A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

On the training ground, the sergeant battalion soldiers leaped and tumbled, full of energy and vitality.

Seeing their battalion commander watching from the sidelines, they all roared with excitement, vying to be the first to start, their training enthusiasm soaring. Commands and slogans erupted across the parade ground, the soldiers shouting at the top of their lungs, their voices sending shivers down everyone's spines.

The newly appointed battalion commander of the sergeant battalion, Song Hongfei, stood at the edge of the training ground, his eyes sharp and piercing, his face expressionless, and he remained silent.

Watch the company, platoon, and squad leaders organize various training exercises; watch the soldiers of the sergeant battalion perform various drills; watch the soldiers run obstacle courses and tactical drills; watch the soldiers practice grenade throwing, bayonet fighting, hand-to-hand combat, and physical fitness; watch the soldiers' individual tactical movements, combat formation movements, and squad and platoon tactical movements.

Song Hongfei just walked around, looking around, without giving any instructions or comments to the officers and soldiers.

After observing all these training sessions, he had a pretty good idea of ​​the training level and tactical skills of the sergeant battalion soldiers, and he already had a detailed plan in mind.

Song Hongfei first formulated several strict regulations:

First, officers and soldiers are equal. Bullying, beating, or physically punishing soldiers is strictly prohibited. Extortion, bribery, or demanding of soldiers is also strictly prohibited.

Second, corruption and abuse of power for personal gain are strictly prohibited. Every penny of military funds must be used for the soldiers, and every meal must be eaten by the soldiers.

Third, excessive drinking, gambling, and opium smoking are strictly prohibited.

Fourth, keep your living quarters tidy, pay attention to hygiene, maintain cleanliness, take frequent baths, and change clothes frequently.

5. Brush your teeth in the morning and evening, wash your hands before meals and after using the toilet, and do not drink unboiled water.

At the battalion-wide meeting the following day, Song Hongfei announced these regulations in public, especially emphasizing the first two, which immediately won applause and cheers. These were regulations most closely related to the soldiers' vital interests, and the soldiers were both excited and surprised, clapping their hands until they were red.

In the army, it was a long-standing bad habit for officers to bully soldiers and for veterans to bully new recruits. This was commonplace in the old army at the time and had become an extremely serious vicious cycle.

Song Hongfei has his own ideas and concepts, which come from the 21st century: equality between officers and soldiers. In a relatively "independent" unit like the Sergeant Battalion of the Training Corps, there is room to implement this concept. He wants to break away from bad old habits and form his own style in the Sergeant Battalion. He is determined to create a brand-new look in his Sergeant Battalion.

Song Hongfei's face was stern, and his tone was harsh: "What maintains the combat effectiveness of the troops is not those江湖 (jianghu) habits! A truly combat-effective army relies on iron discipline!"

"My battalion! It must have iron discipline! Iron faith! Iron commitment! My battalion must be militarily proficient, have excellent conduct, and be strictly disciplined!" Song Hongfei declared resolutely, his voice booming like a bell. "I want my battalion to be the strongest battalion! The battalion most capable of winning battles!"

Song Hongfei's eyes flashed with a cold light, and his voice was stern: "I'm making this clear today! Anyone who dares to bully soldiers or drink their blood in my camp! I may not have the authority to shoot you, but I certainly have the authority to kick you out!"

Song Hongfei's words were like thunder, piercing through the clouds and splitting rocks, deafening and awakening.

"Clap clap—" The thunderous applause echoed for a long time, and the soldiers clapped like madmen.

Many soldiers couldn't hold back their tears—with such a commander, what more could they ask for? They would be willing to die fighting under such a commander!

A few sounds came from within the formation.

Some of the young soldiers could no longer suppress their sobs—the sergeant battalion is full of veterans, but being a veteran doesn't mean being old!

What other sounds are there?

And the battalion flag with the words "Training Corps Sergeant Battalion" fluttering high above Song Hongfei's head.

From then on, the sergeant battalion's morale was completely renewed.

"Militarily competent, with excellent conduct and strict discipline"

"Iron discipline! Iron faith! Iron commitment!"

Several huge slogans were painted on the walls on both sides of the barracks gate, standing out prominently.

The sergeant's camp is clean and tidy, with no garbage or unsanitary corners on the ground. Dirty water and filth have been swept away, and there is not a single weed under the trees in the green belt.

Inside the barracks, everything was arranged neatly and uniformly, horizontally and vertically aligned. On the beds, the bedding was folded squarely, with sharp edges and corners, some flat and some octagonal. Under the beds, shoes and stools were arranged in neat rows. The water jugs on the floor and the water cups on the table were also lined up in orderly rows.

The kitchen was clean, tidy, and well-organized. All kinds of items, even ingredients such as vegetables, scallions, garlic, green beans, cucumbers, eggs, noodles, and tomatoes, were neatly arranged, like a line of soldiers waiting for inspection.

The soldiers were impeccably disciplined and stood tall and straight, their postures as upright as pines, their movements as graceful as the wind. They marched in pairs and threes throughout the camp, exuding a powerful and imposing presence. Every soldier was in high spirits, their faces radiating vitality.

