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"Michael Murphy, from Team 10, is the commander of this operation."
Just as Long Zhan was deeply immersed in thought, the captain officer who had just stepped down from the vehicle entered the cabin, came up to Long Zhan, and extended his hand proactively to greet him.
Following closely behind were seven team members, who, while settling their backpacks and gear, curiously sized up Long Zhan.
It wasn't just Long Zhan's burly physique that gave them a strong sense of intimidation.
More so, it was the realization that Long Zhan's presence here likely meant he was their external support for this overseas mission — and they questioned whether this big guy could really handle the job.
The external support system is a characteristic feature of the United States military, a rigid and mandatory regulation.
Even as the top-tier force DEVGRU (United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group), this hard rule cannot be bypassed. Every operation always brings along their dedicated external support, Mandy.
The establishment of the external support system serves two primary purposes.
One is supervision.
External support personnel absolutely cannot come from the same unit. If an external support member is from the same unit, an additional member from a different unit must join the operation as well.
The intention behind this is not so noble or idealistic but rather has a solid dark undertone.
It prevents personnel from engaging in misconduct during combat, such as embezzlement, shielding their own comrades, or secretly disobeying orders — behaviors detrimental to the military and the nation.
Teammates who have fought side by side for years form very strong bonds of camaraderie and friendship and typically won't report such behavior even if they witness it.
Before the full implementation of the external support system, such cover-up behavior was rampant in the U.S. military.
For example, after dismantling a drug trafficking ring, some members would secretly stash away money or drugs and later sell them covertly.
Or, during operations, they might implement cruel measures of "better to kill a thousand innocent than let one suspect escape" for convenience.
Many such illegal acts existed.
By assigning an unfamiliar outsider who is a systematically trained elite professional, it becomes almost impossible to convince them to collude in such misconduct, greatly reducing such risks.
The other purpose is supplementation.
Murphy's Team 10 small squad focuses especially on this point.
Restricted by the number of members in each operational team, a combat squad cannot master all specialties nor fully understand every professional field.
Every mission confronts different environments and objectives, often involving fields unfamiliar to the squad.
To ensure the team completes the mission smoothly, it is necessary to assign an external support member with the corresponding abilities to compensate for the squad's weaknesses.
Common roles include translators, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists, hacking experts, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) virus experts.
Because these involve specialized professional fields, external support personnel tend to be researchers whose combat effectiveness may be quite poor.
For instance, in the previous CBRN mission Long Zhan participated in, Dr. Lucien was a typical example.
Bringing along a researcher with no combat skills not only fails to help in battle but seriously drags down the squad's combat capability.
Therefore, the majority of squad members prefer external support with strong combat skills; whether their professional expertise is solid or not is of secondary concern.
Murphy's squad's death mission is a special reconnaissance, requiring deep infiltration behind enemy lines and is high risk.
This time, the external support requirements are high.
They must have ample counterterrorism and special operations experience, be proficient in Pashto and Dari languages, and most importantly, possess excellent mountain reconnaissance abilities.
Big, bulky types typically have an insurmountable gulf separating them from high intelligence.
Murphy's squad members doubted Long Zhan, which, although somewhat impolite, was understandable.
Long Zhan could feel their scrutinizing gazes but didn't pay much attention.
His own skills were solid.
Completely unafraid!
"Murphy?"
The name sounded familiar to Long Zhan, yet he couldn't place it exactly.
To avoid appearing rude, Long Zhan temporarily dropped the thought and shook hands, introducing himself, "Long Zhan, from Team 4."
Long Zhan was now an official DEVGRU member, with his personnel file transferred accordingly.
However, he still claimed to be from Team 4 because the identity of a DEVGRU Tier 1 operator is classified and never publicly disclosed.
The new military registration as Team 4 SEAL would be his official cover identity going forward.
Hearing that Long Zhan was also from the SEALs, Murphy's squad relaxed inwardly, confident in his strength as one of their own.
"The higher-ups said they assigned us an external support — that should be you, right?" Murphy sized up Long Zhan with interest.
Long Zhan's calm, confident composure, along with the relatively young E6 (Staff Sergeant) rank, told Murphy instinctively this was no ordinary SEAL operator.
"You need an external support, and I'm the only one here now. Looks like your guess is right."
Long Zhan replied humorously, then casually asked, "Sir, where are we headed? Can you give me some advance details? I didn't get much information before coming."
"We're headed to Afghanistan. Beyond that, I don't know much either."
Murphy shrugged, clearly not hiding anything.
"Alright then!"
Long Zhan was straightforward and didn't press further.
"Hope our cooperation goes well."
Murphy liked Long Zhan's directness and was satisfied with this external support. With that, he turned to the others and said, "Guys, come over and say hello. Let's welcome Mr. Long Zhan to our team."
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