'Hard-boned' unit targets continued success

The Sixth Company of the 74th Army Group of the People's Liberation Army is known as the "hard-boned Sixth Company".

The nickname was bestowed on the company because its 80-plus year history has seen it produce many heroes who fought bravely and made the ultimate sacrifice.

Even in today's peaceful times, the officers and other ranks live by the spirit of the hardships endured by their predecessors and continue to forge a "hard-boned" company.

For example, in 2013, squad leader Yang Shulin fell from a 5-meter-high ladder during an exercise and smashed his right arm against a rock.

Instead of quitting, Yang switched his firearm to his left hand, gritted his teeth and completed the moves fluently before consulting a medic. He was diagnosed with a comminuted fracture, meaning the bone had broken into several fragments.

More recently, Zhao Song, the company commander, had a 3-centimeter-long steel pin implanted in his left wrist after a fall during a training session. He now regards the pin as a part of his body.

In 2018, the 31-year-old captain from Hebei province was demonstrating a rope-climbing move to his troops when he grabbed the rope with one hand and turned to face them. However, rainfall had made the rope very slippery. Zhao fell from a height of 4 meters and used his left hand to try to break his fall. The impact broke his wrist, which was subsequently encased in plaster.

When the plaster was removed, Zhao was told that his wrist would have to remain in tight bandages for three months. Unable to stand the restriction to his movement, he removed the bandages before the appointed date and immediately started training again.

A few months later, the brigade issued a notice asking for volunteers for physical fitness assessments. Zhao signed up without hesitation, despite many colleagues attempting to dissuade him. He then devised a rigorous personal training plan that involved running 45 kilometers a week and doing at least 100 pullups every day.