Military Aspects of Gobi Youth
Armed police officers and soldiers of Ejin Squadron conduct search training in the desert.
Armed police officers and soldiers of Ejin Squadron carried out 100-meter sprint training in the desert.
Armed police officers and soldiers of Ejin Squadron carried out desert pursuit training.
The first lesson after the recruits are under the company-visit the squadron honor room. The pictures in this article are provided by the Armed Police Ejin Squadron
Upon receiving the enlistment notice, Li Xing, a soldier of the Ejin Squadron of the Alxa Detachment of the Armed Police Inner Mongolia Corps, felt that he was going to serve in the prairie.
In his mind, the prairie is synonymous with Inner Mongolia. When the bus passed through the vast Gobi to the squadron station, he found that it was the westernmost point of Inner Mongolia, located on the border between China and Mongolia, on the edge of the Badain Jaran Desert, China's third largest desert.
Like his squad leader, 28-year-old sergeant Cui Da when he first arrived, looking at the deserted Gobi Desert, Li Xing inevitably "feel a little lost." The average annual rainfall here is less than 37 mm, the surface temperature in summer is as high as 70 degrees Celsius, the winter is as low as minus 4 degrees Celsius, and the windy days above seven or eight have more than 100 days in a year. area".
The harsh natural environment, arduous training and on-duty tasks both challenge people and help them grow. Cui Da, like many fighters, had the idea of "going back after two years of compulsory service". But two years later, they stayed. Cui Da has been in the military camp on the edge of the desert for 12 years, and is the longest soldier in the squadron.
Planting trees and keeping people
Li Xing, a high-class soldier, is a man of restrained personality. Although he had a psychological gap when he first arrived at the station, he was unwilling to write his emotions on his face. "It's more than 600 kilometers from the detachment to here. The way is full of Gobi Beach. When you arrive at the squadron, you can see a lot of trees, giving people a sense of dependability." He comforted him like this.
Looking around, there are poplars, Populus euphratica, elm, willow and other trees in the camp. There are two small green areas in front of the building. Although they have dried up in winter, they are still formed with the bare desert Gobi around them. Great contrast.
These trees were first planted by Cui Da and his comrades-in-arms. After that, it was only after a few young people relayed that they had the landscape today. In September 2009, Ejin Squadron moved to the current camp. Cui Da, as the first batch of officers and soldiers stationed there, witnessed the initial appearance of the barracks: "There is only one solitary building in the camp area, surrounded by iron fences. Next is the Gobi Desert. "
Since then, the officers and men of the squadron have begun to plant flowers and trees, and have never stopped for more than 10 years. The surface of the station has a 70-cm-thick hard soil layer, and then a 30-cm-thick saline-alkali crystal layer. Such geological conditions are the "natural enemies" of the plants, plus the infestation of flying sand and rocks, "plant 10 trees and live up to two Three trees. "
Cui Da and his comrades took good care of the planted saplings. They went to the small river after the camp three times a day to fetch water for irrigation, just like three meals a day. Nonetheless, almost 100 trees planted in their first year were almost dead. The following year, they consulted information and interviewed forestry experts. They replaced the saline soil with soil from a river channel 20 kilometers away, and Jin Gui's seedlings gradually took root in this barren land.
In order to allow new recruits who have just arrived here to "take root", Ejina Squadron paid much more effort than planting trees. "When recruits first arrived, there was a general sense of loss." Instructor Kang Hao admitted that the tough environment did give some soldiers a sense of fear. To make them calm down, they also need spiritual soil and water.
The honor room of more than 100 square meters of the squadron undertakes this important task. The first lesson after the recruits are here is to visit here. After 8 years in the army, the 25-year-old squad leader Zhang Rui still remembers how he felt when he first visited the honor room-shock.
"So many medals, pennants and advanced characters!" The collective first-class merit, grassroots construction model squadron ... Under the introduction of the instructor, Zhang Rui slowly understood the weight of these honors. The words, photos, and objects in the room made him realize that although they came to a rough place, there was a palace of honor on it.
Moreover, Ejin Squadron also has a role model around him-then squadron leader Wang Huicheng. After 8 years of writing to go to this Gobi Desert, Wang Huicheng won the 16th "Top Ten Loyal Guards of the Chinese Armed Police". This is the Armed Police Force. The highest honor.
"So many honors have gathered the hearts of our soldiers." Zhang Rui said that since then, various inconveniences caused by the natural environment, such as being scratched by the wind and sand, nosebleeds due to dry weather, etc., have changed Not so important.
Chen Xiaolu, the 26-year-old squad leader, remembers another detail. The New Year's Eve after the recruits joined the company was his first time away from home for New Year's Eve. "It felt extra lonely." According to the plan, he had to be on duty that night, and he could not watch even the Spring Festival Gala. "Unexpectedly, before we went, the squadron cadres offered to send us a whistle." This surprised and moved him.
Chen Xiaolu felt that he had come to the right place. He could cite many humane examples to prove this, such as the hot egg noodles brought by his comrades when he was sick, and the generosity of people around him when he was in trouble. These warm moments in life gradually made him feel a sense of belonging to this strange and remote squadron.
Battlefield and Battlefield
At present, Chen Xiaolu has spent nearly 7 years here. In 7 years, the prunus spinosa and cosmos in front of the squadron building thanked and opened again, and the poplar tree beside the training ground had grown to more than ten meters high. During the summer training, the soldiers sat under the tree to eat watermelon and drink mung bean soup, enjoying the rare shade on the edge of the desert.