Every corner of the sergeant's camp exudes an atmosphere of neatness, uniformity, and unity, as well as tension, seriousness, and liveliness.

Everything appeared so orderly and disciplined, yet also so vibrant and full of life. A unique and pleasing aesthetic characteristic of military camps was fully embodied in the sergeant's barracks.

The military is a unique cultural environment with strict, ritualistic rules that constantly influence every member within it. The power of environment to change people is immense. Even the most undisciplined and lax soldiers, when immersed in an environment like a sergeant's camp every day, will be subtly transformed into positive and motivated soldiers.

War has its own laws; it is a confrontation of entire systems. A battle requires hundreds or thousands of soldiers to conduct operations with a high degree of coordination, and a war requires countless soldiers to implement a unified strategic intent. Victory in war requires countless soldiers to form a powerful whole, with iron organization, iron discipline, unparalleled courage and wisdom, and absolute trust in each other, working together to charge towards the same goal.

The excellent morale, the uniform military bearing, and the synchronized steps of thousands of soldiers all demonstrate the high level of training of the sergeant battalion of the training brigade, as well as their high degree of organization, discipline, and coordination. This is a manifestation of their strong combat capability and the spirit of a fierce and powerful army!

During that period, troops from various units and officers at all levels flocked to the sergeant's camp to observe, learn, seek advice, and inspect. Everyone who came to the sergeant's camp had the same thought: This is a unit that excels in every aspect and is capable of winning battles!

The person who came most often was Fu Zhaoqian, the chief of staff of the brigade. He had personally witnessed the earth-shaking changes in the sergeant battalion, and every time he came, he was amazed.

Upon returning to the headquarters, Fu Zhaoqian, without even taking a sip of water, exclaimed to the headquarters commander, Gui Shuaizhen, "I have to admit, Song Hongfei really has a knack for it. In such a short time, he's turned the sergeant battalion into a whirlwind of activity, and everything is thriving. I even went to check out the sergeant battalion's toilets today, and they were spotless, without a single odor!"

The last sentence amused Commander Gui, who laughed and said, "No wonder you're the top student from West Point. You're famous in Europe and America and highly regarded by the higher-ups. 'Excellent military skills, outstanding conduct, and strict discipline'—you truly impress everyone."

Gui Shuaizhen pondered for a moment and said, "I think we can promote the practices and experiences of the sergeant battalion throughout the entire brigade. Chief of Staff Fu, you will organize the implementation in each regiment and directly subordinate unit, and bring out the new spirit of our training brigade! This is also a manifestation of strong combat power."

Gui Shuaizhen strongly agreed with Song Hongfei's statement: "Organization and discipline are the greatest guarantee of combat effectiveness, and style and image are the best recruitment advertisement."

"Yes!" Fu Zhaoqian replied. "We are the model unit for the entire army. If all the armies in the country had such a spirit, it would be enough to make the people of the whole country look at the National Army with new respect."

Gui Shuaizhen nodded and said, "The sergeant battalion is the training battalion within the training corps, so good practices can naturally be promoted throughout the entire army. Let's start with military appearance and discipline!"

He then patted a document on the table that he was reading and said, "I've read Song Hongfei's report on organizational adjustments and combat training. It's very insightful and the concepts are advanced. You will lead the staff office and the sergeant battalion to conduct a detailed study and prepare a comprehensive report. The higher-ups want to see a feasibility study report on the practical application of the tactics research."

Fu Zhaoqian nodded: "Yes!"

Deputy Commander Zhou Zhenqiang was a little worried and said, "Our training brigade's organization and tactical training have always been based on the German advisory group's plans, and the training outline has been approved by the Military Commission. Won't this make things a little difficult for the Military Commission and the Germans to say?"

Gui smiled knowingly and said, “I’m afraid the Germans are very interested in these advanced concepts and tactics. Don’t forget, Song Hongfei is a member of the liaison group of the German advisory group of the Military Commission. Hongfei’s research on tactics and methods has always been ingenious, and the high-ranking officials of the Military Commission have also greatly appreciated it. As long as it does not involve secrets and is indeed effective, it can be promoted in our brigade.”

Everyone at the headquarters nodded, seemingly understanding.

Once the rules and regulations of the sergeant battalion were implemented, the officers and soldiers throughout the entire training corps were abuzz with discussion.

Some people were gossiping behind his back, wondering if Song Hongfei was a newly appointed official who was eager to establish his authority by making a show of force.

Some people believe that it's all bark and no bite, or even just thunder without any rain.

Some people think it's just a lot of empty slogans and empty gestures.

Song Hongfei also heard these comments, but he did not refute them or make any statement. Instead, he smiled and let it go as if nothing had happened, and continued to train his troops rigorously.

During this period, Song Hongfei meticulously guided tactical training. In the classroom, he lectured while simultaneously writing and drawing tactical operation diagrams, using vivid, concise, and easy-to-understand language. During parade ground training, he provided detailed explanations and demonstrations of everything from company, platoon, and squad tactical instruction to individual soldier movements, earning the deep respect of the officers and soldiers.