Chapter 268: Sending the troops to war, no one can be left behind
"Give me!"
Chen Mo reached out and took the command telegram from the communications staff, still by fax.
[The 63rd Army Headquarters of the Shigyoto Military Region has ordered the Army Officer Academy to immediately dispatch troops! Arrive at the border of Goyang and Dongguan in Hyoseong before 10 PM tonight.]
Glancing over the telegram order, Chen Mo pulled out a pen from his pocket, signed his name in a flamboyant manner, and then handed the document to the communications staff officer.
This kind of combat readiness order must be stored in a special confidential room.
"All battalions assembled!!"
Chen Mo turned around and yelled.
Crash.
The soldiers who were originally writing suicide notes stood up at the same time, and the squad leaders of each class moved in an orderly manner in the queue to collect all the suicide notes. There was no time left, so they just had to sign their names and hand them all over to Huo Linshan for safekeeping.
All the officers and soldiers, with nervous expressions on their faces, began to line up according to their squads, platoons, and companies.
The night sky was clear just now, but suddenly a drizzle of rain began to fall.
And it's getting heavier and heavier.
Chen Mo looked up at the sky. The camp lights were dim, and he was not calm at this moment.
To be honest, he had listened to many military exercises and reviews before leading the troops in battle, so he had some experience.
But Chen Mo himself had no experience in leading a rescue team. Fortunately, the entire battalion was made up of veterans, so it would be easier to coordinate all aspects.
"It seems that the TV dramas where it rains whenever something big happens aren't all just a lie."
Chen Mo felt the raindrops getting bigger and bigger and falling on his body, and he couldn't help but mutter.
"Count!"
"one two three"
"Report, all members of the armored infantry company have assembled!!"
"Report, all members of the tank company have assembled!!"
"Report, all members of the reconnaissance company have assembled!!"
"Report, the medical team has assembled!"
"Report."
The sounds rang out one after another. Two minutes later, Cheng Dong hurried over to Chen Mo to report: "Comrade Battalion Commander, the entire battalion has assembled. The expected number of people is 617, and the actual number is 596. The staff and sentries will remain. Please give your instructions!"
"At ease!"
"yes!"
Cheng Dong turned around, gave the command to stand at ease, and ran back to the queue.
The loud command echoed through the night sky.
Chen Mo strode to the front of the line, took the loudspeaker handed to him by Wang Jianyong, and glanced at the crowd: "Stand at attention!"
"Comrades, I have already stated the requirements that should have been stated just now."
"The military district has ordered our battalion to be assigned the task of evacuating residents downstream of the flood discharge area, working alongside the Xiaocheng Anti-aircraft Artillery Brigade at the border of Gaoyang and Dongguan."
"Over 100,000 people, 80 kilometers away, this is a daunting task. We are required to protect them and evacuate them to a safe zone at all costs. Do you have the confidence?"
"have!"
All the officers and soldiers roared.
But everyone knows that in six hours, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of people with their families.
Even if the reconnaissance company, which had the best physical fitness in the entire battalion, was lightly equipped, it would be basically impossible for it to march 80 kilometers in that kind of terrain.
Even if it was just a training exercise and there was no disaster, traveling 80 kilometers in 6 hours would be extremely difficult. They just hoped that the disaster-stricken area of the evacuated area could be smaller and smaller.
If we can get the rescue vehicles in, then everything will be easy.
"good!"
Chen Mo said loudly: "Get dressed and get ready to go!"
"Wang Yanjun!"
"arrive!"
"You will take the reconnaissance platoon and the logistics company to form a temporary logistics support team, ready to take over the rescue operations of the other companies at any time. Man Xuexue and Liang Hongjie will assist you. You will be the team leader for this mission."
"yes!"
Wang Yanjun was the candidate Chen Mo had originally chosen for the company commander of the engineering company. He was a veteran platoon leader who had been promoted. He had more experience than Liang Hongjie and Man Xuexue in carrying out rescue missions or logistical work.
The rescue work cannot be delayed, and there is nothing wrong with giving temporary orders.
Everything is arranged.
In the queue, all personnel rechecked their equipment, including individual rations, flashlights, life jackets, and raincoats.
One minute later.
The team returned to calm.
Chen Mo took a deep breath and said, "Comrades, kill!"
"kill!"
All officers and soldiers responded with an earth-shattering response.
This is the clarion call for battle, and it also demonstrates the strong will of the entire battalion.
"Pedal!" the order came.