These officers and men came from all corners of the world. Many people came to the station and saw the desert for the first time.
Li Xing's first impression of the desert is magnificent and mysterious. "Poet Wang Wei ’s famous old saying," The desert is solitary and straight, the long river is setting sun "describes the scene here." As a liberal arts student, he likes to look at it with a romantic eye, "especially when the sun goes down and the blood is red. Sprinkling the whole Gobi, if you take a look at it, it will be a pity all your life. "
But the first 5km armed cross-country ride on the sand dunes refreshed the literary youth's understanding of the desert. "The sand is particularly soft, and it will sink in every step of the run, and the physical exertion is two to three times greater than on the flat ground." He didn't even remember how he ran the whole course, and the wind and sand hit the face with pain. His legs have softened. "It feels like I have crossed a mountain of life."
According to the squadron leader Shao Xiwen, the squadron shoulders the important tasks of Ejin Banner on duty, counter-terrorism and stability, emergency rescue, and must adapt to the combat environment in the desert area. To this end, they will go to the desert every quarter for 10 kilometers of raid, extreme crawling, seizing the top of the sand slope, field survival and other courses.
Cui Da is the most experienced fighter of desert training in the squadron, and is called "desert camel" by everyone. Many times, he walks in front of the team with a map and a compass in his hand. "Use the forefoot as much as possible when going uphill, and rely on the heel when going downhill, and don't step on it. Be careful not to kick your feet." He skillfully introduced the precautions of marching in the desert.
Most of Li Xing ’s desert training experience comes from Cui Da. For example, he should move along the sand ridge as much as possible, instead of walking in a straight line. Otherwise, it will be laborious and easy to sink into the quicksand; Push up, this can reduce resistance; drink water should pay attention to a small number of times, not only can add water, but also easy to march.
Even in the bad weather of sandstorms, rain and snow, the training is still carried out as usual. Once a squadron organized a desert attack of 5 kilometers, and a sandstorm hit like a wall. Li Xing wore goggles and ran forward against the wind. "But it seemed that he was standing still", and his nostrils and mouth were full of sand and dust.
"Isn't this a guilt?" He couldn't help complaining.
It wasn't until he heard the story of the squadron officers and soldiers chasing the gangster that Li Xing understood his intention. In 2007, a huge catastrophe occurred in Dongfeng Town Ranch in Ejina Banner. The suspect Hu Yiga killed three of his neighbors and fled with a knife. At that time, the squadron leader Wang Huicheng led the emergency squad to meet the sandstorm when he went out to deal with it. Because Hu Yiga was familiar with the terrain and weather, the officers and men repeatedly searched and rounded up and failed. He has been chasing for more than 40 kilometers in the Gobi Desert and the Red Willow Forest before he besieged.
Since then, the squadron officers and soldiers have added two more training courses-search in harsh weather and shooting in sandstorms. Regardless of the scorching heat or the wind and sand, the training time is never shortened due to bad weather, and the training difficulty is never reduced due to the danger of the subject.
"This has become the normal state of our training." Shao Xiwen said that in the Ejina Squadron, officers and soldiers who have not passed the test of wind and sand can not be on the "battlefield".
Perseverance and growth
Training and performing duties under harsh weather conditions not only test the physical strength of young officers and soldiers, but also hone their mentality.
Some time ago, an 8-level strong wind hit the sand again, and the visibility was less than 30 meters. Through the glass of the dormitory building, Li Xing found that the cafeteria not far away "disappeared", leaving only the yellow sand in front of him. In such weather, Ejina Squadron is still training for gun shooting and aiming.
In Chen Xiaolu's view, the training at this time required the shooter to eliminate external disadvantages, focus on the target without a second heart, and test the concentration and anti-jamming ability more. And concentration and anti-jamming ability are also the secrets that many veterans can stay in the squadron for a long time.
Serving in such a remote and desolate place, young soldiers are easily disturbed by the outside world. "Many of my friends live a comfortable life, but I get up early and train in the wind and sand weather, and the food is blown into the sand." Chen Xiaolu also fluctuated. "They are all the same age, why is the gap so big? "
At this time, he will habitually walk into the honor room and think about why he was a soldier. In the Ejina Squadron, the Honor Room is a magical place and is known as the “non-speaking instructor”. When you have thoughts, you go in and stay for a while.
"I remember in particular that the veterans in the class called some of our recruits to the honor room before retiring. We pointed to the plaque of the model squadron and said," We have kept our honor this year. I hope you can do it too. "Chen Xiaolu told himself. If you do not do well, you not only violate your original intentions, but also sorry for the veterans who paid for the squadron.
Judging from the rhythm of life, Ejina Banner is a "half-shot" place in the minds of squadron officers and soldiers. Online shopping express delivery here is the fastest 7 days, the slowest half a month, so that to buy anything must be in advance. But in terms of training and on duty, here is a veritable fast pace. The soldiers held their strength and competed on the training ground to improve their achievements. There was only one goal-to win glory for the squadron.
Now, Chen Xiaolu is more willing to look at his growth from another angle. Although he did not have such a colorful life as his friends, he became self-disciplined, tenacious, and honor-honored under the tempering of the military barracks, and he was resolute and pragmatic, and these qualities were the premise of success no matter where he was.
At this time, he would calm down and take a deep breath, just like aiming at the target in the wind and sand during the gun training.
China Youth Daily · China Youth Daily reporter Wang Da correspondent Mao Shengtao Source: China Youth Daily