The Iron-Blooded Army of Beacon Fire

Chapter 468 Promotion, Training and Honors

Early in the morning of March 28, 3, after the Spring Festival, the camp of the Assault Corps was once again filled with a solemn, strict, yet lively atmosphere.

On the large command platform in the center of the playground, He Wei, dressed in a yellow tweed colonel's uniform, riding boots, and a full set of officer's belts, stood solemnly and heroically, his bright eyes staring straight at the playground in front of the platform.

On the large playground in the camp, there was silence, an empty silence, as if there was no one there, but there were rows of gray people standing on the playground. In the center of the playground, the three infantry battalions, an artillery battalion, the direct engineering company, the special forces company, the baggage company, and the communications company of the assault corps stood in a straight line.
The officers and soldiers in regular uniforms stood in neat rows with solemn demeanor and resolute expressions. Even though the wind was freezing, everyone stood still, as if they were stationary. Only the rows of imitation German-style M35 helmets on the officers and soldiers' heads reflected the morning sun, creating patches of reflections.

These officers and soldiers did not carry weapons. All of them were unarmed, without weapons, and did not even wear tactical vests. All of them were just wearing cotton military uniforms and did not carry any weapons. Even their teams were not complete and complete. The teams of each battalion and company were completely inconsistent. Some battalions had more people, some had fewer people, some companies were almost as full as the full strength, and some companies, such as the special forces company, had only a few dozen people in total, including officers, sergeants, and soldiers.
The number of people in each company and unit can be said to be uneven, but even so, the whole team exudes a sonorous and murderous temperament. These officers and soldiers have been tested by war and tempered in the bloody battles around Tianjia Town and Banbi Mountain. At this moment, they exude a murderous aura. The vacancies in the team are naturally caused by the casualties of the assault corps in previous operations. However, although these vacancies destroyed the neatness of the assault corps' formation, they also gave the team a touch of tragic and unique beauty.

This elite force, which has followed He Wei all the way out of Shanxi Province and has been continuously expanding and developing to this day, has gained the confidence to fight and win through successive victories, bloody battles, and heavy defeats to the enemy. It has a temperament of defeating the enemy and being brave and solemn. The entire team does not need to make any combat moves, as long as they line up, an elite temperament will arise spontaneously.

There is another team on the right side of the assault corps. The officers and soldiers of this team are all wearing gray cotton uniforms, but they are not equipped with steel helmets. Except for a small number of officers and sergeants in this team, the remaining officers and soldiers do not have the temperament of the officers and soldiers of the assault corps who have been tempered by bloody battles. Instead, they have a sense of awkwardness and immaturity. The military posture movements, details of the military posture, and the neatness of the formation of most soldiers are not as good as those of the officers and soldiers of the assault corps next to them. The only thing that is worthy of praise is the completeness of the team and the quietness and solemnity of the officers and soldiers.

This team of more than 3,000 officers and soldiers, which was dwarfed by the combat troops of the assault corps, was composed of the five new recruits of the first replenishment battalion recently recruited by the First Replacement Training Department.

After the Spring Festival, the Assault Corps quickly restored the combat and training status of the troops and began comprehensive combat and training work. The new recruits who had applied before the Spring Festival and were sent home for the New Year were naturally returned to the team one after another. Thanks to the Assault Corps's heavy investment in recruiting soldiers, after the Spring Festival, many eligible young men from Ba County and Fuling County came to apply for the Assault Corps's free meal, two physical examinations before and after the application, and a resettlement fee of six yuan for each physical examination, as well as generous treatment after joining the army. Applicants came in an endless stream.

Therefore, He Wei ordered to continue to expand the scale of recruitment. After selecting the best from the best, he successively recruited one thousand young men from good families in Ba County and Fuling. Finally, he filled the establishment strength of the five supplementary battalions under the First Supplementary Soldier Training Department established by the Ministry of Military and Political Affairs, with a total of more than 3,500 new recruits.

After this batch of new recruits was recruited, the General Staff Office immediately began organizing the training of five new recruit supplementary battalions in accordance with the training plan for the supplementary troops compiled by He Wei, with all the officers and sergeants of the Officer Education Battalion and the Sergeant Education Battalion who had just completed training serving as the backbone.

Among them, one hundred new military academy graduates of the 13th and 14th classes of the Whampoa Military Academy from the Officers Education Corps and a small number of officers from the military who were recently promoted from sergeants and warrant officers from the Assault Corps (that is, officers who had not attended military academy but were promoted from sergeants) served as platoon leaders in the five new recruit replenishment battalions, and the officers of the Officers Education Corps (all of whom were company and platoon leaders drawn from the combat units of the Assault Corps) served as battalion and company commanders of the new recruit replenishment battalions.

