Modernization Personnel

Breaking with Previous Pre-Assignment Training Models to Accelerate the Development of Directionally Recruited Sergeants

打破以往岗前培训模式，助力定向培养军士加速成长

PLA Daily (解放军报) 23 June 2026

Summary

A brigade under the 76th Group Army extended pre-assignment training for directionally recruited sergeants from one month to three months, adding troop-leading and training-organization coursework and integrating them into joint sessions with pre-promotion command sergeants to address a documented gap between technical proficiency and small-unit leadership. The article names a concrete institutional problem—directionally recruited sergeants arriving at units technically competent but unable to organize training or manage squads—and documents one brigade-level fix rather than a system-wide policy change. This fits a recurring pattern in PLA NCO development reporting where the directional recruitment pipeline produces specialists who underperform in the generalist leadership demands of grassroots units, raising the question of whether the pre-assignment training extension will be standardized across the force or remain a brigade-level adaptation.

Translation

In the scorching summer heat, a squad tactical exercise is in full swing on the training ground of a brigade under the 76th Group Army. Facing a sudden "enemy situation," squad leader Yu Yang of one company simultaneously directs fire suppression and leads a combat team in a flanking maneuver, responding with decisive, seasoned judgment. Notably, he is a directionally recruited sergeant (定向培养军士) who only enlisted last September. "In the past, it took directionally recruited sergeants a considerable amount of time to get up to speed; now they can shoulder major responsibilities shortly after joining their units!" Company Commander Hu told reporters at the exercise site. Previously, pre-assignment training for directionally recruited sergeants was short in duration and limited in course offerings, with the goal of enabling them to quickly fill slots in squads and platoons after a brief period of adaptive training. However, in the course of its research, the brigade found that many directionally recruited sergeants, after joining their units, easily fell into the predicament of being "masters of their specialty but novices at leading troops" (专业是师傅、带兵是小白): they were proficient in professional theory but poor at organizing training and instructing; they could solve difficult equipment problems but lacked experience in squad and platoon management, had limited adaptability, and developed slowly.

"Specialized talent must not only be recruited—it must be put to good use before it can truly generate combat effectiveness." The brigade resolved to break with the previous pre-assignment training model, relying on the training regiment (教导队) to extend the training period from one month to three months, and adding courses centered on "troop-leading capability" (带兵能力)—including introductory management, organizing and instructing training, and methods of leading troops—so as to reinforce military and political foundations while strengthening the ability to organize training and manage personnel.

Training Regiment Commander Ren Jinmin introduced that they also broke with convention by, in certain specialty courses, conducting joint training sessions that combined the pre-promotion command sergeant (预提指挥军士) intensive training cohort with the directionally recruited sergeant pre-assignment training class. This leveraged the advantage of pre-promotion command sergeants' familiarity with the grassroots level and their rich experience in leading troops, allowing directionally recruited sergeants to learn troop-leading and training-organization methods in a more direct and hands-on manner.

Directionally recruited sergeant Li Xinle excels at equipment maintenance, and before participating in the training, he believed that his specialized skills alone would be enough to "get by anywhere" (一招鲜，吃遍天). During one basic tactical movement training session, he served as a simulated instructor, but both his commands and his movement demonstrations fell short of standard, resulting in chaos on the training ground. By contrast, when pre-promotion command sergeant Wang Yikai served as simulated instructor, his movement demonstrations were up to standard and his training organization was orderly and disciplined.

After the session, Li Xinle proactively sought out Wang Yikai to ask about training-organization experience. Wang Yikai patiently walked Li Xinle through everything in detail—from the key points of each movement to methods for correcting errors—gradually helping him understand: "Organizing and instructing training isn't just about being able to do it yourself; it's about being able to explain clearly and teach effectively what you know."

At the beginning of this year, a cohort of directionally recruited sergeants completed training and joined their units. "Three months of pre-assignment tempering has dramatically shortened the time it takes them to become competent in their positions," remarked Political Instructor Li of one battalion. Shortly after joining their units, this cohort of directionally recruited sergeants was able to independently carry out specialized training organization tasks and competently handle squad and platoon management work, and they have now grown into backbone forces (骨干力量) in grassroots-level unit building.

Original Chinese

夏日炎炎，第76集团军某旅训练场上，一场班组战术演训激战正酣。面对突发“敌情”，某连班长余洋一边部署火力压制，一边带领战斗小组迂回包抄，处置果断老练。令人欣喜的是，他是一名去年9月才入伍的定向培养军士。 “过去，定向培养军士需要较长时间才能进入状态，如今下连不久便能挑起大梁！”演训现场，该连胡连长告诉记者，以往，针对定向培养军士进行的岗前培训，训练时间短、课目设置少，目的是在短期适应性训练后，能够让其很快补入班排开展工作。然而，该旅在调研中发现，不少定向培养军士下连后容易陷入“专业是师傅、带兵是小白”的困境：精通专业理论，却不善组训任教；能够破解装备疑难问题，但缺乏班排管理经验，适应能力不强，成长速度较慢。 “专业人才招得进，更要用得好，才能真正形成战斗力。”该旅研究决定，打破以往岗前培训模式，依托教导队将培训时间从1个月延长至3个月，增设管理入门、组训任教、带兵方法等以“带兵能力”为核心的课程，在夯实军政基础的同时，强化其组训和管理能力。教导队队长任进敏介绍，他们还打破常规，在一些专业课程上，将预提指挥军士集训队与定向培养军士岗前培训班一同组训，发挥预提指挥军士熟悉基层、带兵经验丰富的优势，让定向培养军士更直观地学习带兵组训经验方法。定向培养军士李心乐擅长装备维修，参加培训前，他认为凭借专长可以“一招鲜，吃遍天”。一次战术基础动作训练，他担任模拟教员，但无论是口令下达还是动作示范，都不够标准，导致训练现场一片混乱。而预提指挥军士王绎凯担任模拟教员时，则动作示范标准、组训规范有序。课后，李心乐主动找到王绎凯请教组训经验。王绎凯从课目动作要领到错误动作纠正方法，详细耐心为李心乐讲解示范，让他逐渐明白：“组训任教不是自己会做就行，而是要把自己知道的东西说清楚、教明白。” 今年初，一批定向培养军士结束培训下连。“3个月的岗前淬火，让他们的岗位胜任周期大幅缩短。”某营李教导员感慨道，这批定向培养军士下连不久，就能独立承担专业组训任务、胜任班排管理工作，如今已成长为基层建设的骨干力量。