I bought frozen jjampong and dumplings from the PX for lunch and microwaved them.
Taek-gyu said,
“It’s good to have this after a long time. Right?”
I took a bite and nodded.
“Gotta agree with that.”
“Should we buy some to take home?”
“It won’t taste the same outside.”
But eating it in the military, it’s as good as a Michelin three-star meal.
After finishing, I bought ice cream for dessert. I watched the busy assistants running around and said,
“Those guys are going through it too.”
Truthfully, training reservists is no easy task.
Especially when they don’t listen…
“If you feel bad, prepay about 100 million won to the PX and leave.”
Why only feed the guys frozen food instead of proper meals?
“You do it.”
It’s not well known, but he has hundreds of millions in cash and tens of trillions in assets.
Some reservists, acting chummy, started talking to me. It’s a reserve training camp, so there are all sorts of people.
Why are you asking me which stocks are good to invest in and whether you should buy a house now?
***
In the afternoon, there’s squad-level battle training.
As we moved to the training grounds, it started to drizzle.
This kind of weather is the most annoying. I’d rather it just pour so outdoor training gets canceled and we move indoors. But when it’s like this, there’s a chance we have to train in the rain.
While sitting at the training grounds listening to the instructor’s explanation, the raindrops started to get bigger.
The reservists cheered.
“It’s raining!”
“Shouldn’t we go inside now?”
“The ground is muddy, it’s hard to sit here.”
“Let’s go inside!”
At this point, we should definitely go inside.
The instructors also seemed to think it would be difficult to proceed with the training and reported the situation via radio. But suddenly, like an emergency had been declared, the officers started running around.
Taek-gyu muttered, watching them.
“What? Did the North Koreans invade or something?”
At that moment, an instructor who had received a radio message shouted,
“Something big happened!”
“What is it?”
“The Chief of Staff of the Army is coming!”
The reservists reacted in disbelief.
“What? The Chief of Staff of the Army?”
“Does it even make sense for the Chief of Staff of the Army to come to a reserve training camp?”
“Even when I was active duty, I never saw anyone higher than a division commander.”
“What’s the rank of the Chief of Staff of the Army?”
“A four-star general. A full general.”
“Why would a four-star general come here?”
Everyone’s gaze turned to me.
Could it be because of me?
If that’s the case, it’s likely due to my relationship with the US rather than my wealth. The South Korean military has close ties with the US military. And as everyone knows, I’m very close with US President Ronald Stamper, the Commander-in-Chief of the US Armed Forces.
Still, is there a need to come all the way to the training grounds?
Of course, the Chief of Staff of the Army wouldn’t be moving alone. He’d have a whole entourage following him. Probably a brigadier general playing the role of the youngest.
Anyone who’s been in the military knows that nothing is more tiring than a high-ranking officer visiting. Even when a one-star general comes, the unit is turned upside down a week in advance.
The entire barracks gets buffed with toothpaste, and the firearms and equipment are polished until they shine. Every fallen leaf and speck of dust is eradicated from the roads, making the entire unit resemble a sterile room. (The soldiers suffer and die for days doing this. But once it’s all done, the schedule might change, and they don’t even come.)
Ideally, a reservist should maintain an unwavering composure even if North Korean soldiers appear before their eyes. Therefore, even hearing that the Chief of Staff of the Army was coming, there wasn’t much reaction.
We’re civilians anyway, what does it matter how many stars someone has?
As I was thinking that, the platoon leader standing in front of the reservists said,
“From now on, we will train by the book! All trainees, lie down on the ground and move through the obstacles by crawling!”
Everyone was taken aback by those words.
“Hey, Platoon Leader. What are you talking about?”
“You’re telling us to crawl?”
“It’s raining!”
“Mister! Can’t you see the ground is wet?”
Usually, if reservists protest, they compromise to some extent.
But the platoon leader didn’t even blink.
“Reservists who don’t follow orders will be forcibly dismissed! Execute forward crawling!”
“……”
There’s a strong smell of a problem soldier coming from this unfamiliar platoon leader. He doesn’t seem to know yet, but provoking reservists isn’t good for anyone.
One reservist threw his rifle on the ground and shouted,
“I’m not doing it! What does it matter to me whether the Chief of Staff of the Army comes or not?”
Then the platoon leader glared at him and said,
“If you don’t pick up your rifle and participate in the training immediately, you will be forcibly dismissed!”