The sergeants of the Sergeant Education Battalion were assigned to serve as squad leaders and deputy squad leaders in five new recruit supplementary battalions. These sergeants included sergeants recently promoted from soldiers in the combat units of the Assault Corps and sergeants who had joined from other units. Both officers and sergeants had just undergone rigorous tactical education in the Officers and Sergeants Education Battalion that was in line with the Assault Corps.

This group of freshly recruited officers and sergeants were the best choices to serve as the backbone officers and sergeants of the five recruit supplementary battalions. Therefore, shortly after the recruits were fully recruited, five supplementary battalions consisting of fifteen recruit supplementary companies (three companies in each battalion) were organized at an extremely fast speed and with extremely high efficiency. This is how the huge team of recruits in front of He Wei came into being.

This also means that He Wei, the part-time director of the First Supplementary Soldier Training Department, is no longer a lone commander. It also means that the supporting new recruits of the assault corps and the all-round reserve supplementary forces have been completely organized.

He Wei glanced at the troops under his command, with a feeling of lofty ambitions in his heart. It can be said that except for the 3rd Independent Motor Vehicle Battalion, which was only affiliated with him but not directly subordinate to him and was not there because it was on the ammunition transportation mission, all his men and all his troops were gathered here.

More than two years ago, he was just a small second lieutenant trainee, but now, he has become a colonel commanding thousands of people. He Wei naturally has many emotions in his heart.

And today, at this moment, he will organize the full training of the Assault Corps and the First Supplementary Soldier Training Department, the officer promotion and awarding ceremony in a brand new capacity.

Suddenly, He Wei raised his voice and said to the huge formation: "Brothers! Comrades! Here today, the officers and soldiers of our Assault Corps and the officers and soldiers of the First Supplementary Soldier Training Department are gathered here. From now on, the expansion of our Corps, the training of new recruits, and the replenishment will begin in full swing. I hope that no matter whether it is the old brothers and old cadres of the Assault Corps, or the newly enlisted brothers and new officers of the First Supplementary Training Department, they can all carry forward the spirit of loving and sincere unity and unite firmly. The Assault Corps and the First Supplementary Training Department sound like two troops, but in fact they are one and the same. The new brothers of the Supplementary Training Department will be selected to join the combat forces of the Assault Corps after the training is completed, and the brothers of the combat forces of the Assault Corps will also be transferred to the First Supplementary Training Department as backbones in due course. All the brothers and comrades present are indeed comrades-in-arms who live and die together, and brothers who depend on each other for life and death!"

"I hope that all brothers and comrades can unite closely. We are soldiers, and our responsibility is to defend our country. The dignity of the country and the peace of the people need us to defend with the steel guns in our hands. The glorious achievements, glorious martial arts and outstanding military exploits of our assault corps need our bloody battles and desperate struggles on the battlefield to shape them. I hope that all brothers and comrades can work hard, fight bravely, carry forward the spirit of Huangpu, inherit the will of the late Prime Minister, and make our assault corps an invincible force to defend our country, and make our First Supplementary Soldier Training Department a strong and powerful new force."

After He Wei finished speaking, he saluted the officers and soldiers below the command platform with a standard military salute, then raised his right hand high and shouted, "Kill!"

A deafening shout of killing rang out from the assault corps below! The officers and soldiers of the assault corps who had followed He Wei in the bloody battle also raised their right hands and shouted in response to He Wei.

Then, the officers and sergeants of the five recruits' supplementary battalions of the First Retraining Department also raised their right hands and shouted loudly, and the deafening shouts and the bloody and tragic atmosphere soon infected and motivated the new recruits who had recently joined the army nearby. These recruits were just a group of farmers wearing military uniforms, and they didn't know much about bloody battles and fighting. They couldn't even fully understand what He Wei had just said. However, such a magnificent scene also aroused the most simple blood and blood in their hearts. At this moment, in this situation, they just wanted to shout loudly with the veterans of the assault corps. Soon, the recruits also roared along with the officers and sergeants around them, and the five recruits' supplementary battalions suddenly rang out thunderous shouts of killing.

Thousands of officers and soldiers shouted loudly in unison. In an instant, the momentum was like a rainbow and the sound of killing shook the sky.

He Wei looked at the soldiers on the playground with satisfaction. He nodded slightly and waved his hand to stop the shouting of the troops. Then, he took out two documents from his pocket and continued to shout: "Next, I will announce a number of personnel appointments and awards. Wang Yuanling, the chief of the staff of the assault corps, has made great contributions in the battle of Banbi Mountain and handled the situation properly. I now report to the Ministry of Military Affairs and award him the Huazhou Honorary Medal!"

After He Wei finished speaking, he paused for a moment. At this time, Chief of Staff Wang Yuanling, who was also standing in front of the assault corps, shouted "Here!" and then strode forward and saluted He Wei on the podium.

