The purpose of the Grand Military Competition was to promote training across the entire military, improve training quality, foster a spirit of confrontation, and strengthen the troops' combat effectiveness. Through the competition, experiences were exchanged, exemplary cases were discovered, model soldiers were established, and the troops' training received both demonstration and impetus.
In the early years, for various reasons, when China still practiced universal military service, local militia forces also held all kinds of competitive drills. The major military regions would likewise specifically organize broad competitions and contests among officers and soldiers.
So the word "Grand" referred precisely to its scale and its level.
Across the country, the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police held tens of thousands of Grand Military Competitions every year. Regiment-level, division-level, group army-level, major military region-level, and every other level all organized them.
As for the battalion and company levels at the grassroots, those counted as internal competitions. There would be certain battalion honors and commendations, selections for outstanding personnel, and so on. At most, they could determine a "commendation."
The military naturally had its own authority levels for awarding meritorious service. Generally speaking, battalions and companies could issue commendations; regiments and brigades could award Third-Class Merit; Second-Class Merit had to go up to the group army level; and First-Class Merit required approval from the Central Military Commission.
Of course, actual implementation could differ slightly. This was not fixed for NCOs, senior NCOs, officers, civilian personnel, and so on. But generally speaking, that was more or less how it worked...
"The Grand Military Competition starts next week. First we compete within our regiment, then at the division, and finally at the military region-level competition. Our company submitted five people, but you two are the only ones with any real hope. The others don't stand