Binjiang Police Affairs

Chapter 801 - 545: More Officers Than Soldiers (Part 2)

Even the son-in-law has become an "officer."Master Han was very happy and asked, "You’re in the reserve forces, not the regular army, you’re similar to civilian soldiers. Is it necessary to be so formal?"

"The requirements weren’t so high before. It is said that when the Binjiang Reserve Group was still a Reserve Division, it was just ’paper soldiers’ like the civilian soldiers. Last summer, when there was a typhoon and flooding causing huge economic losses, and even casualties, the superiors suddenly started to pay attention."

Han Yu took a deep breath and added, "Last month, the Provincial Committee, the Provincial Government, and the Provincial Military District jointly issued a notice, requiring all Yanjiang cities to form a civilian militia for flood relief and rescue, while requiring the reserve groups in each city to form mobile flood relief assault battalions."

"Mobile assault battalion?"

"They might be deployed to brother cities for disaster relief. The notification made it clear that the several reserve assault battalions in the Yanjiang cities are to take on major emergency flood relief tasks across the province. They are responsible for large-scale property transfers and rescue missions. Generally, they handle regular flood relief tasks in their own regions."

Seeing his father-in-law deep in thought, Han Yu added, "As for how they are deployed, there are strict requirements. If our city suffers significant wind or flood damage, but the disaster is not severe, the city’s flood control command center can report to the Provincial Defense Command and Provincial Military District for approval, allowing the Reserve Division to command and undertake flood relief tasks within the city.

In cases of a massive overall flood disaster, the civilian militia assault regiments and the reserve flood relief mobile assault battalions in the Yanjiang cities are uniformly dispatched and utilized by the Provincial Defense Command and Provincial Military District. Neither the Linghai City Committee and Municipal Government nor Binjiang City have the authority to directly deploy them."

This was clearly a continuation of "mending the barn after the sheep are lost."

Master Han realized that his son-in-law’s reserve forces were different from what he had imagined. Unsure how to proceed, Han Yu smiled wryly and said, "Recently, the military district came to inspect the militia organization in our Linghai, even conducting a survey in our development zone, discovering our ’paper soldiers’ problem and strictly criticizing us, demanding immediate rectifications, actually because they want to form a civilian militia flood relief assault regiment."

"The Armed Forces Department needs to set up a civilian disaster relief strike force, and the reserves need to be formed too. However, there are only so many qualified people, and there’s an overlap, so are they short on personnel?"

"I’m different from others. I also serve as the military minister for the development zone. I have to help the Armed Forces Department organize civilian soldiers and now also assist the reserves in organizing troops. I can’t undermine myself, but I also need to complete the troop organization tasks for the reserves. So, it’s a headache with so few people available."

Times have changed. With the implementation of family planning, there are fewer children than before, and fewer young people. Moreover, those who can go out to earn money have left, unlike before when just a brigade could field a civilian militia camp.

The son-in-law’s job is not an easy one, and Master Han could only smile and say, "If you don’t have enough people, you can count me in."

"Dad, what we lack now are warriors, not officers. Besides, you’re over the age limit; we only want those under forty."

"Dislike my old age!"

"That’s not what I meant. You see, this is about forming a flood relief assault battalion. At a critical moment, you’d have to carry sandbags on the riverbank. Can your body handle it?"

Han Yu asked, joking, "Besides, you were originally a Major. According to the regulations, retired military officers joining the reserves get promoted by one rank, making you a Colonel. Once you stand as a Colonel, would anyone listen to me, a Major?"

Although he was a technical officer in the military and was led by officers of lower rank, Master Han was still happy with what his son-in-law said, laughing, "That’s true. Your organization is too small, and my rank is too high. It’s not appropriate for me to join."

Xiang Fan listened clearly, secretly amused that her husband was showing off in front of the son-in-law. She came out curiously and asked, "San’er, isn’t it true that only military transfer officials can become reserve officers? You’ve never served in the military or as an officer, how did you become a Reserve Major?"

"That was in the past; things are different now."

"What’s different?"

