Youth can't be disappointed!
Wang Yanxiang. I'm a tank driver, and I'm also an idle person, no matter what my profession or equipment, I want to think about it. **Yes, I will take the initiative to apply **. I always believe that people can't live up to their youth, as long as they keep working hard, they will definitely see the trees full of flowers. ”
This is what Huang Sheng, a 33-year-old sergeant of a brigade of the Southern Theater Army, told me. The smile on his face when he says this is warm on a cold winter day.
Huang Sheng, a first-class sergeant of a brigade of the Southern Theater Army, was awarded a second-class merit and a third-class merit. Photo by Yu Xiaoping.
Running down from the training ground where the gunfire was dense, Huang Sheng, who was not tall, took off his steel helmet, his hair was white and sweaty, and his combat boots and camouflage uniform were covered with wet mud. That's how we met.
Huang Sheng hails from Xiji in the northwest, a county in southern Ningxia. That's where he began to tell his story
In the winter of 15 years ago, I packed my bags and came to the barracks. Before that, my family could not afford to support my education, so I worked for four years in order to make ends meet. When I was a child, my parents often told me that people are not afraid of poverty, people have two hands, and as long as they are willing to endure hardships, they can live with dignity.
When I was a senior soldier, I joined the party and became a deputy squad leader, which was considered to be the fastest progress among the soldiers in the same year. Soon after, I passed self-study and obtained a college diploma for the military self-study examination.
In the barracks, I changed the course of my life.
In 2013, due to work needs, my position was adjusted from a car commander to a driver. I started to hone my tank driving skills while learning equipment maintenance in my spare time. Gradually, I basically mastered the repair of armored chassis, artillery, electrical appliances and other related repairs. At the same time, I am also proficient in driving several types of tanks, armored vehicles, and multi-purpose armored engineering vehicles equipped with troops.
The hard work paid off, and within a few years, I successively obtained the senior driver, the first level of the commander and the second level of the artillery commander vocational skills appraisal certificate. Not long ago, I volunteered to shoulder the burden of being a driving instructor for the whole brigade.
In my military career, the most impressive thing for me was the experience of participating in international military competitions.
In the 6th year of enlistment, I went to Russia with the team to participate in international military competitions. It was my first time abroad, and I was both excited and a little nervous.
At that time, I was a reserve driver of an armored vehicle and a maintenance support officer. As a reserve player, I always want to be able to represent my country on the field.
It wasn't until 2018 that I finally became an official team member and participated in the international military competition "Safe Route" Engineer Detachment in Korla, Xinjiang.
Before I set off, some people were worried that as a tank driver, would I be able to compete across borders?
I told myself that I would do it.
On the field, I drove a certain type of multi-functional engineering vehicle to compete fiercely with team members from all over the world, successfully completed all the entries in the complex obstacle area, and won the first place in the bicycle race and the relay race.
Standing on the podium, the national anthem sounded. At that moment, excitement and happiness surged in my heart, and tears could not help but burst out of my eyes.
Actually, this is the only time I have won a championship as an official team member. In the next two international military competitions, I shouldered the teaching and support work. Some comrades-in-arms felt sorry for me, saying that when it was time for me to win the championship, they ran to get protection.
I said, someone has to do all the work, and whoever plays is to win glory for the country. I am glad that in the international arena in 2022, my two teams won two individual titles.
First, the overall first good results.
One day, the battalion commander suddenly called ** and asked me, do you want to be promoted to a sergeant?
I said, if the troops need it, I will stay and continue to work.
Because I had passed the physical fitness assessment before, the day after I returned to the company, my order to stay in the team came down.
Over the years, the organization has given me a lot of encouragement, and I have been awarded third-class merit and second-class merit, and I have been rated as "100 Good Squad Leaders" by the Army of the Southern Theater and "Star of Tashan" by the brigade. These encouragements and care are the driving force for my unremitting progress.
You have to ask me, what is the new goal?
I have obtained the driver's advanced vocational skills appraisal certificate, and in a few years, I will pass the senior vocational skills appraisal assessment of the commander and artillery commander, and become a versatile elite soldier on the battlefield, which is my goal.
This article was published in the "Long March Supplement" edition of the People's Liberation Army Daily on January 30, 2024).
The People's Liberation Army Daily was released on WeChat
Editor: Su Pei.