What do soldiers fear the most? Extra military training? CBR training? Obstacle course? Winter training?
No matter how difficult the training is, they can endure it. However, they can’t endure their military service getting extended. That’s why being confined to the guardhouse is the worst punishment in the military. The days spent there get added to their service time.
So, what do reservists fear the most? It’s being forcibly dismissed. Because for every hour missed, they have to come back and train again. No one wants to do this for another day, right?
After a moment of hesitation, he eventually picked up his rifle.
“Ugh! Seriously!”
Under the platoon leader’s orders, we crawled through the muddy ground, getting soaked in the cold rain.
The reservists were grinding their teeth.
“Damn it!”
“I’m going crazy!”
“Is this reserve training or obstacle course training?”
“I didn’t even do this when I was active duty!”
Taek-gyu, crawling next to me, said,
“This is all because of you!”
I meekly protested,
“Why is this because of me?”
“Then who else would he be here to see, these reservist old guys?”
“……”
Is it because of me after all?
Due to the collective living nature of the military, if one person messes up, everyone suffers. That’s why having a problem soldier in the unit is a headache.
According to the Law of Conservation of Problem Soldiers, every unit has at least one. (If you went through your military service without one, there’s a high chance you were the problem soldier.)
When I was a private first class, a junior soldier on weekend guard duty support lost a blank round.
You might think losing one blank round isn’t a big deal, but in the military, if even one empty cartridge case goes missing, all hell breaks loose.
Our break was immediately canceled, and the entire unit was mobilized to find the blank round.
Up to this point, it was still a mistake anyone could make.
What was absurd was that the blank round was found in the junior soldier’s pocket. Only then did he confess that he had dropped his magazine, the blank round had fallen out, and he had put it in his pocket but forgot. He also admitted that he realized it right away but was too scared to say anything.
The way they looked at that junior soldier back then is the same way they’re looking at me now… or is it just my imagination?
I feel sorry that I’ve become the problem soldier without even realizing it.
As we were diligently crawling on the ground in the rain, the Chief of Staff of the Army and his generals appeared in a line, guided by the battalion commander.
Everyone else had umbrellas while we were getting rained on. There was also an officer with a camera behind them. Did the Defense Daily come?
The platoon leader snapped a sharp salute.
“Sir!”
Chief of Staff of the Army, General Choi Hyung-woon, looked around the training grounds and asked,
“What kind of training is going on right now?”
“Squad-level battle training, sir!”
“Do you always train like this?”
The platoon leader’s face showed pride.
“Yes, sir!”
At that moment, Taek-gyu suddenly coughed and shouted,
“Cough, cough! I’m too cold and sick to do this!”
Then the other reservists, as if they had been waiting for this, lay down and started groaning.
“Ugh! My elbow!”
“My shoulder popped out again!”
“I think my leg is broken!”
“Cough! My cancer relapsed.”
“Help me!”
As the reservists staged a simultaneous sabotage, the battalion commander and platoon leader’s expressions hardened.
General Choi Hyung-woon said to the platoon leader,
“The weather is bad today, why are you putting the reservists through such difficult training? If they catch a cold and their combat readiness deteriorates, that’s a huge national loss.”
“I-I’m sorry, sir!”
The battalion commander immediately shouted,
“What are you doing? Stop the training immediately.”
“Y-yes, sir! Cease training!”
The reservists who had been crying out in pain immediately jumped up and brushed the mud off their clothes.
The lieutenant general and major general behind him clicked their tongues and said,
“You have to consider the situation when training.”
“Those young officers nowadays don’t know moderation, moderation.”
The battalion commander was pale, but the platoon leader still looked like he didn’t know what he had done wrong.
He’s definitely a problem soldier. The battalion commander and the soldiers are going to have a hard time with him.
General Choi Hyung-woon approached me.
“Oh! Representative Kang Jin-hoo is here for training too.”
Then Taek-gyu muttered loud enough for him to hear,
“He’s talking like he didn’t know he was coming? It’s obvious he’s here because of Kang Jin-hoo.”
General Choi Hyung-woon seemed embarrassed by those words and cleared his throat.
“Ahem.”
The battalion commander behind him was at a loss for what to do. If he were active duty, he’d send him to the guardhouse immediately, but he’s a civilian, so there’s nothing he can do.
General Choi Hyung-woon asked me,
“Are there any difficulties with the reserve training?”
“……”
When did this guy start talking to me so casually?
