Chapter 8, Operations Staff Department (Part 1)
Ji Xiaobin spoke while leading Tan Renhao out of the room
Du Xing hesitated for a moment, then took the banknotes.
Tan Renhao wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Officer, let's go eat. I will treat you."
The initial staff headquarters was merely a group of advisors providing recommendations to the commander (primarily the fleet commander), composed of junior officers who held no actual command authority
You must be Tan Renhao? The general just called me, and we will be collaborating together from now on. It is a pleasure to meet you
Tan Renhao was taken aback; it seemed that the Fifth Fleet was indeed short-staffed, as the latter position was one of the most sought-after roles available for junior officers within the fleet's staff.
The Imperial Navy Fleet Staff does not have a Deputy Chief of Staff; the Operations Officer effectively serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff
The restaurant is now closed. However, I will go to the convenience store to buy some food and come back
It took an entire morning, and only then did Tan Renhao find a desk in the warehouse of the base command, which had lost quite a bit of paint and had several holes, along with a wooden chair that was missing a leg
Finally, Tan Renhao borrowed a set of carpentry tools and then asked Du Xing to help him find half a bottle of paint to bring back
Am I alone
Your specialty is aerial combat, isn't it
Commander
Tan Renhao looked at Ji Xiaobin in surprise once again
Tan Renhao nodded. The room was not small; it could accommodate at least four people working simultaneously. For him alone, it was indeed a bit large
It seems that we really have to start from scratch
Since the establishment of the "General Staff" by the Imperial Navy, it has undergone more than two hundred years of changes
The rank of the operations staff officer is also the highest among the five main staff officer ranks, aside from the chief of staff
Ji Xiaobin awkwardly shrugged his shoulders and said, "In the afternoon, around 3 o'clock, come to my office again, and I will assign you other tasks."
Ji Xiaobin appeared to be very busy, "If there is anything, you can come to my office to find me"
Tan Renhao is very honest and has not lied at all
Ji Xiaobin is a middle-aged man around 40 years old, not very tall in stature, but he possesses a handsome appearance, characterized by a standard imperial military physique
The operations staff room of the Fifth Fleet is located on the first floor of the building, occupying six rooms on the eastern side, three of which are interconnected, serving as the operational simulation training area
Tan Renhao glanced at the military uniform covered in dust and smiled awkwardly
Sir, I am studying navigation, and aerial combat is my passion
At that moment, the door that was open was knocked a few times, and Tan Renhao immediately turned around.
Du Xing smiled awkwardly
The structure of the General Staff has undergone multiple changes, evolving from the initial linear single structure to the current flat multi-line structure. It can be said that over the course of more than 200 years, the transformation of the Imperial Navy's General Staff reflects the evolution of the tactical command philosophy of the Imperial Navy
When Tan Renhao had tidied the room to perfection, he finally revealed a satisfied smile. At least the busyness of the past half day, coupled with missing lunch, did not leave him feeling devoid of value. A good environment can foster a good mood
Tan Renhao did not delay the busy Colonel Ji Xiaobin any longer, however, he indeed needed time to familiarize himself with this "building" and to organize his office. At the very least, he needed to find a desk and a chair for this empty room
Colonel Ji Xiaobin's office is located at the innermost part, and it is much smaller than General Liao Hanxiang's office. Additionally, it is separated by wooden boards, with the other side being the office area for several staff officers.
Hobbies
Commander, I am also very pleased to meet you
He does not want others to know that he has a preference for cleanliness. At least in the Imperial Navy, those with obsessive cleanliness are viewed as eccentric, especially on warships where one may go two to three months without a shower. It is likely that even the most cleanliness-oriented individuals would become "easy-going" after living in such an environment for a few years
Wait a moment
Ji Xiaobin led Ren Hao into the third room on the left side of the corridor, "This is your office area, for the time being, you are the only one here!"
With the expansion of the fleet size, the evolution of naval combat tactics, and the inability of fleet commanders to fully direct fleet operations during battles, it became necessary to rely on other personnel to assist in commanding combat actions. Only then did the "staff" truly acquire the most fundamental authority, which is to command fleet operations
Now? You should familiarize yourself with the environment first, and also, you should organize your workspace.
The sergeant nodded slightly, clearly not believing that Tan Renhao needed to change into a clean set of clothes
The colonel smiled awkwardly
Then, you should be in charge of air operations, as this is the area where we currently need personnel the most
Tan Renhao's remarks were very appropriate; he knew that Ji Xiaobin was one of the few officers from the cavalry unit, specifically one of the subordinates of Liao Hanxiang in the Fifth Fleet
Among these, the Operations Staff is the most important, with its fundamental responsibility being to directly assist the fleet commander in commanding fleet operations during combat actions
Ji Xiaobin turned to look at Tan Renhao and said, "Well, we happen to have a position for an air operations staff officer here, and additionally, there is a position for a staff officer responsible for fleet formation navigation. Which one do you choose?"
Tan Renhao called out to Du Xing and handed over a banknote, saying, "You have worked hard today, let me treat you, buy a little more!"
After Du Xing left, Tan Renhao cleaned up the corners of the room that had not been tidied up before.
Tan Renhao quickly called out to Ji Xiaobin, "What should I do now?"
By 2:00 PM, he finally managed to get these two essential office "devices" sorted out. After spending half an hour, with the assistance of Sergeant Du Xing, he cleaned up the room that belonged solely to him.
I was previously responsible for air operations, but now it is your responsibility
Second Lieutenant, the Colonel wants you to come over immediately
Standing by the door is a sergeant, who is the aide-de-camp of Ji Xiaobin
As of now, the staff of each fleet in the Imperial Navy consists of five main departments, namely Operations, Intelligence, Communications, Logistics, and Personnel
A sergeant in the imperial navy receives significantly less in allowances than a second lieutenant, although the allowances for the second lieutenant are not substantial either
However, all essential expenses for their life in the military do not require any expenditure
Now
Alright, if you have other matters to attend to, then I will take my leave for now