Hello, "372"
Liang Wenbo Zi Hao China National Defense News reporter Yang Mingyue
Before the deep winter, the Nebesnaya Mountain with an altitude of 3,665 meters has been covered tightly by one heavy snow after another.
Because of the existence of a Sino-Kazakh No. 372 boundary marker, officers and soldiers of the Honghaigou border defense company of a border defense regiment in the Xinjiang Military Region climb up this mountain every year, leaving the footprints of Chinese soldiers there.
Even today, when the traffic is convenient enough, it takes a whole day for officers and soldiers to set off from the company and patrol by car to go back and forth.
In the past few decades when patrol roads were not yet called roads, officers, soldiers and border guards had to climb many mountains and could only ride horses or walk.
Why climb a mountain?
Because the mountain is there.
Why go on patrol?
Because the landmarks are there.
That's what border guards do.
"It's really 222 bends!"
Everyone in the Honghaigou border defense company of a border defense regiment in the Xinjiang Military Region has heard that there are 222 bends on the asphalt mountain road leading to the No. 372 boundary mark (the officers and soldiers affectionately call it "372"), but they don't know whether it is true or not.
In July this year, Corporal Miao Zhuang went to "372" for the first time with his car. The company commander Wang Haonan who sat next to him gave him a "difficult" task: counting how many bends there were on the road.
"1, 2, 3, 4..." During the journey of more than 3 hours, Miao Zhuang endured the motion sickness reaction of nausea and vomiting, and with the cooperation of the deputy company commander Humar Hassan, he finally counted them clearly These 222 bends.
The military driver Bai Yunlu was very happy to hear that the "legend" about the 222 bend was finally confirmed.
In the past few years, Bai Yunlu has been driving on this road dozens of times, and he has never had time to take a look at the scenery on the side of the road, let alone count the difficult and dangerous curves. It’s all about driving.”
Cross 222 bends
"The reason why everyone yearns for 222 bends is similar to the reason explained in "Journey to the West""
Every officer and soldier of the Honghaigou frontier defense company dreams of taking Bai Yunlu's flexible and vigorous Bobcat off-road vehicle and taking a round of 222 turns. After all, there are not many such opportunities.
The area around Boundary Marker 372 is covered with heavy snow all the year round, and the mountain roads are steep and tortuous. The passable time is limited from the end of May to the beginning of September, and the number of missions every year is uncertain, so Miao Zhuang waited until his third year in the army before he had the opportunity to see the 222 road. bend.
On the day of the mission, several officers and soldiers, like Miao Zhuang, went to "372" for the first time.
Before departure, Bai Yunlu told everyone thoughtfully: "Eat less breakfast, prepare plastic bags or try to sit by the window as much as possible, so as not to vomit badly later." These experiences are very useful.
It is said that in the past few years, when taking the "Lynx" of squad leader Bai Yunlu to the No. 372 boundary marker, there was no one who did not vomit.
As time goes by, everyone has more and more ways to deal with motion sickness, so there are also "lucky guys" like Miao Zhuang who don't vomit when they go up for the first time.
"Taking a car through one turn after another feels a bit like riding a pirate ship. The pirate ship is dangling in the air. When passing the 222 turn, there are often cliffs on both sides, which is similar to being in the air." Bend, like the thrills of experiencing a casino, is full of fun and novelty, and it would be better if he didn't get shaken to throw up.
Along the way, you will also encounter "blocking stones" and "blocking trees". These "masterpieces" of the avalanche last winter will extremely test Bai Yunlu's driving level and the psychological quality of the entire car.
Bai Yunlu has to make an accurate assessment in his heart, whether the remaining space is passable, and if he encounters "blocking stones" and "blocking trees" that are too "flashy", the officers and soldiers have to get out of the car and "hey, hey, hey" and put them away. move away.
After more than 3 hours, after passing through multiple "checkpoints", everyone finally arrived at their destination.
"At that time, I saw the landmark at a glance, and a sense of mission emerged spontaneously." Song Liangjie said that although the journey was very hard, when he stood in front of the landmark and made an oath, looking at the land under his feet, he felt that everything was worth it.
"The reason why everyone yearns for the 222 bends is similar to the truth explained in "Journey to the West." Miao Zhuang explained to the reporter with a smile, just like the four masters and apprentices including Tang Seng and Monkey King, who have gone through ninety-nine and eighty-one hardships to the West Paradise Just like obtaining the scriptures, the border guards went through 222 bends to reach the duty point. Although the journey was hard, everyone was united, and there was joy in both hardships. The most important thing is that this is the duty and mission of the border guards.
always on the road
"As a border guard, you should measure every inch of land with your feet"
Before 2013, before the asphalt mountain road was completed, that is, before the 222 bend, every time they went to "372", the officers and soldiers of the Red Sea Ditch Frontier Defense Company could only ride horses.
In July 2011, first class sergeant Chen Jian went to "372" to perform a patrol mission for the first time, and he went there on horseback.
