Resilience and renewal in a remote military outpost

Running at sunrise in a slightly fishy sea breeze has become a daily ritual for navy veteran Liu Xiaoguang, giving him the confidence to face each day's training and the future.

Liu, a 43-year-old soldier in a navy brigade of the People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command, has served in the military for over 20 years. Nearly 19 of those years have been spent in the brigade.

Liu said that with the brigade's deepening focus on political rectification and military training in recent years, both veterans and new recruits are showing increased enthusiasm for daily tasks.

"Scientific training methods and rational resource allocation have enabled everyone to feel their capabilities improving," he said. "Any soldier who performs well can find suitable opportunities here."

The brigade is stationed on a remote and harsh island. In the past, it faced issues such as wavering commitment among soldiers, frequent management problems, and a lack of core strength, which once brought development to a standstill.

Liu said that now, everything in the brigade, including grassroots affairs, examinations and evaluations, is subject to a clear public display system and is open to supervision by all. Personal performance is the sole criterion for assessment, ensuring transparency and credibility.

"We have grown more confident in recent years, as more training models have been implemented, allowing us to train in simulated environments that bring us closer to real combat scenarios, and achieving multiple significant results," he said.

"Our training results have also been recognized by higher-ups, giving us the opportunity to participate in joint training missions with foreign forces, which fills me with immense pride."

The brigade has also actively promoted a shift in work procedures, doing its utmost to address the concerns of soldiers and enhance their sense of belonging.

Liu's daughter and wife moved to Zhuhai, Guangdong province, seven years ago when his wife changed jobs. Coordination by the brigade helped his then 6-year-old daughter enroll in a primary school.

"Many friends used to tell me how difficult it was to arrange school admissions for their children," he said. "When it was my turn, I only prepared some documentation, and the brigade handled the rest. They really helped a lot."

With the progression of the brigade's political rectification and military training, the mechanisms for retaining, selecting and utilizing personnel have further improved. Many soldiers who had left to pursue further study have returned to the brigade.

It has also implemented a talent development plan, emphasizing combat scenario standards in the selection of officers. A total of 139 officers have been selected for different positions, and 55 have been recommended for exchanges.

Feng Changli, who enrolled at Hunan Agricultural University in Changsha, Hunan province, in 2015, was initially indifferent to his studies and addicted to gaming. He enlisted in September 2016 and joined the brigade in May 2017.

His comrades' enthusiasm for training and strict discipline gradually made him more disciplined too.

"I gradually found that I could control myself during my service time," he said. "Having things to do every day felt fulfilling, and I also developed habits of exercising and reading. My personality also became more open, and I no longer drifted aimlessly."

In 2017, when he learned he could apply for military school after two years of conscript service, he began preparing diligently. Besides daily training, he spent most of his time studying, often until early morning, before resuming training at 6 am every day.

"The training in the army made my will stronger, and having another chance to study made me cherish it more," he said.

In 2018, he was admitted to a military academy, where he ranked first in comprehensive scores for four consecutive years, won multiple academic competition awards, and was twice honored with third-class merits.

Those accolades presented him with a variety of options at graduation. However, knowing how the brigade had developed over the past few years, Feng ultimately decided to return to it after graduation in 2022. "I believe there is a brighter future here," he said.

Besides those who returned to the brigade with outstanding achievements, young soldiers like 20-year-old Yu Junhong have also rebuilt their confidence and resolve within the unit.

Yu enlisted in September 2022 at the age of 18 after graduating from high school. He had been contemplating enlistment since his first year of high school.

Before enlisting, he was quite introverted and could hardly interact with older people due to a lack of common interests. After joining the army, he found that his older comrades were similar to peers his own age and took good care of him, he said.

"Many new recruits like me didn't understand a lot of things at the beginning," he said. "We all started training from scratch, and the veterans provided a lot of guidance. The atmosphere here is very supportive."

After almost two years in the army, Yu said he has become more confident.

"My newfound confidence stems from my own changes," he said. "My success in handling various training and completing all sorts of assessments brought me such confidence."

Yu said their efforts are visible to those around him, and superiors recommend young people based on their performance in various tasks, which gives everyone confidence in future development.