Then, He Wei said, "Major Fu Chen, the commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion of the Assault Corps, defeated the landing Japanese Marines in the battle of Fuchi River near Tianjia Town, and then crossed the river to attack and annihilate the landing Japanese Marines. He fought meritorious service, was brave and tenacious, and was proactive. I now report to the Ministry of Military Affairs and award him the First Class Medal of the Army, Navy and Air Force!"

"To!"

The commander of the first battalion, Fu Chen, also strode out of the line and responded to He Wei.

"Captain Fang Jing, commander of the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the Assault Corps, and Captain Hu Zhaowu, commander of the 3rd Infantry Battalion, have made meritorious service in the attack on the enemy's Hata Detachment and have bravely assaulted. They are now awarded the Army, Navy, and Air Force Type B First Class Medal and promoted to the rank of Major. Captain Chen Xinsheng, commander of the Artillery Battalion, has provided strong support in various battles and is now awarded the Army, Navy, and Air Force Type B First Class Medal and promoted to the rank of Major. Zhao Zhanhai, chief of the Combat Training Section of the Assault Corps Staff Office, personally led the vanguard of the troops to attack and annihilate the vanguard of the Japanese Hata Detachment during the battle. He is now awarded the Army, Navy, and Air Force Type B First Class Medal and promoted to Captain Commander of the Corps' Direct Search Company."

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There were a few more footsteps, and Fang Jing, Hu Zhaowu, Chen Xinsheng, and Zhao Zhanhai all stood at attention.

Then, He Wei announced a large number of honorary awards: "Lieutenant Commander of the First Infantry Company of the Corps Chen Jianxiu, Corporal of the Third Platoon of the First Company Wu Dapeng, Warrant Officer Special Agent Lei Naidian, Lieutenant Commander of the Fourth Infantry Company Huang Zhengzhi, Sergeant Squad Leader of the Fourth Company Sun Dahu, and Sergeant Platoon Attaché Cao Yun."

He Wei took a full half minute to read the lengthy award order. In the list of awards and promotions that He Wei read out, there were company and platoon officers, warrant officers who were between officers and sergeants, and ordinary sergeant squad leaders and soldiers. As long as they were officers and soldiers who had made meritorious contributions in combat, no matter they were officers or soldiers, they all received corresponding medals and promotions in rank.

After He Wei was promoted to colonel, the Military Commission asked He Wei to report on the meritorious officers and soldiers at all levels of the assault corps and prepare to give them promotions and honors. He Wei did not hesitate to strive for promotions and honors for his officers and soldiers, and reported nearly a hundred officers and soldiers of the entire corps who had made meritorious contributions in the successive battles around Banbi Mountain.

Perhaps as a reward for the assault corps' military exploits, the Military Commission was clear about it. All the officers and soldiers reported by He Wei received medals representing their military honors. From officers to soldiers, everyone received medals according to their military rank and position level. The Military Commission issued nearly one hundred medals of various types to the assault corps in one go, which was a huge amount of money. He Wei himself also received a Huazhou Honor Medal.

As for the promotion of meritorious personnel, He Wei was free to do it. The promotion of soldiers and sergeants was all ordered by He Wei. The promotion of meritorious officers only required He Wei to report a list to the Personnel Bureau in charge of personnel, and after going through a simple process, it was approved smoothly.

Regardless of whether they were officers, sergeants or soldiers, all meritorious officers and soldiers received honors and promotions. The officers who received honors and promotions also came from the same background. Some officers were regular graduates of the Whampoa Military Academy, some were from the military and were recommended to graduate from the Officer Training Class affiliated with the Whampoa Military Academy, and some were simply rough officers from the military who had never attended a military academy.

These people have different backgrounds and educational backgrounds, but they have all been promoted. He Wei read out the officers and soldiers on the list one by one today, sending a signal to all officers and soldiers that as long as they fight bravely, regardless of whether they are officers or soldiers, and regardless of their background, they will receive corresponding rewards, promotions, and honors.

After He Wei finished reading the long list, the officers and soldiers of the assault corps lined up under the command tower all looked extremely eager, and their high spirits and fighting spirit became even more intense.

He Wei saw it, glanced around the team and nodded slightly, then put away the list. Under the eager gaze of thousands of officers and soldiers, he shouted loudly: "I declare that the Assault Corps and the First Supplementary Soldier Training Department will officially expand and start training from now on. I hope all brothers, officers and soldiers will train with all their strength and serve the country bravely. Assault Corps, kill!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Thousands of officers and soldiers shouted loudly again, and the camp of the assault corps instantly fell into a very majestic and crazy state. Waves of killing shouts were like thunder, reaching the sky.
(End of this chapter)