As a military horse breeder, Chen Jian and the then military horse breeder Ju Longshui drove 15 horses to the starting point early in the morning on the day of departure - a place called Sandao Haigou.
14 officers and soldiers and a local border guard, each with a horse, formed a patrol team and marched towards "372".
However, after traveling for more than 2 hours, hail fell from the sky, which caught everyone off guard.
There were many sharp gravels on the road, and the team members were worried that the gravel would cut the horse's legs, so they dismounted and led the horses on foot.
When climbing the mountain with hands and feet, Wang Jiangjie accidentally slipped. Fortunately, he stabilized his body in time, but the loose gravel rolled towards Li Laipeng behind him.
In order to avoid the stone, Li Laipeng also staggered, but as he was riding a horse for the first time, he was worried that the military horse would be frightened and out of control, so he kept holding the rein tightly in his hand.
"Let go!" Li Laipeng let go of the reins after hearing the shouts of his comrades-in-arms, and then stood firm.
Later, Li Laipeng learned that these well-trained military horses would not run around even if they were not being led.
At that time, there was no frontier defense facilities along the border, and Bai Yonghui, the leader of the team, was worried that the patrol members would walk too scattered and accidentally cross the border, and if they were too concentrated, it would be difficult to avoid the falling gravel.
Therefore, Bai Yonghui divided the officers, soldiers and border guards into two groups, one group walked along the ridge line, and the other group walked halfway up the mountain.
In the afternoon, the group finally reached landmark 372.
At this time, the hail had already wet everyone's clothes, and everyone was cold and damp.
After inspecting and taking the oath in front of the landmark, everyone sat together and ate dry food.
"The dry food has been cold for a long time, but we all ate very happily. Standing at the boundary marker, we can see our company and the nearby infrastructure, and we are full of a sense of accomplishment." Chen Jian told the reporter, waiting for them When I returned to the company at 11 o'clock in the evening, I found that everyone's combat boots had been scratched by stones.
Chen Jian often thinks of a sentence that the old squad leader Jin Fayang often said: "As a border guard, you should measure every inch of land with your feet." On this day, Chen Jian and his comrades spent more than ten hours patrolling the road. He felt that he was one step closer to being a qualified border guard.
Military and civilian family
"In the mountains, we treat each other as relatives, and there are too many places where everyone helps each other"
The border guard Lu Gang's family lives next to the Honghaigou frontier defense company camp.
Lu Gang had just turned 16 years old when he went to patrol the No. 372 landmark with the officers and soldiers of the company for the first time.
At that time, his father, who was a border guard, wanted him to "eat a bit of hardship" with the officers and soldiers so that he could grow up quickly.
As the father wished, at that time, the half-grown child suffered a lot, "his butt hurts from riding a horse", and he rested for a whole week before he recovered.
After patrolling with officers and soldiers, Lu Gang had the idea of "going to be a soldier".
A year later, he "slipped" to sign up for the army, but was dragged back home by his mother—his parents were in poor health, and Lu Gang needed to take on the burden of the family as soon as possible.
In this way, Lu Gang regretfully bid farewell to his military dream.
But in the following decades, he has been patrolling the border as a border guard. He can be called a "half soldier".
One summer many years ago, the Honghaigou border defense company organized a border control exercise, and received a report from the superior that there were "suspicious persons" activities near the border in the "southern mountainous area".
The Honghaigou border defense company dispatched 20 officers and soldiers, led by the company commander at the time, Wang Bo, and formed a small team with more than 200 people including armed police officers, militiamen, and border police stationed there, to carry out the "search" task in the "southern mountainous area".
The ravines and ravines in the mountainous area make it easy to hide. The investigators searched the mountain for 7 days and 7 nights. The officers and soldiers set up checkpoints at important gully entrances and bayonets. Lu Gang assisted on duty as a militiaman.
Since the road leading to "372" was not smooth at that time, it was impossible to drive up, so Lu Gang and a dozen border guards rode their own motorcycles and ran up the Panshan Road. Almost out of the curve.
However, none of us flinched, united and successfully completed the task.
The army and the people are close neighbors, and fish and water love each other deeply.
Lu Gang remembered that there were many winters when the mountains were blocked by heavy snow, and people could not go out for a month.
There was no food left at home, so they found the company, and the company sent urgently needed rice flour and oil to the villagers.
When the supplies of the army came in, Lu Gang and other forest rangers and border guards in the mountains contributed their best to help pull supplies together. "In the mountains, we treat each other as relatives. There are too many places where we help each other."
It is precisely because of this friendship that every time the troops need to patrol, Lu Gang is there on call. Even when there was no subsidy in the early years, Lu Gang was willing to ride horses and climb mountains with the officers and soldiers.
"This is my home, and when the border is secure, my home is secure."