In an instant, all the leading cadres ran towards the 142 transport vehicle.
Rescue work is different from combat and exercises. For this kind of disaster relief, only transport vehicles can be used, and it is best to choose the kind with a tent.
Tanks and armored vehicles are of no use at this time. We are not like some countries that still need to carry guns to maintain order.
Fortunately, the demonstration camp was not poor, and they were willing to use the sealed equipment depots, and the academy was backed by a division-level unit like the Training Department.
The battalion has 142 transport vehicles, and hundreds of people can sit comfortably without any crowding.
One after another, transport vehicles were dispatched, along with the Steyr flatbed trailers carrying engineering vehicles, with their headlights turned on. The torrent of steel drove out of the camp according to the maneuver plan.
The leading vehicle was the Dongfeng off-road vehicle that Chen Mo rode. It served as the command center for the entire battalion's mobile advance and was responsible for judgment and observation.
Instructor Fang Peijun was at the rear of the convoy, while Cheng Dong and reconnaissance company commander Hou Zhanye were in charge of the middle.
Originally, most of the staff were newly graduated student officers. According to the maneuver plan, the entire staff including Cheng Dong needed to stay behind.
But with Lao Cheng's personality.
Others can choose simple tasks, but he can't. Cheng Dong asked the reconnaissance company instructor Huo Linshan to stay at the staff headquarters and stay in the rear to coordinate needs at any time.
He set out with the main group.
"Pay attention to the road conditions. The rain is getting heavier. It must be coming from the Gaoyang area."
Chen Mo sat in the back seat of the car, paying attention to the road conditions while constantly reminding Wang Jianyong.
It is extremely risky to travel hundreds of kilometers in the dark to the disaster area for rescue in heavy rain.
Simply.
There are a lot of officers in the battalion, and the soldiers are all veterans, who have more advantages than the officers. This is the greatest confidence of their demonstration battalion.
A rumbling rainy night.
The sky was gloomy and suffocating. At the foot of Mount Tai in Jinyang, endless rows of convoys set out.
Know in advance that a rescue may be necessary.
The transport vehicle behind Chen Mo had already erected a flag with the words "Kyoto Military Region Disaster Relief Force" on it. Both sides of the vehicle were also hung with banners with slogans such as "Military and Civilian Are as Close as Fish and Water", "When One Side is in Trouble, All Sides Support", and "A Nation Prospers in Times of Adversity, Forge Ahead with Courage".
Many units will stockpile these things in advance.
After all, if a large force is deployed during the day, in order to avoid causing panic among the people, banners are the best way to explain it.
Parts of the Beijing-Kunming Expressway and Qingdao-Yinchuan Expressway were not completed at that time. Most of the way from Jinyang to the disaster-stricken areas was via provincial roads.
Along the way.
Passing private cars gave way and stopped on both sides of the road to make way for the military vehicles. Looking down from the sky, it looked like a long dragon with a shocking tailspin.
Order! Tacit understanding! Silence!
The news of the disaster is no longer a secret. Many people know about the evacuation of the flood discharge area through radio stations.
The evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people was to protect the city and many areas.
Some car owners remained silent.
They recalled the disaster of 1998, when many soldiers and innocent civilians died.
Beep beep!
A private car on the roadside honked its horn in salute, and the owner rolled down the window and saluted the convoy.
Judging from the saluting posture, he must be a retired veteran.
The whistle sounds seemed to be infected, and in a short time, they became a continuous clamor.
One after another, car owners opened their windows, got out of their cars, and saluted in a non-standard military manner despite being soaked by the rain.
"Come on! PLA comrades!!"
"You must come back safely and alive!!"
"Please promise me to protect yourself."
"Comrades of the People's Liberation Army, please provide assistance to the disaster area. We will provide support from the periphery. The people of the whole country stand behind them. We will not fall."
The rain mixed with numerous sounds squeezed into the carriage. Many soldiers stretched their heads to look outside. Their bodies were wet, but they did not feel cold at all.
Because the blood is boiling at this moment.
Field assault.
Soldiers attack.
On both sides of the road, countless car lights turned on their hazard lights, high beams, and bright lights to illuminate the way for the field troops.
For my fighting army.
For my people who are suffering from the disaster.
Open up the widest rescue channel for the despair of the little girl's mother behind the cold loss figures.
A black Santana was parked on the side of the road. The owner was a young man. Since he could drive this car in 1999, his family was definitely not poor.
