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Nursery of talent
On Oct. 1, 1984, personnel from the troop made their first public appearance in Tiananmen Square as the last formation of that year’s military parade. Ever since, China’s strategic missile troop has presented itself to the world with a resolution to protect the unity of China and national security.
In the 1980s and 1990s, China faced complex international situations. The troop carried out a series of large drills and demonstrated the military’s determination to safeguard China’s territorial integrity. They invented a set of training methods used across all forces, including the principle of ”tough training with simulation first and then precise live-fire training”.
When their missile weaponry was upgraded and they were required to raise their combat skills.
To be battle ready as soon as possible with new weaponry, they discussed thoroughly the new criteria to evaluate their combat capacity. In just over a year, the troop completed a restructure, equipment overhaul and new training. With sharpened skills, the troop continues to develop with the goal of becoming an invincible force with high morale and always combat-ready.
They also inherited the valuable work-style of their predecessors who dedicated themselves for years to developing China’s atomic and hydrogen bombs and man-made satellites. They have invented scores of combat plans, developed command software, and trained frequently with random maneuvers and unplanned exercises.
Modern warfare is intensive and brutal. They regularly stage survival training in airtight conditions so that the soldiers can adapt to fatigue, thirst, hunger, thin air and jet lag and be tougher in adverse conditions.
Currently, each launch battalion has more than 20 specialist leaders, all of whom are capable of completing missile launches independently. Efficient command and logistics support have been achieved at various levels.
For the past 56 years, they have fulfilled 48 significant exercises and launched scores of strategic missiles of various types. These missiles have flown further and are more accurate and more powerful. Thirty-three generals, ten missile base commanders and 16 missile brigade commanders have served there. It is worthy of the name of “a seed troop”.
Excellent work style
Since the intercontinental missile brigade upgraded its weaponry in the 1980s, the troop has moved into mountain areas.
Although efforts have been made to improve their work environment, personnel cannot access entertainment like their peers in cities. They are surrounded by mountains, have no video games to play and cannot access the Internet. They dedicate their youth to China’s missile development.
Twenty years ago, “Hao Shou” Yang Baiwan, of the first squad of the Second Company of the First Battalion, was well known throughout the troop. Now, his son has joined the troop and become a deputy squad leader.
Twenty years ago, Qu Zhengjun, Political Commissar with an engineering battalion, led his unit to construct a missile base. When his wife came to visit, they lived in a makeshift home. Now, his son Qu Jiang, holding bachelor degrees in engineering and military science, serves in the Fourth Company of the Second Battalion. His military base is the one built by his father. In a brigade-wide skill test, Qu Jiang’s company came first.
Striving to be the best is the ethos of the brigade. Xu Jinbiao, a deputy company leader, took his unit to an expertise test and ranked second last. Feeling “humiliated”, all members of the unit united to intensify their training and became the best in all five tests a week later.
For 56 years, this ethos has been passed through the generations. All soldiers value solidarity, cooperation, unselfishness, as well as the spirit to pioneer with arduous efforts, to seek truth and be down-to-earth, to fight bravely and rise to tougher challenges. They hold to a time-honored tradition to contribute more under rigorous conditions, to carry out the toughest missions, to master the highest skills, to never flinch before formidable rivals and to never rest on their laurels.
