Chapter 2927
Compared with several senior officials who repeatedly weighed the pros and cons, the soldiers undergoing review at the Cavite base today did not have the slightest fear about the upcoming military operation. Instead, they were mostly excited.
Similar to the situation in various overseas regions at this stage, the manpower of the Manila garrison mainly comes from the local area. However, when Haihan attacked Manila, most of them were just kids who had just begun to remember. Their knowledge of the war came from word of mouth from the older generation and official information. record.
Luzon Island has been experiencing peace for a long time. These young people have not participated in real combat operations after joining the army, and they only perform some ordinary tasks of maintaining local security. The combat missions that are eligible for meritorious service and awards seem to have taken place thousands of miles away, and the relevant news can only be read from the military newspaper within the army.
But since you have chosen to eat this bowl of rice, who doesn’t want to kill enemies and perform meritorious service in the army and become a respected fighting hero?
The Ministry of National Defense publishes a list of meritorious service personnel every year, and the Manila Garrison has disappeared from this list for a long time. The last time a meritorious service record was awarded by the Ministry of National Defense was when an officer of the 4th Mainland China Division died in the line of duty while rescuing people during a local flood four years ago. After his deeds were reported to the Ministry of National Defense, he was posthumously awarded a second-class personal merit.
As for meritorious service in combat, it seems to have to be traced back to earlier military operations to eliminate armed local hostile tribes. But such an old almanac is obviously not something that the soldiers of the Luzon Region can show off.
Without military exploits, you will naturally not receive benefits such as upgraded equipment, expansion and upgrades. Even in the internal competitions between the Haihan Army, the Luzon Region seems to have always played a small and transparent role and has not achieved any outstanding results.
After so many years of obscurity, they finally had the opportunity to show off. Without even a few high-ranking officials wasting their words on mobilization, the garrison troops had already shown a high desire to fight.
As the youngest staff major of the Fourth Army Division, Feng Xingbang is also very excited about this.
Unlike most soldiers here, he was not born locally, but was assigned to serve in Manila from the Annan garrison through a talent exchange program within the Ministry of National Defense. Of course, to put it bluntly, this is actually the arrangement of his father Feng Annan. Although there are no opportunities for meritorious service in the Luzon region, peace is not a bad thing. At least there is no need to worry about safety issues. Spending a few years here to enrich his career experience will also be beneficial to Feng Xingbang's future development.
But as a soldier, who can resist the temptation of military glory? Feng Xingbang certainly did not want to spend his tenure in the Fourth Army Division without incident. The value of his existence as a combat staff could only be reflected by the implementation of military operations.
"Brother, here's our chance to show off our talents!" Someone whispered beside Feng Xingbang. Although the voice was small, it could not conceal his excitement.
Feng Xingbang didn't need to turn his head to look, but he knew that the speaker was his colleague Juan in the staff department. He lowered his voice and replied: "Don't be too happy too early. I think General Ha is not too satisfied with today's training. Look at his expression, which is always gloomy.”
Juan is not a Han Chinese, but a naturalized person of Spanish descent. His parents, both tailors, immigrated to Manila from Spain about thirty years ago. After Haihan captured Manila, the couple had no way to leave here and had no choice but to continue to live here. Juan was only five years old when the war broke out, and all the cultural education he received later came from Haihan, so his identity completely shifted to Haihan's side. Although the appearance of deep eyes and high nose is completely different from that of the Han people, in Manila, there are a large number of naturalized people with European faces like Juan, who speak Mandarin Chinese when speaking, and there are also Hispanic soldiers in the garrison.
If at the beginning of the occupation of Manila, Haihan still had many restrictions on the employment of Hispanic personnel, then by Juan's generation, the treatment was basically the same as that of the Han people, whether they enlisted in the army or other industries, regarding ethnic origin There are no strict requirements anymore.
Juan did not inherit his parents' tailoring business, but chose to join the army at the age of sixteen. He has served in the army for eight years, which can be said to be quite senior at a young age. Juan was quick-witted, and was appreciated by Xiao Liang for his outstanding performance in a military exercise. He was sent to Sanya Army Academy for further study for a year. After returning, he directly joined the staff department, earlier than Feng Xingbang was transferred to Manila. However, the military rank is still one level lower than Feng Xingbang, who has a background.
Today, three senior officials came to the Cavite base to inspect the troops' preparations for war. Juan and Feng Xingbang followed as escorts. When they needed to explain the training content or convey orders, they would come forward to complete it.
Of course, this errand is also a good opportunity to observe people's behavior and deduce their intentions. Feng Xingbang was originally from the upper class. He had been exposed to it since he was a child, so he naturally understood the importance of these details. Although Juan is smart, he is only from a grassroots background and has limited knowledge. He is indeed slightly less savvy about managing personal relationships.
After Feng Xingbang reminded him, Juan noticed this and immediately responded: "General Ha has stricter requirements on his subordinates. In the past, when the Ha brothers were still in the army, they were often trained in public."
Feng Xingbang said: "After all, the local troops have not fought in a war for several years. I guess General Ha is also worried about the performance of the troops after they are drawn to the battlefield."
Feng Xingbang's inference is almost correct, but Juan's view is very optimistic: "Even if he has never fought in a war and has not failed in his usual training, he is still better than the Spaniards."
Feng Xingbang smiled and said: "If we really start fighting with the Spaniards, will you feel embarrassed?"
Juan raised his finger and pointed at the rank insignia on his uniform and said: "Are you kidding? I am an upright Haihan soldier! If I don't fight with them, where will my military merit come from?"
Feng Xingbang gave him a thumbs up to express his admiration. He believed that Juan's answer was sincere. This guy really didn't regard himself as an outsider. As for the Spaniards who share the same ancestors as Juan, in his eyes they are probably just a bunch of military glory waiting to be grabbed.
But can these troops at the Cavite base really exert the combat effectiveness expected by the big shots? Feng Xingbang is actually not as optimistic as Juan. There is still a big difference between daily training and the actual situation on the battlefield. The lack of actual combat experience is the biggest shortcoming. Fortunately, the opponent's strength does not seem to be much stronger, and it should not be enough to pose a substantial threat to the Haihan Army.
(End of chapter)