The young man took out a few unopened packs of cigarettes from the trunk, aimed at one of the trucks, and threw them hard into the car.
The person sitting in the passenger seat should be the young man’s girlfriend. When she saw the cigarette being thrown in, she picked up a few bottles of wine and threw them into the car.
The frightened young man turned pale and quickly reached out to stop him: "Are you stupid? It's not that you can't drink, but this bottle is so heavy, what if it hits someone?"
In another car.
A father was sitting in the back seat with a little boy in his arms. The little boy was looking at the convoy outside curiously.
"Dad, what is this soldier doing?"
The father smiled and rubbed his son's head, saying patiently, "They are going to help with disaster relief."
“What is disaster relief?”
"Disaster relief." The middle-aged father looked up and thought for a moment: "Disaster relief means that children your age have lost their homes and need the help of soldiers. There are also some children whose lives are threatened and need the protection of soldiers."
"Is that so?" The little boy's eyes flickered with determination and a look of worry and fear.
How could the home be gone?
If we lose our home, where will our parents be? Will we still have new clothes? Will we still have toys?
"dad."
There was a hint of trembling in the little boy's tone.
The middle-aged father heard that his son was afraid, and he felt a little regretful that he shouldn't have said those words because the child was still young.
But soon, he was surprised.
Because the son in his arms said in a firm tone: "Dad, can we go to the disaster relief too?"
"I can protect other children too."
The man was silent for a few seconds, then said earnestly, "Son, we can't go. Many places have been surrounded by soldiers to protect us. They have left the danger to themselves."
"If you want to go, you have to wait until you grow up."
"So I want to be a soldier too?"
"Yes."
"Well, when I grow up, I want to be a soldier, a brave soldier."
"good!"
Similar scenes were constantly played out along the way of rescue.
Chen Mo has been waving his hands in return to salute local vehicles. National morale is invisible.
It only appears at critical moments.
As for normal times, that small part of the noise is bullshit, saying that their country is not good in this or that, and they wish they could change their skin and color.
There will inevitably be pain in development.
The greatness of unity is not something that those people can truly understand.
About another twenty minutes passed.
Traffic department personnel appeared, beeping, roof alarms flashing red, and began to clear the way for the demonstration camp's convoy.
With the assistance of local departments, the progress has been much faster.
The closer you are to the disaster area, the more news you will get.
In the communication vehicle radio, Chen Mo arranged for people to access the command channel, real-time disaster information, regional assistance, on-site docking, and a large number of telegrams flew in like snowflakes, and were transferred through the terminal to the hands of several key cadres in the entire battalion.
at present.
The evacuation process is slow, the aftershocks have stopped, but the rainstorms are getting heavier, and the expected flood discharge time may even be advanced.
The rescue pressure was already great, and now it has increased sharply.
Chen Mo leaned half of his body against the car door, his eyes showing worry. With someone from the transportation department leading the way, he had ordered all the soldiers in the battalion to rest in the car.
Conserve your energy.
Because this may be the last chance to rest before the flood discharge, or even for a long time after the flood discharge.
Once the team enters the disaster area, it is no different from entering a battlefield, and continuous fighting cannot be avoided.
The further we advanced, the heavier the rain became.
The huge amount of water vapor caused a strong dampness inside the car. Vehicles of this era were not so well sealed.
The car Chen Mo was riding in was fine.
The canvas awning on top of the transport vehicle was soaked through, and just touching it would wipe off two ounces of water.
Disasters don't give soldiers a chance to breathe.
The Non-commissioned Officer Academy was actually only a hundred kilometers away from the place required by superiors, but due to the bad weather, after the escorting transportation personnel left.
The entire camp was in a dilemma.
One reason was that they were unfamiliar with the area, and another reason was that many of the support units along the way were temporarily transferred to reinforce the levee.
The problem is that reinforcing the levee is not as simple as stacking sandbags. It also requires driving wooden stakes or steel stakes. Depending on the situation, they need to be several meters to more than ten meters apart, and they are connected in series to form a net to secure the sandbags.
Only in this way can the levee be strong.
Otherwise, simply stacking sandbags will be like rootless duckweed. Once it encounters a torrent of tens of thousands of cubic meters per second, it will be washed away in an instant.
By then, the dike would really be destroyed and people would die.
The demonstration camp had just arrived at the edge of the disaster area, and before any rescue efforts could be organized, it received a notice that all nearby vehicles arriving for rescue would be allocated to the 188th Division to transport materials.