When I didn’t say anything, he smiled and said,
“Haha, don’t feel pressured, just tell me comfortably what’s difficult.”
“……”
It’s obviously difficult because of you! How can you not know that? Are you a problem soldier too?
I glanced at the reservists looking like drenched rats and then said,
“As you saw, everyone was doing their best in the training. It’s cold and it’s still raining, so it would be great if we could finish early.”
“I see.”
General Choi Hyung-woon nodded and asked the battalion commander,
“The reservists seem to have trained very hard today. Is early dismissal possible?”
Then the battalion commander answered in a booming voice, like a fully disciplined private first class,
“Yes, sir! We will dismiss all reservists immediately!”
At those words, the resentment that had been directed at me just moments ago melted away like snow.
The reservists all raised their hands and let out cheers of joy.
“Woooooo!”
***
[Chief of Staff of the Army Choi Hyung-woon Makes Surprise Visit to Reserve Training Camp]
(Omitted) General Choi Hyung-woon visited the reserve training camp to inspect the unit facilities and training status, encouraging the instructors and reservists.
General Choi Hyung-woon emphasized the importance of reserve training, stating, “Reservists are a core force in defending the Republic of Korea from enemy invasion in times of emergency.” He also expressed pride in the reservists who diligently participate in training despite their civilian occupations.
Comments were pouring in below the article.
– I’m a rubber shoe who sent her boyfriend to the military three months ago. I’m not sure, but is the Chief of Staff of the Army a very high rank?
– I heard the Chief of Staff of the Army is a four-star general, so he’s probably the same rank as a platoon leader or company commander. I’m also a rubber shoe, and my boyfriend is an officer, currently a platoon leader^^
– Wait, what are you talking about? A platoon leader is the same rank as the Chief of Staff of the Army?
– That’s like saying a new employee at Seo Sung Electronics is the same as Im Jin-yong.
– Exactly. A platoon leader would be a Second Lieutenant lol
– Those Second Lieutenants these days have no respect. Full of problem soldiers. Glad I got discharged last month.
– More importantly, why did the Chief of Staff of the Army go to a reserve training camp?
– Lol, he went to see Kang Jin-hoo.
– What a bolt from the blue for the instructors because of Kang Jin-hoo?
– I wonder what that private in the picture was thinking while shaking his hand?
– Look at the battalion commander’s face in the back lol. Promotion denial confirmed?
– The reservists are all grinning hehe.
– Whether it’s the Chief of Staff or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for reservists, they’re just some random old guy.
– Chief of Staff Choi Hyung-woon’s inner thoughts = Hehehe, if these guys were active duty, I’d send them all to the guardhouse for 14 nights and 15 days. Can’t do anything since they’re civilians.
– Reservists’ inner thoughts = Hehehe, we don’t care if you’re a four-star general or whatever, just send us home early.
– I wonder who will visit on the last day?
– Isn’t President Heo Chang-min going to come see the closing ceremony?
– The president is on a European tour right now.
– I have a feeling the commander of the United States Forces Korea will go.
Taek-gyu said,
“Someone is saying the commander of the United States Forces Korea might come too.”
I chuckled in disbelief.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Why would the commander of the United States Forces Korea come to a reserve training camp?
***
“Commander of the United States Forces Korea, General Charlie Schuetz, has arrived at the gate!”
…And then it actually happened.
This time, even the reservists were murmuring.
“Yesterday it was the Chief of Staff of the Army, today it’s the commander of the United States Forces Korea?”
“Since he’s a US Army general, isn’t his rank the same as the Chief of Staff of the Army?”
“Hey, don’t compare him to a Korean military big shot.”
“His authority is incomparable.”
A military enthusiast explained to the other reservists.
“The commander of the United States Forces Korea is also the commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command and, in wartime, also serves as the commander of the United Nations Command.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“The commander of the UN Command has wartime operational control. If war breaks out, the commander of the United States Forces Korea commands all the forces within the Korean Peninsula.”
The reservists were shocked.
“What? Then he’s the ultimate authority in the military.”
“He’d be in the top ten even within the US military.”
“Why would someone like that come to a reserve training camp…?”
Everyone’s gaze turned to me.
A little while later, Commander Schuetz actually appeared. Behind him were rows of US generals, as well as Korean generals.
How many stars are there?
And the battalion commander looked like he was about to lose his mind.
Is this all because of me too?
