I Became a Genius Commander at the Academy - Chapter 3

EP.3

“We hereby report that Deputy Platoon Commander Sergeant Michael Schmitz and 33 others have come under the command of Cadet Peter Yeager as of April 22, 220 Imperial Calendar! Loyalty!”

The deputy platoon commander saluted with an exemplary attitude in a very loud voice, but the other recruits hesitated, as if the salute was awkward.

When I saw that, I thought it was my job to train new recruits, but even this? I thought it was too much.

At that moment, there was a temptation to solve the problem by encouraging the soldiers, like officer candidates in other empires do.

If you think about leading them in the future, you shouldn’t do such crazy things.

Unless you are in a situation where the enemy’s spear and sword are coming and going in combat, it is not a crime to not know.

So after receiving the salute, I looked at the soldiers and spoke loudly.

“As you all know, as of today, I am Peter Jaeger, your platoon leader. From now on, when you see your superiors, you must show your respect by saluting like the deputy commander did. “I’ll show you a demonstration, so follow along.”

When I said that, 66 of the soldiers’ eyes focused on me.

“Raise your right arm and face the front, then bend your elbow inward with your hand spread out. At this time, your palms should face the ground and your middle fingers should touch near your right eyebrow. The deputy platoon commander will report again, and then you will do as I taught you. “Do you understand?”

“All right.”

“The voice is small. From now on, whenever your superior gives an order, you, as trainees, must answer loudly. Next time, if your voice is low, the group will severely punish you. Do you understand?”

No matter how strict the imperial army’s hierarchy and military law are due to the caste system, there is no case in which military law is applied to new recruits because they are told to raise their voices or salute, but do not do so properly.

After all, everyone knows that it is only natural for trainees to make mistakes in the training camp before going to battle.

Also, I can’t say it because of my prestige, but I also made a mistake during my first-year training at the Academy when I was practicing the final slogan that I shouldn’t have shouted or how to salute my superiors.

Even the instructors who tried to find fault somehow passed over almost all mistakes made during the first week by giving them a quick fix.

In addition, even if the punishment is justifiable according to military law, if the frequency increases, the commander’s ability to manage the unit is considered to be poor.

Therefore, it is best to avoid punishment under military law as much as possible.

However, the words “severe punishment” sounded quite scary to the new recruits, and their expressions suddenly changed to tense expressions and they shouted out loud.

“All right!”

Only then did I feel at ease because I felt like there was some discipline among the soldiers I was commanding.

No, it only lasted less than 5 minutes, but I felt a little proud seeing them at least understand that they had to speak out loud.

When viewed as a commander, no, it may not seem like a big deal to anyone.

The journey of a thousand miles to become an elite soldier ultimately involves walking one step at a time.

“Reporting again! We hereby report that Deputy Platoon Commander Sergeant Michael Schmitz and 33 others have come under the command of Cadet Peter Yeager as of April 22, 220 Imperial Calendar! Loyalty!”

At the same time, the 32 soldiers behind him raised their hands and saluted.

It was a truly heart-warming sight to see more than 30 people moving at once at my command.

To exaggerate a little, I would say that it felt like all the hardships and absurdities I had experienced while reincarnated in another world were washed away.

“Okay, now that you are under the command of this platoon leader, I will tell you what you must follow. “I’m only going to say it once, so everyone should keep it in mind and listen.”

“Yes, I understand!”

After saying that, the soldiers all focused their attention on me, although their posture was awkward.

What I feel once again is that the feeling of superiority that comes from having over 30 people move in perfect order with just one command from me is really attractive.

“This platoon commander wants two things from you. First, if I give an order, you will follow it without question. Second, since you are part of my platoon, do not forget that the Jaeger platoon is all one body.”

Even though times change and tactics change completely over time, these two concepts are military truths that never change.

Also, as the saying goes, the truth is simple and not complicated, ‘obey orders unconditionally and you are one body.’ The words are simple enough that even a 7-8 year old child can understand them.

Units that properly implemented this were praised as elites throughout the ages.

Therefore, I hope that the Jaeger platoon I lead will also become an elite unit that strictly adheres to the two truths.

“If you keep these two simple yet important facts, I assure you, as the platoon leader who leads you, I will definitely repay you. After the three years of conscription, I will definitely do my best to return home safely and with pride. “I will also remember each and every one of your achievements and post them up so that you can receive appropriate rewards after the battle. I will not hesitate to provide you with alcohol and meat when you are enjoying your victory.”