"In 1995, the state formulated and issued the Reserve Officer Law, which clearly states the sources and selection of reserve officers. People’s armed cadres, militia cadres, graduates from non-military higher education institutions, and other citizens meeting the basic conditions for reserve officers can all be selected as reserve officers."

"So simple! Although the reservist is not the active forces, but they are still part of the military. Is such a selection process too lenient?"

"It’s not that simple. What I just mentioned is just a possibility for selection."

Han Yu picked up his daughter and raised his head to explain, "There are a series of strict procedures for selection. First, the grassroots military departments must make recommendations according to the plans and conditions set by higher authorities. Then, the County Armed Forces Department must review them. They must also undergo training at a designated training unit, and once they pass the training, they need approval from the Reserve Division. Finally, they have to return to the County Armed Forces Department to register as reserve officers."

Han Xiangning instinctively asked, "San’er, does that mean you have to undergo training?"

"Yes, once the officer candidates are confirmed, the reserve regiment will send us for training at the instructor team set up by the Reserve Division in Jiangcheng."

"So you’re not a Reserve Major yet?"

"Not yet, but I will be once these procedures are completed."

Just then, Liang Xiaojun and Han Xiangmeng came back together.

Seeing her sister and brother-in-law discussing reserve matters with the in-laws, Liang Xiaojun smiled and said, "My dad always hoped I’d join the army, but I wasn’t interested back then. Looking back now, I somewhat regret it. Salted Fish, why not recruit me too? Then I can wear a military uniform and show my dad."

"What we’re forming is a disaster relief assault battalion. If something happens, it means going for disaster relief, and as a graduate student, you can’t really help."

"Who said that?"

Han Xiangmeng couldn’t stand others looking down on her husband and said confidently, "Will there be injuries during disaster relief? Will the people in the disaster area get sick from drinking unclean water? Since it’s the military, there must be military doctors. How can Xiaojun not help?"

Han Yu found his sister-in-law very reasonable, and smilingly announced, "Thinking about it, it’s true. Dr. Liang, I formally announce you’ve been drafted. From now on, you are the medic of our Linghai Reserve Camp."

Before Liang Xiaojun could speak, Han Xiangmeng pretended to be unhappy and said, "A medic, what a joke! A medic is a soldier, Xiaojun is a graduate student, a surgeon, how could he be just a regular soldier there."

"Then how should we arrange this?"

"Aren’t you a reserve camp? Since it’s a camp-level unit, it should have a clinic. Let Xiaojun be the Director of the clinic."

Master Han laughed heartily, "I think it’s feasible. Xiaojun is a graduate student, at least make him a Reserve Captain."

Han Xiangmeng asked with a smile, "San’er, what about me?"

"You also want to join the reserves?"

"Where Xiaojun goes, of course, I go too. Besides, he’s a doctor, he can’t be without a nurse to assist him, so I’ll be the head nurse of the clinic, give me a Reserve Lieutenant rank."

"There’s no head nurse in a clinic, only in a health team." Xiang Fan pointed at her and laughed.

Both her parents used to be officers, and her mother was a head nurse in the army. Han Xiangmeng realized she couldn’t fool Salted Fish, who had never served, and could only laugh, "I’ll just be a nurse, but it must be a First Lieutenant, a Second Lieutenant doesn’t look good."

Han Xiangning saw them planning to wear military uniforms and couldn’t help laughing, "And what about me? Our Port Supervision is the Second Navy, so I can also join the reserves."

"Ningning, you completely qualify, but I can’t draft you."

"Why not?"

"You’re the director of the Linghai Port Supervision Office. If you go with us on flood relief tasks, who will be responsible for the unit’s work? Moreover, Linghai is our headquarters; we can’t have no one in charge. And if flooding occurs, the Port Supervision Office must participate in flood relief under the command of the defense command."

Fearing that his senior wouldn’t believe him, Han Yu thought and added, "Speaking of those who qualify, there are many from the Port Authority Enterprise Fire Brigade and the Linghai Port Enterprise Fire Brigade. But can I draft Fang Guoya and Xie Xingbao?

No, because they are the main force for emergency rescue. If a typhoon and flood like last summer’s occur, superiors will immediately send them for disaster relief. I can’t pull people from the frontlines of disaster relief."