Chapter Seven, Fifth Fleet (Part Two)

Liao Hanxiang immediately burst into laughter

Liao Hanxiang nodded slightly

Young man, your will is very strong, and for the sake of your ideals, you can do anything. I believe that you will not regret this choice

This time, I can no longer concern myself with so much. How should I put it? I have a bit of a relationship with Old Nie, so I forcibly brought you over.

This strict personnel promotion system has been established by the Imperial Navy over the course of several centuries, ensuring that the most outstanding talents within the Imperial Navy can successfully ascend to the rank of general, while those who are mediocre have no chance of reaching the general's throne

Work in this position for three to five years, and then return to the academy for further study for six months to one year

At this time, he had already become a colonel officer, and this was also the necessary path to becoming a leader in the Imperial Navy

Especially among young officers, there are almost no volunteers to be assigned to the Fifth Fleet; those who are sent here are typically from other fleets and are unwanted by their departments

Alright, tomorrow you will go directly to the Operations Department, and Colonel Ji Xiaobin will arrange a suitable position for you

Liao Hanxiang's tone at this moment was almost identical to that of Nie Renfeng when he initially posed this question

Thank you, Commander

Tan Renhao smiled. When he entered this "building," he indeed did not notice many people, not even Liao Hanxiang had a secretary, but only a service personnel assisting him with his work

It is indeed a bit chaotic here, but as you can see, we are severely lacking in manpower

More than 80% of the leaders of the Imperial Navy (with Liao Hanxiang being an exception) rose from the position of battleship captain

However, the final destination of this path is most likely the Chief of Staff of the fleet, or the Operations Officer (equivalent to the Deputy Chief of Staff), with the highest rank being Brigadier General (which is a rare opportunity), and there is almost no chance of becoming the Fleet Commander

There is another relatively special promotion pathway, which is to be assigned to the fleet and directly remain in the fleet staff. Starting as a junior staff officer, one can rotate among several departments such as the Operations Department, Communications Department, and Logistics Department, and within five years become an excellent staff officer. This can even allow one to skip the rank of Second Lieutenant and be promoted directly to Captain.

Tan Renhao did not even know why he had to say this, because this opportunity determined that his chance of becoming a leader in the imperial navy was immediately reduced by a hundredfold, and even if he were very lucky, he would at most only be a brigadier general

Commander, I am willing to remain at the headquarters

Seeing Tan Renhao not speaking, Liao Hanxiang smiled and said: "Originally, I thought it would be better to keep you in the staff department, but I will not joke with someone else's future. If you ... ... "

However, this has also created a serious problem, namely the conservative mindset of the imperial navy and the strict hierarchical concepts within the imperial navy

If this development path is followed, then these second lieutenants will first be assigned to small warships as first officers, or they will be assigned to a destroyer in accordance with their major specialties as navigators, engineers, or gunnery officers. If they perform excellently within two years (there will basically be no issues), they will be promoted to first officer, then return to the officer academy or other advanced training institutions to spend six months mastering other relevant knowledge. Upon being promoted to lieutenant, they will return to the fleet and serve an additional two years, or at most two and a half years as first officers, after which they can be promoted to captain.

Tan Renhao hesitated slightly, "There are quite a few books on this subject in the library. Additionally, I enjoy reading magazines related to aviation, and we can also conveniently access various internal reports and papers at school"

Tan Renhao also immediately picked up the teacup, and a new life has finally begun

Liao Hanxiang patted his thigh and then picked up the teacup, "Additionally, although it may be a bit shabby, we still welcome you to join the Fifth Fleet family"

Is that so? Then I find it even more strange!

I have already thought it over; perhaps I am not very suited to living in confined spaces

If one pursues further studies for half a year, then one can return to the fleet to serve as the first officer on a cruiser, eventually becoming the captain of the cruiser. It is possible to become the first officer on a battleship before the age of forty-five, but this path would essentially reach its limit.

In fact

In fact, it is quite good; at least this is what an army should look like

Have you made your decision

If the further study lasts for one year, then upon returning to the fleet, one will most likely be stationed at the fleet headquarters, undergoing a year of practical training, and then be directly assigned to serve as the first officer on a battleship, thus making it very likely to become the captain of a battleship before the age of forty-five

No, I have only taken a plane twice, and the last time was when I came here today

Tan Renhao smiled a bit awkwardly; he had never regretted any decisions he had made

Tan Renhao nodded firmly

That article "A Brief Discussion on Naval Aviation Operations" was written by you, right

Liao Hanxiang burst into laughter; since he turned thirty, he has been dealing with airplanes.

Tan Renhao did not rush to speak; he was already well acquainted with the promotion pathway for naval officers

This step is crucial; being promoted to the position of captain of a destroyer opens up further opportunities for advancement

More than 60% of naval lieutenants will be assigned to various fleets

Alright, which step are you prepared to start with

Soon, the orderly brought in two cups of freshly brewed tea, but they were very hot. He could only find a stool to place the cups on before leaving.

To be honest, I truly did not expect that the person capable of writing a detailed research paper on aviation tactics, particularly bombing tactics in naval warfare, would be a naval lieutenant officer who cannot even pilot an aircraft. So, how did you come to know so much about aerial combat knowledge

Liao Hanxiang took out a cigarette, gestured to Tan Renhao, and then lit it himself. "I have reviewed it in detail several times. Although there are some technical flaws and inconsistencies, it is an excellent paper. What surprises me is that this paper was not written by a student from the Flight Academy, but by a student from the Imperial Naval Academy. Have you ever piloted an aircraft?"

Tan Renhao appeared somewhat awkward; he did not inform Liao Hanxiang that the last time was ten years ago when he and Lei Shaoqing were on a small cargo plane together, and as a result, they both received a severe beating upon their return

Liao Hanxiang smiled awkwardly and said, "Although the Fifth Fleet has been established for more than a year, over the course of a year, more than 1,500 retired servicemen have left, while the number of servicemen willing to come here is less than 1,000.