, which gave me some reassurance. I had been away from the Unit for a while and worried that these guys might slack off without supervision.
“Company Commander, I have everything ready. What do you need? I can help you organize it.”
“Never mind, I’ll handle it myself. Sheng Xiong, hurry up and go with the Culinary Team to logistics to collect the Rations. Distribute them after we assemble.”
After sending off Sheng Xiong, I quickly returned to my room to change clothes and organize my gear. Of course, I wouldn’t need the Steel Rod this time. By the time I finished and came out, the Unit had mostly gathered.
The duty Squad Leader was conducting a headcount and performing a Roll Call. The last name on the roster was Wenhua, a new recruit from the Culinary Team. After calling his name, just as he responded with a “Here,” there was suddenly a loud cawing sound, “Caw!”
Everyone burst into laughter; it was Crow Pudding. This guy had been coming and going at odd hours lately. Although Sheng Xiong and a few others had settled down outside, they hadn’t brought any family members along with them! However, every night during Roll Call, Crow Pudding would show up. At first, it was fine, but eventually, he figured out the routine; every time after the last person was called and before I spoke, he would timely caw as if to declare himself part of the Unit.
Well, here he was again at assembly.
I chuckled; this could be considered an amusing interlude. There was no need to make everyone tense; this actually helped everyone relax.
As the team completed the headcount and lined up, I turned to Old Tang and said, “Old Tang, why don’t you say a few words?”
Old Tang smiled and replied, “Mobilization Before War—I think you’re better at this than I am! Your eloquence is too persuasive! You should take it from here!”
I didn’t refuse and laughed heartily, “Alright then! You’ve pushed this political work onto me.” My taking charge wasn’t out of arrogance but rather due to our long-standing division of roles. Old Tang’s approach was gentle and nurturing within our big family of a Unit—like a mother figure. When it came to combat or significant military actions, I needed to step into the father role, igniting passion and motivation among everyone.
Once the duty Squad Leader finished organizing the team and reported back to me, I stood in front of the formation and signaled for everyone to skip the formalities of standing at attention.
This time was different from the past. According to regulations, I notified everyone to put on their Steel Helmets. Looking at the determined faces beneath each Steel Helmet, I felt a surge of excitement.
I thought for a moment and then spoke loudly, "Comrades! This emergency assembly is not just for fun! We are truly going out to do real work! Some of you may have heard that we are going out for a Military Exercise, but you need to understand! This time it is a live military Drill! It’s not just about setting up tents for an overnight stay and enjoying ourselves before coming back! It’s certainly not about just building a Floating Bridge and then lounging around! This is real combat practice! Do you know what that means?"
I paused for a moment and continued, "I want to emphasize one point: this Drill will involve many participating units, and there will be competitions that are not really competitions, rivalries that are not truly rivalries. Therefore, our performance in this Drill is not only related to the image of our Unit but also to the reputation of our Corps! Some people always look down on us in the Engineer Corps, thinking we are inferior, that we lack combat capability, that we are merely here to serve them. Do you accept that?!"
"No!" came the unified roar from below.
"Good! Now that the Leader has entrusted this mission to our battalion, it is a sign of trust in us and an opportunity to prove ourselves to other units! Do you have the determination and confidence to accomplish this with me?!"
"Yes!"
"Very well! Everyone has it! Sharp Blade Company!" I raised my voice sharply.
"Invincible in battle! Invincible in battle!" Over a hundred voices joined together in a powerful shout, instantly boosting morale as everyone excitedly raised their Rifles.
This was the slogan I established after taking office; one person would start it, and everyone would follow. "Invincible in battle" was our goal. I believed that there were no obstacles before us Engineers; thus, "Invincible in battle" became our ultimate objective and had transformed into the battle cry of Sharp Blade Company.
"Everyone assemble! Collect your Rations and board the vehicles!" I shouted loudly.
At this point, the convoy on the playground had already stopped, waiting for each Unit to board. After receiving their rations, each squad began to board the vehicles in an orderly manner.
The Company Commander was already seated in the Battalion's designated Jeep alongside the Instructor and Communicator, waiting by the gate. Once all Units reported in via Walkie-Talkie, the Company Commander ordered all vehicles to follow closely. The wheels rolled forward, marking the beginning of this Military Exercise.
After arriving at the train station, we were indeed met by a comrade from the Military Liaison Office, who quickly arranged for us to drive directly into the station. The vehicle stopped next to a secluded track where a long special train was already parked, consisting of three carriages followed by a lengthy flatbed.
