Level 4 Professional Sergeant

Winters in the southeastern coastal areas are colder than in Li Lu's hometown.

Especially in the mountains, the chill that comes with the cold wind is bone-chilling, a cold that seeps into your very being.

What's even more annoying is that it often drizzles here, creating a misty atmosphere that affects the takeoff and landing of airplanes.

The mission Li Lu was assigned to test tactics against stealth aircraft was a key project of the Air Force Command. In addition, he had to ensure that his daily duty and training would not be affected.

Donghai Airport is a frontline airport. After takeoff, you can see the coastline with just a tap of the accelerator, and you can touch the center line with a deeper press of the accelerator. Its tactical position is extremely important.

In other words, the 7th Air Regiment stationed here has a very heavy daily workload.

According to statistics compiled by the regiment, in the first ten months of 1995, the 7th Air Regiment took off an average of 0.3 sorties per day to handle air situations.

There was an air raid roughly every three days.

This frequency is quite alarming.

In the late 1990s, the average annual flight hours of the People's Liberation Army Air Force pilots were significantly lower than those of military powers, and the prevailing concept at the time was still focused on "safe flight".

However, the 7th Air Regiment was less affected by this concept due to its special geographical location.

As Xu Hailiang said, "When enemy planes come, we'll go up even if it's windy and rainy, or if the Thunder God and Lightning Goddess are having a divorce."

Li Lu was forming his test team, and the first person he chose was unexpected—not a pilot, but an aircraft maintenance worker.

Peng Fei was helping out in the kitchen. He was sitting on a small stool cutting dried chili peppers when he looked up and saw Li Lu standing in front of him. He was surprised.

"Sixth brother?"

Li Lu squatted down and said with a smile, "Old squad leader, I have something to tell you."

"Wait a minute, Xiao Zhao, come and help." Peng Fei shouted into the kitchen, and a private first class ran out to take over the work.

Peng Fei clapped his hands, walked to the back of the cooking squad, and habitually put his hands behind his back.

His back was slightly hunched, a result of long-term bending over to inspect aircraft, but his chin was slightly raised, also a result of his professional habits.

A fourth-level professional sergeant, a genuine veteran squad leader.

The current military service system combines conscripts and volunteers. Sergeants or professional sergeants are selected from qualified conscripts and are ranked from lowest to highest as first-class sergeant major, second-class sergeant major, third-class sergeant major, and fourth-class sergeant major.

Sergeant Major is a management and command officer, while professional sergeant is a technical officer. From lowest to highest, they are: Level 1 Professional Sergeant, Level 2 Professional Sergeant, Level 3 Professional Sergeant, and Level 4 Professional Sergeant.

There is currently no term "non-commissioned officer" and the term is "volunteer soldier," which is different from the later sergeant major system (in the sergeant system after 2020, the first-class sergeant major is the highest-ranking sergeant).

In other words, the fourth-level professional sergeant is the ceiling for technical positions.

Under current regulations, the maximum service period for volunteer soldiers is seventeen years, and the maximum age for service is thirty-five years old.

The ranks of conscripts, from lowest to highest, are Private, Private First Class, Corporal, Sergeant, and Staff Sergeant. Generally, they serve for three years before being discharged, with a maximum of two more years of service beyond that, which is the rank of Staff Sergeant.

If you want to stay in the military and continue serving at this stage, you'll have to become a volunteer soldier...

Peng Fei is special. He is already 44 years old this year, just one year shy of his 45th birthday. He was enlisted in the same year as many leaders of the 3rd Air Division.

In other words, he needs to serve an additional ten years!

This indirectly proves his ability; the military needs people like him, and they are indispensable.

The 1990s were one of the most difficult periods for the military, with more volunteer soldiers meaning greater defense spending. Against this backdrop, the 3rd Air Division required Peng Fei to serve beyond his term of 45 before releasing him, which highlights his exceptional abilities.

During Li Lu's short two years of service in the combat unit, his deepest impression was that whenever there was a problem with the aircraft, as long as Sergeant Peng Fei took action, it would definitely be fixed!

It's no exaggeration to describe it as miraculous!

During Li Lu's first year in the army, he often heard the regimental leaders mention during shift handover meetings that Peng Fei had been selected by the military region or the air force command to tackle difficult and complicated cases again.

Peng Fei is a veteran military doctor in the field of aircraft maintenance and support!

Approaching his maximum service age, Peng Fei now mainly mentors apprentices; unless encountering complex or difficult cases, he doesn't need to take action.

By the end of next year, the military will arrange his retirement or place him in a local government agency or enterprise to continue contributing his remaining energy.

Generally speaking, the military will not make rigid assignments to a super veteran like Peng Fei, a king among soldiers, during his last year of service.

Peng Fei wanted to continue leading shifts on the front lines; he was reluctant to give up the job he had worked in for half his life. However, considering his poor health, the regiment firmly disagreed and instead gave him the title of technical advisor.

Wang Bicheng was quite impressive, wasn't he? Just over thirty years old, he was a major and battalion-level technical officer, which was quite remarkable in the 1990s.

Peng Fei was his squad leader. Peng Fei had trained Wang Bicheng when he was still a raw recruit. After Wang Bicheng became a non-commissioned officer, Peng Fei continued to train him. Later, when Wang Bicheng was promoted to officer, Peng Fei still trained him after he returned from military academy.

