PLA's 'Red First Company' innovates to hone edge

A People's Liberation Army unit renowned for historic victories has vowed to uphold its loyalty to the Communist Party of China and the people by honing its combat capabilities and readiness.

On the morning of June 30, a day before the centenary of the founding of CPC was celebrated, all the members of the First Company of the PLA's 83rd Army Group－fully armed and neatly arrayed－solemnly pledged the Party admission oath in front of the Party flag to celebrate the anniversary.

Captain Hu Guanlei, the company's commander, said the strong leadership of the Party had led generations of the company's soldiers to victory in hundreds of battles, so they celebrated the Party's centenary militarily.

"It is also to make all members of the company remember the loyalty and fighting qualities instilled in our blood," he said.

The company－often referred to as the "Red First Company"－started as a peasant self-defense force that was integrated into the Red Army. It pledged the first Party admission oath in the history of the Chinese armed forces 94 years ago.

On Oct 15, 1927, Mao Zedong admitted six soldiers from the company into the CPC and set up a Party branch－the first company-level Party branch in the army.

The establishment of what was dubbed the "Party branch built on a company" was historically significant because it kicked off the successful practice of building a new type of people's army with a primary political nature, contributing to the final victory of the revolution.

The company has fought in more than 300 battles and been awarded first-class merit honors four times, second-class merits 10 times and third-class merits 14 times. It has also received five honorary titles, including "Hundred Battles, Hundred Victories" in 1942, "Valiant Company" in 1948 and "Model Party Branch" in 1991.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the company has completed numerous major missions, including international peacekeeping, rescue and disaster relief, taking part in international military competitions and joint exercises, and has been recognized as an advanced PLA unit.

Soldiers from the company said its Party branch committee plays a strong role in maintaining its edge.

The seven-member committee, with company instructor Captain Zheng Jiwen as secretary and Hu as deputy secretary, takes the lead in training.

Late last year, the company was equipped with new combat vehicles. No one was familiar with the new equipment, and the committee members worked overtime to master the vehicles before developing a training program.

The Party branch has also set very strict requirements for its committee members: they have to achieve "excellence" in all training subjects and win first place in competitions just to "pass". In difficult subjects, they have to train to their limit and their command skills must prove useful in combat drills.

"We have to master all important and difficult subjects first so that we can be convincing enough to demonstrate, teach and lead our company soldiers," said Sergeant Ke Changshui, a member of the committee.

"This is an effective way to increase cohesion, solidarity and combat power."