Everyone disembarked and gathered together. The Company Commander wasted no time and, following the unified deployment plan, ordered everyone to assist in loading the equipment onto the vehicles before boarding themselves.
After a tense and busy period, we finally secured all the vehicle equipment onto the train, and personnel gradually boarded the passenger carriage, waiting for the final inspection and clearance. Our unit shared one carriage with the Second Company, while the Vehicle Company and Technical Company, being smaller in number, shared Carriage Three.
The Company Commander and I sat in Carriage One at Row A, while the Instructor was in Carriage Three, effectively overseeing the transport.
At this moment, the Company Commander relaxed a bit. He stood up to greet everyone and opened the rations for a makeshift meal, promising that once we reached our destination, he would set up the Mobile Kitchen to prepare a delicious meal for everyone.
I felt a bit awkward as I observed our unit's soldiers completely transformed from their pre-departure demeanor; some were chatting, some were drinking water, some were eating, and surprisingly, some were even sleeping...
The Company Commander looked on in disbelief while Old Tang chuckled, "Company Commander, this is... well..."
I interrupted Old Tang and said, "Company Commander, let them relax a bit before we tighten up once we reach our destination. By the way, Company Commander, where are we headed?" I deliberately changed the topic.
The Company Commander replied quietly, "We're going to the coastal area of Eastern Guangdong."
"Really? What are we going there for?" Old Tang asked in surprise.
The Company Commander glanced around and said, "I suspect it's for an amphibious landing operation drill."
Oh! We were taken aback. "Does that mean we have to set up a beachhead?"
The Company Commander nodded, "That should be the case, but there is certainly more to it. You all need to be mentally prepared."
Several Squad Leaders immediately gathered around, appearing exceptionally excited. "Company Commander, please tell us about it! We've heard of amphibious landings before, but we've never participated in one. What is it really like?"
I also felt quite curious. Although I had heard a lot about it, I didn't have a concrete understanding. To be honest, we had trained more on building docks and Floating Bridges than on other subjects. Now that it was our turn to take part, I felt quite uncertain.
The Company Commander nodded and began to share what he knew. "First of all, our Amphibious Assault is an operation to attack enemy-held islands and coastlines from the sea, also known as Amphibious Operations. The goal is to seize important targets such as enemy-occupied islands and coastlines or to establish a staging area for subsequent operations on the enemy shore. Depending on the scale of the operation, Amphibious Assaults can be strategic, operational, or tactical; geographically, they can be against open coastlines or reef areas; and by crossing distance, they can be classified as short-range (generally within a day’s journey and within the operational radius of land-based fighter aircraft) or long-range (over two days’ journey). The methods of troop transport for Amphibious Assaults include ship-to-shore, shore-to-shore, and combined approaches."
"Amphibious assaults are one of the most complex and challenging types of military operations. Therefore, various new weapons and technologies will inevitably be extensively tested and utilized during these operations. An amphibious assault is mainly divided into five stages: First is the preparation stage, which begins when the mission is received and ends when the Landing Troops and Landing Craft gather at the Embarkation Area. Second is the embarkation stage, which starts when the Landing Troops and landing craft begin to gather at the Embarkation Area and ends when boarding is completed and the vessels leave the dock or Beachhead. Third is the transit stage, which starts when the vessels leave the dock or Beachhead or from the assembly area towards the landing area until the Landing Formation reaches the line for deploying the Amphibious Assault. Fourth is the assault landing stage, which begins when the Landing Formation deploys until the Landing Troops seize the Landing Point. Fifth is the seizing and securing of the Landing Zone stage, which starts from when the Landing Troops occupy the Landing Point until they secure the Landing Zone."
One Squad Leader interjected at this point, "So our participation will be in that last stage! Haha, isn't that safe? It's just about building docks to facilitate larger forces landing."
I thought so too; it seemed like we weren't that important in this operation since all the exciting action happened in the fourth stage.
However, to my surprise, the Company Commander shook his head. Wasn't that so? Everyone looked curiously at him. "Amphibious assaults are among the most complex and difficult types of joint operations involving land, sea, and Air Force forces. This is mainly due to several factors: operations are heavily influenced by natural conditions at sea; crossing maritime areas involves landing in front of enemy forces while attacking; combat situations can change rapidly; command coordination is complicated; and logistical support can be challenging. Therefore, quite contrary to what you think, our mission will be crucial. Clearing Beachhead obstacles, establishing forward positions, repairing various weapons and equipment, and restoring transportation facilities damaged by enemies are all part of our tasks."
(To be continued tomorrow with even more excitement!)
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