Carry forward the spirit of taking the island as home, hard work and entrepreneurship, and faithfully perform the duties of frontier.
——Xi Jinping
A certain frontier company of the Army in the Northern Theater——
Defend the country, guard the border, and guard the home
■People's Liberation Army Daily reporter Mei Shixiong Liu Baorui Yue Yutong
open column
Entrust the heart, and walk the relationship.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi has boarded warships, chariots, and fighter planes. The soldiers and generals are striving to move forward on the new journey, and promote the historical achievements and changes of the strong military industry.
From now on, the People's Liberation Army Daily launched a series of reports on "Strengthening the Army's Footprints", and sent a small team of reporters to return to some grassroots units, front-line combat positions, and officers and soldiers who had been encouraged by President Xi to conduct retrospective interviews and reports to further study and publicize Xi Jinping. The idea of strengthening the army vividly shows the fiery practice of all officers and soldiers to maintain their loyalty to the core and to strive for a strong army, and to reflect the new look of the people's army forging ahead in a new journey and making contributions to a new era.
stay tuned!
In the morning, the sky was a rosy red.
Bathing in the morning sun in early summer, the reporter took a car along the Ussuri River all the way to the east, crossed the Wusu Bridge and boarded Heixiazi Island.
It is located at the easternmost point of the land map of the motherland.
On the island, the Dongji outpost stands majestically.
A certain frontier company of the Army in the Northern Theater Command stationed here welcomes the sun into the motherland at the earliest every day.
On May 24, 2016, President Xi came to the company to visit officers and soldiers, walked to the Dongji post, boarded the 30-meter-high sentry building, inspected the duty facilities, inquired about the duty situation, and talked with the sentries who were on duty.
Leaving the post, President Xi came to the company's service command room to listen to the briefing on the company's construction and mission execution.
President Xi was very pleased to learn that the company's construction was highly informatized, with complete duty and patrol facilities, officers and soldiers braved severe cold, fought against wind and snow, fought floods, and fought mosquitoes, and effectively completed various tasks. Diligent and entrepreneurial spirit, loyal to perform frontier duties.
In the past 6 years, the four seasons of the island have changed, and the scenery on the island has changed.
"In the past few years, many new changes have taken place in our 'home'. What remains unchanged is everyone's ardent feeling of calling the island home." Company commander Zhang Hui said emotionally. The officers and soldiers here have regarded the island as their home.
Although this "home" is on a small island, it is connected to all families--
At the post, Yang Changming, a 20-year-old soldier, was on duty.
Because of his grandfather, this college student joined the army with a pen and crossed thousands of kilometers from the hinterland of Bashu to the northern border.
"My grandfather was also a soldier." Yang Changming said that when he was a child, the military camp was a constant concern from his grandfather's mouth.
The snow is boundless, and the dripping water turns into ice. Why is this "home" attractive?
Yang Changming wanted to find the answer.
In the first Spring Festival of the new recruit's company, he and his comrades spent their time on patrol, struggling to reach the target boundary monument in the waist-deep snow.
"Never seen such deep snow!" The initial excitement was quickly diluted by the difficulty of patrolling in the snow.
In previous years, during the Spring Festival, Yang Changming reunited with his family.
At this moment, the cold wind is wrapped in nostalgia, making his heart as heavy as his footsteps.
Yang Changming's nose was sour, and tears flowed out of his eyes, which soon became ice flowers on his eyelashes.
Snow is far away.
Carrying the heavy equipment on his back, Yang Changming was panting heavily, and just when he could not hold on anymore, a new soldier pointed his finger and shouted in the distance: "Boundary Monument!"
"I will never forget the first time I saw the boundary monument." Yang Changming recalled that the striking red "China" on the boundary monument and the mark of "the easternmost point of China's land" next to the boundary monument made people feel sacred.
He told reporters: "That day, standing in front of the boundary monument, the veterans who were patrolling together told a lot of stories."
The island’s natural environment is harsh. Border guards endure raging mosquitoes in summer, and face the piercing cold in winter, but they never slack off guarding the border.
Just in front of this boundary monument, the company established a rule that has been passed down to this day: patrols must go to the boundary monument, and the territory must not be kept small.
In the summer of that year, there was a huge flood in the station, and the island was almost submerged.
However, the company officers and soldiers did not retreat, guarding the post, guarding the country, and guarding this "home".
The photos of officers and soldiers rowing and wading insisting on raising the five-star red flag have been widely circulated on the Internet, touching the softest place in the hearts of netizens...
Listening to the stories of the veterans, the concept of "country" became concrete in Yang Changming's mind.
"When you walk on the patrol road, your footprints are the seal of sovereignty." Yang Changming said that now, he has understood the sacredness of the border and his grandfather's reluctance and concern for the military camp. ".
This "home" has a difficult environment, but it makes people feel warm inside——
Although it is summer, the island is still a bit cool in the early morning.
Walking into the soldier's dormitory, a warm feeling came to my face.
Sergeant Tian Shuanbo greeted the reporter to sit down, and the soldiers talked about the "home" in their hearts one after another.
"President Xi is very concerned about our lives. He walked into the soldiers' dormitory and asked while watching. Are the soldiers sleeping cold? Can they take a hot bath? How is the company's food? I want to report to President Xi, now the life of the company is getting better and better!" Tian Shuanbo pointed to the reporter and introduced-
"The clean boiler replaces the coal-fired boiler, which not only makes the room temperature suitable, but also saves energy and protects the environment."
"The water heater realizes the 'dual configuration' of electric heat and solar energy, and comrades in arms can take a hot bath at any time."
