Qiangtang in northern Tibet, the weather is cold and the ground is freezing. Just after the Spring Festival, the reporter walked into the barracks at an altitude of more than 4,500 meters and realized the feelings of the border guards in the new era
Jiefangjun Daily reporter Guo Fengkuan and correspondents Wang Gang and Tang Peng.
Fighters of the Nagqu Military Division conducted a 400-meter obstacle course. Huang Shijie photographed the peaks towering, covered in silver. **In the oxygen concentrator room of a battalion of the Naqu Military Division, Second Sergeant Liu Yang is carefully checking the instrument and transcribing the data.
Winters here are cold. With an average altitude of more than 4,500 meters, Nagqu has low oxygen content and a dry climate. Winter temperatures can reach as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius.
Following Liu Yang's patrol route on foot, after a while, the reporter obviously felt a little "powerless", and his pace slowed down unconsciously. And Liu Yang, who walked in front, was quiet and calm, and he had only one thought in his heart: there should be no mistakes in the oxygen supply equipment!
Not far from the oxygen generator room, there is a group of heroic sculptures that symbolize the people's soldiers guarding Naqu. The military history and cultural corridor next to the group of sculptures clearly records the revolution, construction and development process of Naqu, as well as the touching stories that happened during this period.
It is the honor of my life to be able to guard here. Liu Yang said that in recent years, the conditions in the border area have been greatly improved, and he and his comrades-in-arms have further strengthened their belief in taking root on the plateau and making meritorious contributions.
In the communication with Liu Yang, I learned that the circuit of the oxygen concentrator he is responsible for maintaining is complex and requires high professional knowledge and technical operation level.
When I first arrived in the army, I never thought that I would one day become an 'oxygen expert'. Liu Yang recalls the days when he first dealt with oxygen concentrators. On a snowy night, the temperature plummeted, and the unit's oxygen concentrator suddenly failed. After understanding the situation, he and his two comrades-in-arms went to the oxygen concentrator room without saying a word, and used the existing tools to check the troubleshooting. After a busy time, the oxygen concentrator returned to normal. Liu Yang was lying on the ground for a long time, and his legs were a little numb from the cold.
If the machine is not repaired well, many comrades-in-arms will not sleep well at night due to lack of oxygen. In Liu Yang's view, his hard work is worth it, "If I can't even do my job well, how can I be embarrassed to face my comrades-in-arms?" ”
Over the years, Liu Yang and his comrades-in-arms have continuously summed up their experience and explored simple and practical equipment repair and maintenance methods, that is, "standing accessories, self-made alarms, pressure reduction emergency repair, and continuous oxygen", which effectively improved the efficiency of emergency support. In 2019, he and his comrades-in-arms worked together to tackle the improved "oxygen storage aeration device", which shortened the filling time of oxygen production.
Outside the oxygen generator room, the howling cold wind swept small stones and slapped on the doors and windows, "crackling".
In such weather, it is difficult to get out and about. But as a soldier stationed here, you don't have any reason to back down. Liu Yang's eyebrows were full of perseverance.
The officers and men of this contingent are all good. Second Sergeant Li Sha, Liu Yang's partner in his work, told reporters that the more unfavorable the environment, the more energetic the officers and men became, and they often spent most of the day in the computer room in order to solve a problem.
Work hard, not afraid of difficulties, train hard and strive to be the first. Corporal Wang Tingzhao is a training leader in the military division and the holder of the 400-meter steeplechase record. Once, the military sub-district organized a record-breaking competition, and Wang Tingzhao signed up for the 400-meter obstacle event again. After signing up, he began to practice his physical fitness.
Looking at Wang Tingzhao's hard work, Ye Cong, a cadre of the company, was worried that he would not be able to bear it, and persuaded him to do what he could.
Only by constantly surpassing ourselves can we make progress. Wang Tingzhao said that in the face of achievements, he cannot be satisfied with the status quo, but dare to try and surpass. After a period of targeted training, Wang Tingzhao once again set a new personal record in the competition.
Looking at Wang Tingzhao, who was surrounded by his comrades-in-arms, Ye Cong's eyes moistened. He said: The company has been appraised by its superiors as a "pacesetter company in grassroots construction" for seven consecutive years, and the honor is inseparable from the hard work of officers and men.
Work hard and let your dreams blossom. This is a sentence that Sergeant Li Gaiyun wrote in his notebook. When he first joined the army, Li Gaiyun's physical fitness foundation was very solid, and he was among the best in the assessment organized by the military sub-district many times. However, he said that this is just the beginning, and his dream is to one day stand on the higher podium.
Once the seeds of dreams sprout, the power to grow is unstoppable. In recent years, Li Gaiyun has broken the 3,000-meter running record of the military division four times in a row, but he has never stopped surpassing the pace.
There is faith in the heart and strength in the feet. Li Gaiyun said that he has been stationed on the plateau all the year round, and it is false to say that he is not bitter, but it is true that his comrades-in-arms are not afraid of hardship, because they know well the responsibilities and missions of soldiers.
On the plateau, strong winds howled. In the vast snowy field, the cold is the air, and the boiling blood is the blood. The snow-capped mountains are majestic, and the beliefs of the plateau soldiers are more determined ......
Short comment
Where there is spirit, there is strength
Cui Bo. Is that song bitter or not? Once upon a time, it was difficult to grow a single tree here. However, in such a high-altitude and low-oxygen place, the officers and men of the plateau have proved with their actions that trees live in the wind and rain, people live in spirit, and if they have spirit, they will have strength.
A piece of history, forged with blood; A spirit that is passed down from generation to generation. For more than 70 years, on the snowy plateau at an altitude of more than 4,500 meters, the officers and soldiers have inherited and carried forward the "old ** spirit", fought against snowstorms, fought against severe cold, and resisted hypoxia.
Time is fleeting, but the spirit is evergreen. The continuous mountains of the Himalayas, like wordless monuments, have witnessed the great changes that have taken place at every border post, and also watch over this spiritual highland built with life. The new journey is an expedition full of glory and dreams, and it is inevitable that we will encounter various difficulties and challenges. As revolutionary soldiers in the new era, as long as we continue to carry forward the fine tradition, with the heroic spirit of "the more difficult and dangerous the more forward" and "the brave win when the narrow road meets", and constantly inject new connotations into the "old ** spirit", we will definitely be able to create new achievements worthy of the new era!
Published in the 3rd edition of the People's Liberation Army Daily on February 25.
*丨People's Liberation Army Daily, Learning Corps (ID: xuexijuntuan).
Producer丨Ou Can, Hou Dawei, Editor丨Liu Jianwei, Yan Shan, Qian Zongyang, Editor丨Han Jie.