"Armed Five Kilometers, First in the Entire Brigade! Squad Leader Hou is Still the 'Divine Artilleryman'"

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Hou Xueyuan, a member of the Communist Party of China, enlisted in 2017, holds the rank of Sergeant First Class, and currently serves as a squad leader in a certain company of a brigade in the Northern Theater Command Army. Since joining the army, he has been awarded third-class merit three times and received commendations six times. The squad he leads has also been awarded collective third-class merit once and received collective commendations once.

In early summer, a set of data posted at the training ground of a certain brigade in the Northern Theater Command Army caught attention: 3000 meters in 9 minutes and 52 seconds, 400 meters obstacle course in 1 minute and 45 seconds... On the unit's leaderboard, Sergeant First Class Hou Xueyuan's name frequently appears, with multiple subject scores ranking at the top.

What does it take to make the leaderboard? It relies on the hard skills of firing shells accurately and decisively, and on the steady and determined performance in competitions. After nine years of service, Hou Xueyuan has become both a steady shooter and a reliable soldier, achieving a perfect score of five hits out of five shots with a mortar, and has repeatedly set records and won medals in brigade competitions, recognized by his comrades as a model of martial excellence.

During his time as a conscript, Hou Xueyuan served in the armed police force before transferring to the army's border defense troops. Faced with the unfamiliar artillery specialty and new equipment, he initially felt a sense of "skill anxiety."

"The specialty can be learned again, but the charging posture of a soldier cannot be lost!" Facing the new position, Hou Xueyuan proactively put pressure on himself. During the day, he practiced the operation procedures repeatedly with the equipment; at night, he immersed himself in professional textbooks, studying word by word, with notes piling up thick. When encountering professional questions he didn't understand, Hou Xueyuan actively sought advice from cadre and key personnel, repeatedly verifying theoretical knowledge through practical operations, and his professional skills became increasingly proficient through continuous summarization and review.

Hard work pays off. With this determination, Hou Xueyuan gradually grew into an "expert" in the unit's professional field. Once, during a live-fire mortar shooting assessment organized by higher authorities, Hou Xueyuan calmly aimed and decisively fired, hitting the target area five times out of five, and was rated as a "Second-Class Sharpshooter." His comrades still vividly remember the smoke of the target range that day: "One shot after another, each shot accurately hitting the target, that's true skill, hard skill!"

In physical skill competitions, Hou Xueyuan also demonstrated extraordinary resilience. He represented his company in brigade-wide competitions six times. To improve his performance, he adhered to a "white plus black" training model: during the day, he trained hard on the training ground to enhance physical fitness and skills; at night, he spent time in the indoor gym, focusing on strengthening his weaknesses. With this drive, he repeatedly broke records— in 2019, he won second place in the soldier group of the brigade competition; in 2021, he set a new record for the brigade's 3-kilometer armed cross-country course with a time of 10 minutes and 43 seconds; in 2025, he won the championship in the 5-kilometer armed cross-country event at the brigade competition.

His comrades say: "Squad Leader Hou treats training like combat and competitions like battles; his striving figure is a silent mobilization order." Under his influence, the company has sparked a training craze where everyone practices skills and competes to be the best.

"Style is connected to combat effectiveness; style is combat effectiveness." This is a phrase Hou Xueyuan often repeats, and it vividly illustrates his approach to leading and educating soldiers, as well as fulfilling his responsibilities. In the company, he insists on "first being strict with oneself, then being strict with others." In daily management, he adheres to regulations and rules, without compromise or flexibility; in internal affairs, he sets high standards and detailed requirements, ensuring that items in the squad are meticulously arranged, reflecting discipline in every detail. Through daily self-discipline, Hou Xueyuan encourages his comrades to develop good habits of being rigorous and pragmatic.

In leading troops, Hou Xueyuan has his own set of "military strategies." He emphasizes tailored teaching, customizing growth roadmaps based on each soldier's strengths and foundations, sharing training insights, teaching methods, and instilling style. The squad he leads has been awarded collective third-class merit once and received collective commendations once, with seven members growing into training backbones of the company and six receiving awards for their achievements.

After nine years in the military, his original intention remains steadfast. Hou Xueyuan is rooted in border defense, excelling in his ordinary position, leading by example, and establishing himself through practical work and achievements, becoming a "star of military strength" that the soldiers in his company can see and learn from. His story inspires more comrades to bravely strive for excellence and pursue their dreams on the journey of strengthening the military.

Text: Zhang Yunqi, Dai Haiqian, Wang Gan

Photography: Jian Tianzhu