Wu Dongliang, a retired military doctor, told reporters that every summer, many herdsmen move to the nearby mountains to graze. He and the health workers will go to the herdsmen to make rounds and deliver medicines, and learn from the herdsmen whether there is any abnormality nearby.
In April 2018, the company received news from the herdsmen that an electrician was accidentally electrocuted while repairing high-voltage electricity on the mountain road leading to No. 372 landmark. Wu Dongliang immediately led people to rush over.
"His hands were burnt when we arrived." Wu Dongliang gave first aid to the electrician. It was not until the 120 ambulance arrived and took the electrician to the hospital for treatment that Wu Dongliang was slightly relieved.
Later, company commander Wang Bo told Wu Dongliang that it was because of his timely and proper rescue that the electrician saved his life.
Along the "222 bend", more than 30 herdsmen live and graze there.
Bai Yunlu told reporters that every time he drove up the mountain, there would be Kazakh children saluting to the military vehicle.
"They came to salute when we went up, and they also came to salute when we came back." At that time, Bai Yunlu felt very proud and warm, and he would respond to the children with his siren. This kind of interaction became a bond between them. Nice agreement.
Witnesses say
i still have a dream
■Bai Yunlu
I grew up driving a car, trying to pull the brakes on a farm trike when my peers were still trying to get on the pedals on a bicycle.
When I grew up, I wanted to touch and move any vehicle I saw, whether it was a motorcycle, a tricycle, a car, or a tractor.
In 2015, when I was 18 years old, I joined the army and came to Xinjiang for border defense.
I thought that with my own technology, I could drive a military vehicle early.
Unexpectedly, when I first entered the military camp, my master Jia Zhengwei just took me to clean the car and overhaul it.
"The driver of a military vehicle must be omnipotent. Otherwise, if the vehicle breaks down on the road, you will not be able to drive back." "Following" the master's teaching, two years later, I was finally able to drive alone to perform tasks.
Sometimes I have to drive for a whole day because of the task, and I can't move my legs when I get out of the car, but I still want to drive the next day.
After that, I always wanted to drive through the 222 corner.
It was June 2019 when I finally got my pass to Landmark 372.
On the night when I was approved to go to Mark 372 for the first time, I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t help asking First Sergeant Chen Jian, who often goes on duty, “What is it like along the way?” “It’s just that there are too many bends. , nothing special." Chen Jian's answer made me sleepless and looking forward to it even more.
Every time I see those small videos of plateau drivers on the Internet, I am very envious.
This year is my 7th year serving in the border defense of Xinjiang. I still have a distant but beautiful dream that has not come true - I want to drive a military vehicle to the Karakorum Mountains and climb a few more snow-capped mountains in Daban.
15 umbrella flowers and me
■Chen Jian
I am from Wenchuan, Sichuan.
When the Wenchuan Earthquake occurred in 2008, I graduated from Teachers College and was teaching in a primary school in Mao County.
On May 14, 2008, together with the people in the disaster area, I witnessed the scene where 15 paratroopers descended from the sky and connected Mao County with the outside world.
A few months later, with admiration for the People's Liberation Army, I joined the army and chose to come to Xinjiang for border defense.
I don't know when the admiration for the army changed a little bit and sublimated into a heartfelt love.
Maybe it's in the day-to-day training and patrols, maybe it's in the day and night with comrades-in-arms.
I have been in the army for 14 years. I have worked as a horse breeder, cooking squad leader, and combat squad leader. I like every position. I like serving everyone and being with my comrades.
In December of this year, I chose to extend my service period.
Thank you for the new policy of deferred service, which allows me to stay in my beloved army for a few more years.
I am even more grateful to the 15 umbrella flowers over Maoxian County in 2008, which changed the trajectory of my life and brought me to my beloved military camp.
Frontier is my home
■ Lu Gang
As long as I can remember, my father has often patrolled the border defense line with army officers and soldiers, and there was no subsidy at that time.
Sometimes the snow is so heavy in winter that it is waist deep, so he also goes to patrol the border.
In the mountains and out of the mountains, my father never felt that he was doing something great. He felt that our home is here, and it is what we should do to protect it.
In the border defense, there are many herdsmen like him.
Later, when I grew up, although my dream of being a soldier was not realized, I was always patrolling with the company officers and soldiers as a border guard, and I was considered "half a soldier".
I have always had a good relationship with everyone, and many soldiers like to talk to me about any troubles in their lives.
As long as you find me in the army, I will do my best to do it well.
If our family has any difficulties and needs help, the officers and soldiers will also help.
My mother told me that one winter when I was not at home, every time it snowed heavily, the company would send someone to help sweep the snow. I was really grateful and moved.
For so many years, the Red Sea Trench has been very safe, and the villagers are very grateful for the protection of the officers and soldiers of the army.
Over the past few years, the border defense roads have been repaired and improved, and I have seldom led the way, but as long as there is a need, I am always there, because the border defense is my home, and the People's Liberation Army is my family!
(China Military Network - China National Defense News)