China's Blue Helmets bravely rushed into the "devil's area" ——Sidelights on
the 19th batch of multifunctional engineer units for peacekeeping missions to Lebanon to perform the "Blue Line" maintenance task
The "Blue Line" is the temporary border between Lebanon and Israel. It is 121 kilometers long and connected by more than 300 blue barrels.
Starting from November 2020, my 19th batch of multifunctional engineering units for peacekeeping missions to Lebanon has been ordered to perform maintenance tasks on the blue barrels and related safe passages on the "Blue Line", including cleaning up weeds and bushes in the safe passages, and replacing them. Barbed wire and warning signs, spray paint refurbishment of blue barrels and marking numbers, etc.
Recently, the officers and soldiers of the multifunctional engineer unit of Lebanon and Peacekeeping Operations went deep into the valley known as the "devil's section" for three consecutive days, and successfully completed the most difficult section of the maintenance task.
The mountain is steep in this section.
The mission here is full of dangers, and the officers and soldiers call it the "devil's area."
After the team leader clarified the division of labor and reminded the safety requirements, the officers and soldiers of the squad brought operation equipment and walked to the safe passageway to start the day's operation.
The original safe passage has long been covered by weeds and bushes.
Every time the officers and soldiers move forward, they need to use tools such as pruning shears, saws, and machetes to clear the way.
When encountering a cliff, the officers and soldiers used ropes to move little by little on the bare stone walls and slowly descend.
During the march, the team leader was exploring the road ahead, and the deputy team leader observed the falling rocks from the height to prevent anyone from being injured.
After reaching the bottom of the valley, the blue bucket finally revealed its "true content": the bucket body was surrounded by messy thorns, and the dirt and gravel washed down from the mountain completely covered the blue bucket's original cement base more than 1 meter high.
The silt at the bottom of the valley caused a lot of trouble for the officers and soldiers to carry out their operations. Once they stepped on it, their entire foot sank into the silt.
On the first day, the officers and soldiers cleaned up the vegetation and debris in the passage and around the blue barrel.
On the second and third days, the officers and soldiers painted and refurbished the blue barrels and numbers, repaired the bellows-shaped barbed wire, and replaced the warning signs.
In other areas, a team can usually complete the maintenance of 1 or 2 blue barrels a day, but in this "devil's area", it took the officers and soldiers 3 days to complete the maintenance of 1 blue barrel.
With the hanging of the last warning triangle, the officers and soldiers successfully conquered the "devil's area."
Up to now, my 19th batch of multifunctional engineer units for peacekeeping missions to Lebanon has completed the maintenance tasks of about 70 passages and 70 blue barrels with high standards in more than 40 working days, and has been highly praised by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
(Our newspaper Beirut, February 6th)
Ding Wendong Liu Pan