Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Battalion Organization (3)
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The effects of the ranger training were tremendous.
"Sir, the officers and soldiers have all improved their physical fitness to a level incomparable to before."
"I'm glad the training I devised was effective. How much exactly have they improved?"
Lieutenant Lina let out a sigh upon hearing my words.
Then she quickly schooled her expression back to normal.
It must have brought back the horrific memories of the PT exercises and ranger training that were fun only when making others do them.
"Previously, it took the soldiers 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete a 10km run. But now, they're all finishing within an hour."
"That means their running speed has increased, which in turn means their stamina has improved accordingly."
"Yes, and thanks to that, we're seeing noticeable results in various combat drills as well."
"No matter what anyone says, to win wars, you need the stamina to back it up. It must be having a good effect on combat training too."
Infantry, both in the past and the future, are ultimately a branch that has to run on foot.
And to keep running on foot, you need the stamina to support it.
"That's a desirable outcome."
"The officers have all been convinced since you personally led from the front and endured the grueling training yourself. However, the NCOs and soldiers are grumbling about the training being too harsh."
"That figures. Officers are armed with pride and self-esteem for defending the nation, but NCOs and soldiers are different."
In this empire, officers enter the service a cut above even medical school graduates.
So their pride pierces the heavens.
No exaggeration—it's to the point where people say even if you eliminated officer pay, nobles would shell out their own money to do it.
In fact, up until 150 years ago, they paid field-grade officers but not generals.
They gave them honor, and that was supposed to be enough.
'Which led to massive military corruption scandals every day...'
Anyway, in an atmosphere where officers value their pride that much,
my leading by example has quelled the complaints to some extent, but the soldiers are another story.
"I told you to select soldiers or NCOs who showed outstanding performance or superior stamina in platoon-level training. Did you get reports from the officers?"
"Here they are."
"It'd be absurd to force them through tough training without any rewards."
If I had my way, I'd generously reward every soldier who kept up well with the training.
But rewards lose their value if overused.
Especially for things like completing training runs.
"Soldiers who completed the training without issue get 2 days' leave and a 20,000-mark bonus. Those listed here get 5 days' leave and a 200,000-mark bonus."
"200,000 marks isn't a small amount."
"It's just one per platoon anyway. And the key is to plant the idea that diligently following training can lead to generous rewards."
Your company department head forcibly calling you in to help with a weekend move is straight-up abuse of power.
But if they buy you jjajangmyeon and tangsuyuk, and hand you 200,000 won in cash as thanks,
unless you're swamped, you'll want to help again next time they move.
Military training is so grueling that no one's crazy enough to look forward to the next one just for rewards, but...
'At least they'll approach training with more enthusiasm.'
As long as I don't grind them to the point of outright abuse, complaints won't get too bad.
"I see."
"And for the top-performing soldiers and NCOs from each company among the enlisted and NCOs, I plan to give even more generous rewards."
"Separate from the platoon selections?"
"Unnecessary competition is bad, but appropriate rivalry and incentives boost the soldiers' morale."
Picking out underperforming platoons or companies in training and punishing them with extra duty or revoking rest...
It's best to avoid that as much as possible.
There are idiots who don't reward good results but immediately punish failure to keep up...
Constant punishment like that turns a unit into a total mess.
"Let me see. The soldier from 1st Company who showed the best performance in training."
Once I learned who it was, I was astonished.
I never expected this.
"It's the senior corporal nearing discharge?"
Usually, senior corporals try to skip duties as much as possible and half-ass training.
I respect them to some extent myself.
No point in working discharge-bound guys to death.
I told them to exempt them from non-essential duties like guard shifts outside training and even allow them to grow their hair.
Senior Corporal Max of 4th Platoon, 1st Company.
Today, like always, he was acting unlike a typical senior corporal nearing discharge.
The moment reveille sounded, he woke up with the privates and started cleaning.
Thanks to him, everyone in his barracks—from privates to corporals—had no choice but to join in morning cleanup.
"Snake, can't you just rest easy now that you're a senior?"
"Might as well do our one-and-only military service right to the end, don't you think?"
"Please stop already. Thanks to you, we barely survived that ranger training thing without dropping dead."
Typical senior corporals let go of their authority and coast as comfortably as possible.
Max should have done the same, slacking off like the rest...
But he had no intention of half-assing anything.
This was his one shot at military service, and he wanted to do it right from start to finish.
Thanks to that, even as a senior corporal, he still held de facto power in the platoon—no, the company.
"If you do your one military service diligently, something good might come of it."
"Nothing comes of it, seriously. Not a damn thing."
Max ignored his complaining junior and continued cleaning.
The cleaning corporals and upperclassmen were going insane.
Other platoons just slowly got dressed after reveille and called it a day.
But their unit had this hyper-competent senior corporal...
"Hurry up. Morning formation soon."
"Yes, Corporal Max!"
After finishing cleanup, they all assembled for breakfast.
"Attention."
"Attention!"
"The battalion commander announced rewards for soldiers who showed outstanding performance in the last training. The platoon leader will hand them out, so step forward when your name is called."
At the word "rewards," everyone's shoulders perked up.
"First, the entire platoon that completed the training receives 20,000 marks and 2 days' leave."
20,000 marks wasn't a fortune.
But with that, they could stuff themselves silly with sausages and beer during leave.
It was a reward that made the grueling training feel worthwhile.
"And our platoon's top soldier is Corporal Hans. Corporal Hans receives 200,000 marks and 5 days' leave."
Corporal Hans, receiving the leave and bonus, felt more awkward than happy.
Over that senior corporal who led every task despite being discharge-bound, he was top of the platoon?
No matter how he thought about it, something was off.
"Platoon leader, sir, no matter how I look at it, I don't think I'm our platoon's top soldier."
It took a lot of guts for a mere corporal to question the platoon leader.
But seeing Corporal Max complete training with even better form than him, and get passed over?
The platoon leader shrugged at his words.
A smile played on his face.
"Across our entire company, the one who finished training most outstandingly was Corporal Max. Among the NCOs, it's Sergeant Miller from 2nd Platoon. Corporal Max, front and center."
Max felt a huge sense of accomplishment.
He thought he'd die during that final ranger training, but he'd pushed through like mad.
And now, selected as the company's top soldier in his final days.
'All that hard work paid off.'
He only had about two weeks left, and with discharge leave tomorrow, he was practically out...
"Corporal Max!"
"Corporal Max, unfortunately, you won't be discharging."
Max had served diligently throughout.
Anyone would think he was set for 10 years as a soldier...
But "no discharge" hit like the sky falling.
"What? Why can't I discharge? Sir, this is..."
"By the battalion commander's authority, he's personally recommended you for NCO training. You depart for regimental HQ in 3 days for the course. Of course, you can refuse..."
Soldiers' circumstances were all predictable.
Discharge meant tilling parents' fields or odd jobs for a mundane life.
Become an NCO, snag sergeant stripes, and starting pay jumps nearly 4x what parents earned.
Social status rises, life turns around.
No one refuses.
"You've always been edged out by others before and missed NCO training. The battalion commander saw your diligent performance and specially recommended you. Plus, 10 days' leave and 200,000 marks bonus."
"Platoon leader, sir."
"Congratulations, Sergeant Max."
Hearing "sergeant" made tears stream from Max's eyes.
He'd suffered pointlessly in his final days, felt some pride, but...
He never imagined such a reward.
"Starting today, for the next 3 days, personal maintenance and rest like weekends. No duties except guard and duty shifts, so relax. Dismissed."
And reports of this training and unit status reached the higher-ups too.
The bigwigs were curious about the results of these new initiatives.