The Mechanical Era - 180 Interviewing Richard Armstrong (2)
Kant writes down something on the file again. Richard becomes a little anxious about what he is writing about. Kant, after he is done, locks eye contact with Armstrong’s deep brown eyes once again.
“This interview is going well so far. Now, the next question. Can you describe a situation where you had to make a difficult strategic decision under pressure?” Kant asked next. Armstrong takes a deep breath.
“There was one battle. The leading commander was killed, and I was put in charge. Our initial plan had backfired, and we were outnumbered in terms of numbers.”
“So what did you do?”
“I had to quickly reassess the situation and come up with a new plan. I committed to a strategic retreat but committed a few forces to bully the enemy army into tiring out their forces. I kept it up throughout the entire day, forcing them to be awake.
Meanwhile, I had my forces healed up, and given a well rest, before I launch a counterattack a day later.”
“How did it go?”
“It went rather well. We were able to execute the counterattack quite effectively. We suffered some casualties, but they were significantly lower than they would have been if we had continued with our original plan,” Armstrong replied.
Kant started to write down the files again.
“Hm… Alright. Now, can you describe your approach to building and maintaining alliances with other kingdoms?”
“I take a strategic approach to it. In the 90s, I learned that it’s important to carefully evaluate the potential risks and benefits of an alliance, as a bad ally could hinder one.
I consider factors such as the history of past interactions with the potential ally, their reputation for honesty and reliability, and their overall strategic alignment with our kingdom’s goals and interests.
It was how the northern kingdoms can form a coalition in the 90s to help each other out to ascend to power, and it was how they managed to get everyone to declare war on the south,” Armstrong replied. Kant nods his head and writes down the file.
“Alright. Now here is a good one. Can you explain your philosophy on the use of military force and when it is appropriate to take land from other kingdoms?”
“I view it as a political tool and an act a kingdom participates in, either willingly or unwillingly. We invade land to secure something politically essential to us, whether it be resources or security in some matter.
However, I also consider military force to be an expensive act a state can enact. It costs manpower, which is a vital resource that a kingdom could have, especially in your regard, as the introduction of machinery appears to have increased the value of each individual.
Regardless, in the case of diplomatic breakdowns, or a complete clash in the interest of the state to another state, an evaluation of the short-term, and long-term risks and rewards would be taken into consideration.
Only when I deem the rewards to outweigh the risks presented, it is only then that I would deem it beneficial to use military force, and advise you accordingly.” Kant smiled at his response and wrote something down on the file.
“Very good. Yes. Now, can you describe your experience working with intelligence gatherers?”
“I have worked closely with the spymasters of my previous employers very carefully, to evaluate information and identify potential risks to my former kingdom and troops. We have used numerous methods in gathering intel.”
“Could you describe these methods for me?”
“We mainly use official spies to get information. They use a variety of techniques to hide and listen in on anything. We also pay normal people a rather large sum of money to spill anything valuable if necessary. Although, the latter option is much more risky and costly.”
“How do you evaluate the credibility and reliability of information obtained?” Kant asked next.
“Back in my original kingdom, they had a strict vetting process for all information obtained. We used a variety of methods to evaluate the credibility and reliability of the information, such as cross-checking information against other sources, verifying the accuracy of the information, and assessing the motivations of the source providing the information.”
“Can you give an example of a situation where you successfully gathered and analyzed intelligence to prevent a potential threat?”
“Yes, there was a situation in the 90s where we received information from a ‘civilian’ that they were going to do a pincer move on our army. We were able to corroborate this information thanks to our spies and managed to put up measures to foil their attack.” Armstong replied.
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“How do you evaluate the performance of your troops and ensure that they are well-trained and well-equipped?”
“One of my top priorities as a defense minister would be to ensure that our troops are highly capable and ready to carry out their duties.
To evaluate their performance, I can use a combination of regular training exercises, performance reviews, and feedback mechanisms.
I can also closely monitor our soldiers’ performance during military operations to identify any weaknesses or shortcomings that need to be addressed.”
“And how do you address any weaknesses or shortcomings in troop performance?”
“In that case, I like to take a targeted approach to train and support. Back in my old kingdom, if we identify that a certain unit is struggling with a particular type of operation, we’ll provide additional training and resources to help them improve.
“That sounds like a thorough approach. How do you foster a culture of excellence and continuous improvement within the military?”
“I can encourage the practice of ‘learning from their mistakes and striving to do better’ for their duties. I can also recognize and reward exceptional performance, mainly through monetary rewards. Although, I do have some other ways to incentivize them.”
“Hm… I see.” Kant writes down in the file. Kant asks a few more questions before he stops asking any more questions. He then takes a look at the file, and skims it a bit, before turning back to Armstrong.
“I thank you for coming here today. I will inform you of the results in a few days. I have already granted you a free place of stay in the meantime.”
“When can I get to hear back?” Armstrong asks. Kant thinks for a minute.
“How about… the 21st?” he replies to Armstrong’s question. Armstrong thinks about it for a minute before replying.
“Fine by me, your majesty.” With that, the interview ended, and Armstrong was allowed to leave.
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