The road ahead can only be crossed by relying on your own legs and carrying tools.
Delay flood discharge as much as possible and make adequate preparations for evacuation.
When they arrived at the area where the 188th Division's logistics department received vehicles, a lieutenant colonel wearing a raincoat was looking around anxiously. It seemed that the other party had been waiting for a long time.
The place where Chen Mo and his friends were was on the edge of a small town under the jurisdiction of Gaoyang, more than 20 kilometers away from the levee.
All the residents of the town have been evacuated.
At the same time, the town was temporarily used as a material storage site for the Gaoyang Dike Joint Command.
Inside the town, diesel generators rumbled, waterproof light bulbs were shaking in the rain, and several loaders were working at the same time.
The dispatchers directed the machinery to load all the materials needed for flood control on the front line that had piled up into mountains.
I saw a new convoy coming.
The lieutenant colonel quickly turned on the flashlight in his hand and waved it to signal to stop the car.
Chen Mo put on a raincoat and got out of the car. The lieutenant colonel walked quickly forward and looked at the major in front of him with red eyes.
Before the military reform, there was some confusion in military ranks. Major and lieutenant colonel sometimes did not necessarily mean the former was of lower rank, and it was not uncommon to have a lower rank but a higher position.
The logistics lieutenant colonel of the 188th Division was startled to see Chen Mo, despite his young age, bringing so many people with him. He was the first to stand at attention and salute, saying, "Hello, comrade. I am Li Hongbo, the leader of the temporary dispatch team of the 188th Division."
"Hello, I am Chen Mo, the commander of the Kyoto Demonstration Camp." Chen Mo returned the greeting.
"Team Leader Li, what is going on now?"
The chaos at the rescue site was completely beyond Chen Mo's imagination. The rescue troops along the way had their routes and missions constantly changed.
Chen Mo must figure out the current situation.
"This is the situation." Li Hongbo was also intimidated by Chen Mo's title of "Commander of the Kyoto Demonstration Battalion". This was the unit that had defeated one-third of the main force of the 188th Division before.
"One kilometer ahead of us, heavy rain and the earthquake caused a mudslide that washed away the road. Our regiment's engineers are organizing emergency repairs, and it's estimated to take two hours to complete."
"All requisitioned vehicles must transport materials to the dam as soon as the emergency repairs are completed."
"So, your demonstration camp can only run to the rescue."
"I understand." Chen Mo nodded.
It was supposed to take two hours of uninterrupted transportation to the dam reinforcement site, but now that the road surface is destroyed, we have to race against time and arrange more vehicles on standby, otherwise we will be too late.
"Also, Captain Chen, you have to leave some of your men for us. The reinforcement work can't stop, and some materials need to be delivered by manpower."
Li Hongbo spoke again.
Under normal circumstances, Chen Mo would never suffer any loss, let alone give someone a car.
But now, there is nothing to say.
"Lao Fang!"
"Here I come."
Instructor Fang Peijun broke away from the convoy at the rear and walked over quickly.
"Old Fang, let's discuss this." Chen Mo raised his hand to wipe the rain from his face: "The levee needs to be reinforced. Part of our car and people need to be left behind."
"Well, you take the tank company, the logistics company, and the engineering company to stay here and assist. I'll organize the rescue for the rest of you."
"I'll go rescue, you stay."
Fang Peijun took a step forward and did not give in in his words. With his easygoing personality, it was rare for him to have an argument with Chen Mo.
The reason is very simple. Although reinforcing the levee is dangerous, it only delays the discharge of flood water. Once it can no longer withstand the pressure, it will definitely discharge flood water.
But the situation is not certain for those rescuing people in the flood discharge area, as the risk factor is even higher.
"Stop talking nonsense. Disaster relief is like fighting a war. I have the final say on all arrangements."
Chen Mo waved his hand and then looked at Wang Jianyong: "Go and inform Liang Hongjie, Qin Xiaojun, and Man Xue, and Wang Yanjun to be prepared and obey the arrangements of the instructor and the dispatch team."
"Lao Fang, I'm leaving the 267 soldiers of the demonstration camp in your hands. You must bring them back safely. Not a single one can be left behind."
After Chen Mo finished speaking, he nodded at Li Hongbo.
He turned and walked towards the flood discharge area. He wanted to take people to catch up with the evacuated people and help more people evacuate.
"Scholar!"
Fang Peijun gritted his teeth. He had only been in the demonstration camp for a short time and had always called it Chenying, never this nickname.