At those words, the soldiers forgot that I was speaking and looked at each other blankly and tilted their heads.

Although it is just a reprint of words and lines that company commanders or platoon commanders often say to those who have enlisted as soldiers in Korea, it will sound really fresh to soldiers of this era.

This is because imperial commanders usually try to raise the morale of their soldiers by mentioning the honor of fighting for His Majesty the Emperor, but never mention specific rewards for their soldiers.

However, since you have become the commander of the empire, you cannot forget to fight for the emperor.

“So, go to training with the mindset of doing your duty as a soldier for His Majesty the Emperor! Then, I guarantee you that you will all be able to return home with honor and fulfillment as proud sons to your families, as husbands to a woman, and as heads of your families. Long live your Majesty the Emperor!”

When he said that, the soldiers, including the deputy platoon commander, repeated the song in a voice that seemed deeply impressed.

“hurray! hurray!”

“Long live your Majesty the Emperor!”

To be honest, I don’t know if they have any loyalty to the emperor, whose face I have never seen.

At least there was no feeling of suspicion or distrust towards me in the soldiers’ eyes.

At this level, I would have taken my first steps as a platoon leader well.

Of course, a good beginning doesn’t mean everything will work out well, but if you start well, there is a higher chance that things will end well.

“Then, before we begin full-scale training, we will conduct a very simple training today. “I’ll show you a demonstration, so pay attention.”

When I said this, the deputy platoon commander turned to the soldiers and repeated the command to concentrate.

When I saw that, I felt that the articles posted on the Internet also said that it was absolutely necessary when a deputy platoon commander commanded a platoon.

Putting those sentiments aside, I showed myself walking as seen in the training video.

He moved at a 45-degree angle with his arms straight and kept his stride length at approximately 60 cm, moving steadily from the left end to the right end of the soldiers.

The soldiers, including the deputy platoon commander, looked at me as if I was strange when they saw this, but I ignored it and explained.

“Usually during training, you are divided into spearmen who handle long spears and crossbowmen who handle crossbows, and each of you is supposed to learn how to operate the weapon of your choice. The platoon leader believes that before dividing like that, everyone in the platoon must first learn how to move as one body. Therefore, today, let everyone learn how to walk by matching the movements as I taught them.”

The soldiers felt that the training was different from what they had heard at first glance, and the deputy platoon commander asked on their behalf.

“There is only one month left until training ends. Shouldn’t we start by learning how to use weapons?”

If the deputy platoon commander of this platoon had made such an opinion while I was planning a strategy at the front, I would have definitely responded.

Because his opinion makes a lot of sense, and it is more efficient for soldiers to properly understand and carry out orders rather than training with doubts.

But now is the time to establish my authority.

Also, even if you explain the meaning of the ceremony to the soldiers and deputy platoon commanders, it is difficult for them to understand.

“Follow Sergeant Schmidt’s orders. But I will guarantee this. This is the best method to increase the unity and combat power of 30 people. Instead, today’s training will end once 30 people have matched their steps for 5 minutes. “You wouldn’t say it’s difficult to walk in line, right?”

Soldiers who did not yet know the fear of ritual responded to those words with their eyes sparkling at the possibility of a quick end to training.

“You can!”

How is it that the trainees in Korea, the Reich Empire, and others don’t know anything about the horrors of the ceremony?

In fact, once you’ve done it once, your teeth will be chattering just by hearing the ‘je’ after the training.

“good night. Then, in accordance with the command from the head office, if you do one, then the right foot and the left arm, then you move the left foot and the right arm alternately, matching your steps.”

So I started formal training with the soldiers in my platoon.

Of course, the soldiers who initially entered the training with the intention of completing the training in 30 minutes…

continued to engage in formal training with their hands and feet in sync until the sun set.

However, as a result, it was seen that the basic movements of the arms and legs began to match.

The most important element in the battle of infantry, who mainly use long spears, is already slowly taking shape.

I don’t know how other guys manage their platoons, but for this assignment, it was a moment when I felt confident that if I continued my training like this, I could win no matter who I was up against.

Because with the training I had received so far at the academy, it was a long way to create an army that could move as a group in one month.

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of the Korean soldiers’ nightmare formal training.

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