In short, Peng Fei is the pillar of the 7th Air Regiment's maintenance team.

When Chen Hai got into trouble, Peng Fei immediately approached Xu Hailiang to ask to join the technical investigation team, but due to the principle of avoiding conflicts of interest among technical personnel in the same unit, the superiors did not approve it.

"What is it? Speak." Peng Fei reached into his pocket.

Li Lu quickly took out a whole pack of Zhonghua cigarettes and handed it over, "Old squad leader, please smoke this."

Peng Fei unceremoniously tore open a cigarette, lit it, and started smoking. He squinted and said, "You're being so helpful for no reason. You're definitely up to no good."

"Hehe..." Li Lu carefully considered his words.

Just then, Fang Zhenwei walked over from the corner of the canteen along the road, and it was clear at a glance that he was patrolling the camp area.

Being a political commissar in a flight unit is a difficult job. You can't manage things in the air, and you can't even manage the ground maintenance personnel because you can't fly planes. And most of the maintenance personnel are technical officers or technical sergeants.

Fang Zhenwei could only focus on daily life and logistical support, and patrolling around the camp area became his work habit.

It's a little past four in the afternoon, and the light is getting dim.

Fang Zhenwei saw a faint light in the distance, flashing brightly and dimly in a regular pattern, and immediately quickened his pace to walk towards it.

Who is so bold as to smoke behind the mess hall?

Li Lu also lit one up and said, "Old squad leader, here's the situation. The regiment has assigned me a tactical test mission: to study how to shoot down stealth aircraft."

"I need to form a team, and the first person I think of is you. With you here, I don't have to worry about damaging the plane no matter what I do."

Peng Fei was taken aback and was about to speak when he heard a shout coming from afar.

"Those two soldiers! Stand there!"

Peng Fei turned his head, squinted, and after recognizing the person, waved, "It's Xiao Fang. Come on, get me one."

Upon hearing the voice, Fang Zhenwei instinctively paused, then raised his fists and ran to Peng Fei.

"Squad leader, it's me." Fang Zhenwei stood at attention in front of Peng Fei.

Peng Fei raised his hand in a Li Yunlong-style military salute and said with a smile, "Good morning, Political Commissar."

Fang Zhenwei felt embarrassed. "Squad leader, even if I become a division commander, I'll still be the soldier you're leading."

Peng Fei offered Fang Zhenwei a cigarette, which he could only accept, saying, "Squad leader, are you guys having a heart-to-heart talk?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Li Lu.

Li Lu raised his hand in salute, "Good morning, Political Commissar."

Fang Zhenwei returned the greeting.

Peng Fei said, "Old Liu wants to talk to me about something. You go ahead and do your thing."

"Yes." Fang Zhenwei quickly agreed and left without saying anything else.

Li Lu watched Fang Zhenwei disappear around the corner and chuckled, "That's a really good name. Fang Zhenwei, Fang Zhenwei, even if he's not a political commissar, he's still a political commissar."

"Alright, kid, tone it down." Peng Fei said, his expression turning serious. "Shooting down stealth aircraft... you mean the F-22 that ambushed Chen Hai?"

Li Lu nodded solemnly, "It's pretty much true. Although there's no intelligence indicating that the aircraft has entered service, we can't rule out the possibility that they are conducting combat tests on this fighter jet."

"The only aircraft we have is the J-7. The technological gap is difficult to bridge by the pilots' skills."

"We need to find another way. I don't have a preliminary idea yet. First, we need to get the team up."

Peng Fei nodded slightly and said, "I am duty-bound to do so. However, I will be retiring next winter, which may affect the continuity of the tactical trials."

This is a very practical question.

Only when personnel are in place and stable can the continuity of work be guaranteed.

Li Lu said, "I've considered this issue, but right now I'm completely in the dark and can only take it one step at a time. The chief of staff said that I can choose any personnel in the entire regiment at any time."

Peng Fei replied without hesitation, "If you've thought it through, then I have no problem with it. Wang Bicheng is a good kid; let him join us too."

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

Li Lu asked, "Do you have any other candidates in mind?"

Peng Fei pondered for a moment and said, "Zhao Chaoyang counts as one."

"Zhao Da?" Li Lu was taken aback. "He's the battalion commander. This won't be easy, will it?"

Peng Fei glanced at him sideways and said, "Do you want highly skilled combatants, or combatants with official positions?"

Li Lu felt embarrassed.

Peng Fei thought for a moment and said, "Zhang Fei from the Third Battalion is also an option."

Li Lu was immediately startled. "Zhang Fei? He's forty-two this year!"

The retirement age for fighter pilots is 45 years old. By the time they reach 42, they have very few flight hours left.

The 7th Air Regiment has two legendary figures: Peng Fei and Zhang Fei, who are known as the "Double Fei".

Twenty years ago, Peng Fei was Zhang Fei's first maintenance team leader, and Zhang Fei was the first captain Peng Fei supported after taking over the maintenance team. The two had a very good relationship.

Peng Fei said, "It's precisely because Lao Zhang is about to be grounded that he can offer advice and serve as an advisor from a more objective perspective. Moreover, he is the most experienced pilot in the regiment."

"That makes sense. He's an old comrade after all; his thinking is very meticulous," Li Lu nodded repeatedly.

Peng Fei said, "I have no other recommendations."

"clear."

Li Lu mentally reviewed all the pilots in the regiment and came up with a few candidates...