But now, he shouted.
Watching Chen Mo continue to leave, Lao Fang's eyes were red, and he shouted: "Xiucai, the 329 people in the demonstration camp are handed over to you, including yourself. No matter what, bring them all back to me, not one less!!"
"knew."
Chen Mo responded without turning his head.
The two supervisors discussed it.
The entire camp began to split into two groups, one group stayed behind, and the other group, under the organization of the cadres, followed Chen Mo and set off along the flood discharge area.
Their place is not far from the main force. After all, it is 20 kilometers away from the dam. The people evacuated early and basically left the central area.
But once the flood is released, it will still be dangerous.
There were thousands of bottles of mineral water piled up in the town, as well as a lot of bread. When Chen Mo passed by, he didn't hesitate to open the bottles and put them into his backpack.
"Except for the comrades who stayed behind, other cadres and personnel should be replenished as quickly as possible. They should eat and drink as much as they can."
"Take as much as you can with you, eat and drink enough, and be prepared for a ten-kilometer cross-country run."
"Everyone, fill your water bottles with water. Take as much as you can, and bring some for the fellow villagers."
"When we leave, all the cadres will go to the medical team to collect glucose. Two bottles per person. Drink them before leaving. The rest will be left in the car."
"It is required that all personnel make a good load-carrying plan and go out in full force. No one should be left behind."
Chen Mo himself had no experience, but he knew that he had to appear confident now.
With the battalion commander's order.
Reconnaissance, infantry, and medical personnel all ran to the supply pile and began to load supplies. Many people knew that these were not for themselves to eat, but for the people in need of rescue.
Even though the things they brought were far from enough, any little bit counted.
Even though it's still raining heavily, the rainwater is extremely dirty and cannot be used as an energy source.
By the end of the 1990s, the concept of "acid rain" was rarely heard.
But more than a decade ago, development was sacrificed for the environment, and acid rain and sandstorms were the norm.
soon.
After receiving the supplies, the soldiers gathered together, and everyone desperately stuffed bread and mineral water into their mouths.
They are all veterans. Even if the battalion commander does not ask them to do so, they know that rescue requires physical strength first.
After eating and drinking, each person received two bottles of glucose to drink.
This habit is a leftover from the training of the Blue Army Camp. At that time, the training tasks were too tight and the training volume was too large, so the entire camp started spending money on krypton candy to replenish their physical strength, and the effect was quite good.
"Listen to the command!"
"Each squad leader and deputy squad leader, one in front and one behind, must keep an eye on the soldiers. Turn on your flashlights and walkie-talkies. Don't save batteries. Ensure safety."
"Entire battalion, run forward."
Cheng Dong shouted loudly in the team with a loudspeaker in his hand, he must follow Xiucai.
No matter how high your rank is, you must protect the soldiers you lead.
"Wang Jianyong, you son of a bitch, are you still eating? Follow the scholar in front. If you bump into anything, I'll twist your balls off."
"Hold!"
Lao Wang was chewing bread. When he heard the sound, he felt a chill in his crotch and ran away.
Of course, this is just a small episode.
With the cooperation of each cadre, the demonstration battalion quickly turned into a pure infantry battalion, and hundreds of people began to advance.
"Those who are pretending to walk, follow up."
"Look how fast the scouts are running. Are you lame? Hurry up!"
"Follow up, those behind."
A large crowd of people braved the heavy rain, carrying supplies on their backs, with bottles of mineral water hanging all over their bodies like grenades, and carrying shovels and other tools, running in the direction of the people's evacuation.
Bang!
The intention to rescue is good, but the road conditions are too bad.
At the very beginning, someone fell into the mud and the supplies on his body were scattered. The veteran next to him pulled the person up, picked up the supplies, hung them on himself, and carried them forward again.
The company commander, platoon leader, female soldiers from the medical team, and squad leaders from the combat squad were constantly moving around in their respective areas of responsibility, encouraging, cheering, and observing the soldiers' condition.
Once we find someone is not in the right state, we will adjust the weight immediately.
"Run! Everyone, run! If we run faster, the people of Gaoyang will see hope sooner."
"Hurry up! Even if you don't do anything, just showing up at the scene is the greatest confidence for the people."
"Comrades, the hope of the people in the Gaoyang flood discharge area rests with us. Show your courage and determination to fight and die! Charge!"
Chen Mo led the team, shouting slogans from time to time.
Carry out high-intensity forced marches.
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