"The food is also delicious. My hometown is from Henan, and the Hu spicy soup made by the cooking class is an authentic hometown flavor."
"These real senses of gain make people feel cold at the border." Tian Shuanbo said, what warmed everyone even more was the deep feelings forged by the comrades who climbed the ice and lay on the snow and shared weal and woe.
Having said that, the warrior Xinzana opened the chatterbox.
At the beginning of his enlistment in the army, he did not speak Chinese very well. In addition, he was a little introverted. It was the first time he left his parents.
The change happened on his first birthday after he joined the army.
"I didn't have the habit of celebrating birthdays at home. On my birthday, I thought it would be the same as usual. During lunch, I suddenly heard a 'happy birthday' in Mongolian."
"When I looked up, I saw that my comrade-in-arms brought the big cake that the cooking class made for me, and also prepared milk tea from my hometown. The squad leader handed me a bowl of birthday noodles with two poached eggs in it. I ate the noodles with tears in my eyes. Yes, it smells so good."
Since then, Sinzana has gradually become more cheerful, and his relationship with his comrades has become more and more harmonious.
During the interview, the reporter learned that Xin Zana was the only son in the family, and his parents wanted him to retire early and go home.
"I hesitated, but every time I think of that bowl of birthday noodles, I can't bear it." Sinzana told reporters that in recent years, the whole society has become more and more respectful to the military family members. The gongs and drums were delivered to his home. "One person joins the army, and the whole family is honored."
"Staying by your parents' side is filial piety, and defending the country is also filial piety to make your parents proud of us." Zhou Shihao, the deputy instructor of the company, expressed everyone's heartfelt wishes. The backbone will call the parents of the soldiers to announce the good news and thank them for their support.
A telephone line connects two homes, home and country.
This "home" makes people nostalgic and grows——
"Look, this is the photo I took on the first day I came to the island - the oak forest under the rising sun." A soldier showed his WeChat Moments to reporters. The photo was accompanied by a short line: "There is sunshine in my heart, and there is sunshine under my feet." strength.
This thriving oak forest is also the famous "talent forest" of the whole brigade.
In order to encourage officers and soldiers to take root in the post, the company has a tradition: outstanding soldiers can plant an oak tree with a unique number in the "talent forest".
In summer, the oak trees on the island are full of greenery.
Communication technician and first sergeant Liu Xiangsheng recognized the tree he had planted at a glance.
"When President Xi came to the company's service command room and listened to the introduction of the company's construction and mission execution, I, as an operator, controlled the information equipment throughout the process." Liu Xiangsheng said, "At that time, the big screen still displayed analog signal video. Now, our equipment More advanced and clearer.”
Equipment is updated, and officers and soldiers need to continuously upgrade their capabilities.
"In the beginning, I couldn't even remember the names of some equipment, let alone skilled operation." Liu Xiangsheng expounded himself.
"What should I do? One word: learn!" In just one year, Liu Xiangsheng re-equipped "outsiders" to counterattack into "big takers" in the eyes of his comrades.
Eagle Eye Panorama System, Multimedia Knapsack Terminal, UAV, Microwave Communication Vehicle, Satellite Phone... Talking about these information equipment and the company's smart border defense construction achievements, Liu Xiangsheng read a limerick: "High-tech equipment enters the border, patrols No more straddling the saddle. The screen is as clear as water, and a mouse click is right in front of you.”
Taking the express train of smart border defense construction, the company's officers and soldiers have accelerated their growth: soldier Zhao Jiayu has become a drone operator, Guo Zhiqiang is proficient in multimedia terminal applications, and the study group led by Li Jun has achieved many innovative results...
Growth happens to every officer and soldier in the company.
Company cadres told reporters that in recent years, the company's enthusiasm for training and preparing for war has been high, and the level of military training of officers and soldiers has been rising year by year.
Last year, Sergeant Huang Bo won the first place in the 400-meter obstacle brigade. Sergeant Liu Jiman and Second Sergeant Yu Yang won the championship and runner-up in the brigade in the Sanda competition. The company's comprehensive military training results ranked first in the brigade... …
During the reform and adjustment period, the soldier Jiang Xinyu was transferred from another unit and came to the remote and lonely border post to defend.
Jiang Xinyu's psychological gap is very big, and the idea of retiring from the army has arisen.
"When I was the most confused, the company did not give up on me. The company commander and platoon commander gave me a lecture on the situation when the chairman came to the company to visit everyone, and talked about the glorious tradition of the company, and my comrades often encouraged me." I recalled how I integrated into the company. The process, Jiang Xinyu has never forgotten.
After re-energizing, Jiang Xinyu's military training performance improved by leaps and bounds. Not only was he successfully selected as a sergeant, but he also won awards for 4 consecutive years.
In 2020, he broke a record in the "Guardian of the East" competition of the whole brigade and won the third-class merit.
On the day the oak tree was planted in the "talent forest", Jiang Xinyu felt that he had truly taken root here.
He took good care of it and hoped that the small tree would thrive and flourish.
"Our company is like a big family, here I found a way to forge ahead, I love my company, I love this 'home'!" Jiang Xinyu said.
They all say that border crossings are hard and that border crossings are tiring, but why can the company officers and soldiers be stationed here with peace of mind?
Leaving the Dongji post, the sun shone on the river surface, casting a golden glow.
The reporter has an answer in his heart: guarding the country, guarding the border, and guarding the home, and the national security and home security are also at ease!
This article was published in the 01 and 03 editions of the PLA Daily on May 24
People's Liberation Army Daily WeChat release