Chapter 1265 Collective Special Merit

"Following discussions at the Night Market Battle Frontline Command..."

Suddenly, Jia Sanniu's voice became extremely solemn, even trembling slightly, a testament to his awe of the immense sacrifice and reverence for the heroic deeds:

"Given the extreme danger of the mission undertaken by the 1st Special Operations Brigade of Yezhou in this campaign, the crucial nature of the results achieved, and... the extraordinary and tragic sacrifices made!"

"The forward command unanimously agreed that the unit, with its flesh and blood, forged the sharpest blade to tear through the hardest defenses, laying an indelible foundation for the victory of the entire campaign."

He then took a deep breath and voiced the request from the overall commander of the entire campaign:

"Therefore, on behalf of the frontline command, I hereby formally apply to the theater committee and to you personally, the commander, to award the 1st Special Operations Brigade of Yezhou with the 'Collective Special Merit' award!"

"To commend all its officers and soldiers for their fearless courage, iron will, and decisive contributions in this recapture operation!"

After he finished speaking, the office fell into a brief silence.

The only sounds were the flowing sunlight and Xiong Yuting's extremely faint, rhythmic breathing by the window.

Gu Chengyuan remained silent.

His fingers, which were resting on the sofa armrest, tightened slightly.

An 87% casualty rate... almost wiped out an entire brigade...

The impact of this figure was even more direct and heavier on his heart than the consumption of 350,000 tons of ammunition.

Ammunition is a cold, inanimate material, a renewable resource, but these 1,732 living, breathing "special" lives, forged through rigorous selection and brutal training, were left forever in those ruins.

He knew the special nature of this unit, that they were, to some extent, "weapons," but he also knew that they were soldiers with thoughts and feelings.

Such tragic casualties signify the end of countless once vibrant individuals.

"Collective Special Merit"

This is one of the highest honors in the military, usually awarded to units at the regimental level or above that have played a decisive role in a campaign, made significant sacrifices, and achieved outstanding merits.

The achievements of the 1st Special Operations Brigade undoubtedly deserve this honor!

But Gu Chengyuan was considering more than just honor.

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze seemingly piercing through the office walls, seeing the silent bodies lying in body bags or the incomplete black armor.

After a moment, he looked at Jia San Niu again, his eyes filled with complex emotions: regret, resolve, and deeper consideration.

"Nearly 90% casualties..." Gu Chengyuan's voice was not loud, but carried a heavy weight:

"This means that those who survived were mostly seriously wounded, and their full combat strength was probably less than one-tenth. This 'collective' is now more symbolic."

Jia San Niu's throat bobbed, but he didn't refute it. He simply straightened his back and waited for the leader's decision.

"Of course, the merits must be remembered, and they must be remembered very highly!" Gu Chengyuan's tone was resolute:

"At the cost of almost total annihilation, they overcame the toughest challenge and opened the door to victory!"

"The war zone will never forget this achievement; the names of every single person who sacrificed their life should be engraved at the very top of the monument!"

"But what happens after the medals are awarded? Will the unit designation be retained? How will the troops be replenished? Will it be rebuilt, or will it be used as a foundation to absorb the experience of this battle and transform or expand?"

Gu Chengyuan's thinking has moved beyond mere commendation and entered into a more practical level of troop reconstruction and future development.

The value of such a special force lies not only in the glory of a single battle, but also in whether its combat experience and special capabilities can be passed down to form a continuous strategic deterrent and offensive capability.

While the heavy losses are certainly painful, they may also be an opportunity to re-examine, adjust, or even strengthen this force.

"What are the initial suggestions from the forward command? What is Comrade Liu Zhenguo's opinion?" Gu Chengyuan asked.

He knew that Liu Zhenguo's opinion was crucial, as the creator of the Special Operations Force.

Jia Sanniu was clearly prepared and immediately replied, "Reporting to the commander, Commander Wang and General Liu Zhenguo of Chongqing have exchanged views by phone."

Mentioning this, Jia Sanniu's expression became slightly unnatural. He recalled the shocking scene on the big screen in the command center a day earlier, where General Liu Zhenguo was giving his commander-in-chief a good scolding, with spittle spraying all over the screen.

"The consensus is: the unit number must be retained! The flag of the 'Night State Special Operations 1st Brigade,' stained with blood, must not fall. It not only represents the sacrifices of the past, but should also become a spiritual and combat benchmark for similar units in the future."

"Regarding the reconstruction, General Liu Zhenguo proposed a preliminary idea: to take the existing surviving officers and soldiers (including seriously wounded soldiers who are still combat-ready after recovery) as the absolute core backbone and instructor team."

"On the one hand, we immediately selected the most determined, physically fit, and highly evolved special operations soldiers from the entire special operations force and conducted the most rigorous selection process."

"On the other hand, we request the theater biological research center to provide maximum technical support, optimize and strengthen processes, and strive to form new combat capabilities more quickly while ensuring controllability."

"General Liu Zhenguo emphasized that although the casualties in this battle were huge, it also accumulated extremely valuable combat data and tactical experience against ultra-high pressure environments and high-level mutants."

"The rebuilt special operations brigade should not be a simple copy, but a 'rebirth from the ashes,' integrating the lessons learned from bloodshed to become stronger and more efficient."

Gu Chengyuan listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, lost in thought.

Retaining the unit number, using experienced staff to mentor new ones, optimizing processes, and rising from the ashes... this approach aligns with his expectations.

He needed a special elite force that was invincible, unbreakable, and grew stronger with each battle.

"Okay." Gu Chengyuan finally made a decision. "In principle, I agree with the application from the front-line command and also with Comrade Liu Zhenguo's basic ideas on reconstruction."

"I will submit the formal order to the Standing Committee of the Theater Command for review regarding the awarding of the 'Collective Special Merit' to the 1st Special Operations Brigade of Yezhou, and I will personally sign it."

"A grand medal-awarding ceremony should be held, not only to commend the troops, but also to let everyone know what price some people paid for the victory."

"As for the reconstruction work," his gaze sharpened, filled with expectation:

"Start immediately, and provide the necessary resources and authority with special handling and priority."

"Tell Comrade Liu Zhenguo that I don't want him to be impatient for quick results, but I want him to be thorough and steady. The new 'Special Operations 1st Brigade' must live up to the honor and designation that our predecessors earned with their lives!"

"Yes, sir!" Jia Sanniu felt a great weight lifted from his heart and saluted excitedly. He knew that this weighty honor and the permission to rebuild were not only a comfort to the deceased, but also an encouragement to the living and a promise for the future.

The sacrifices were tragic, but the blood of heroes was not shed in vain.

The legend of the 1st Special Operations Brigade will continue to be written in another way in this apocalyptic world.

And all of this began with this solemn decision about merit and reconstruction made right here in the leader's office.