Caring for Soldiers' Children, Warming the Green Military Camp

The opening ceremony of the 2026 autumn semester at Nanhai School in Zhanjiang. Provided by the author

Zhanjiang, Guangdong is committed to implementing policies that benefit the military—

Healthy growth for military children, smooth employment for military families

■ PLA Daily reporter Yang Xiaomin

As autumn arrives over the blue sea, the refreshing coconut breeze blows. Entering Nanhai School in Zhanjiang, the sound of children reading fills the air. Classes named after the country's South China Sea islands, such as Yongxing Island Class, Yongshu Reef Class, Zhongjian Island Class, and Chigua Reef Class… under the guidance of their teachers, the children are swimming in the ocean of knowledge.

In the morning, a military wife stands at the school gate, watching her son run into the campus. Seeing the once introverted little boy now turn around and smile, saying “Mom, see you tonight,” her eyes well up with tears.

This military wife’s husband, Xiao Chen, serves in a naval unit of the Southern Theater Command, often spending months at sea on missions, leaving little time to accompany their child. Their son is introverted and tends to keep his feelings to himself, sometimes crying when he gets anxious. The child's situation has always been a concern for Xiao Chen.

After learning about Xiao Chen's family situation, the teacher took the initiative to talk to the child, teaching him how to communicate with others and express his thoughts. Gradually, the child began to share stories from school at home, started raising his hand to ask questions in class, and his smiles became more frequent.

The story of Xiao Chen's family is a microcosm of Zhanjiang's military-civilian collaboration, alleviating the worries of soldiers and their families. In recent years, Zhanjiang City in Guangdong Province has actively coordinated with the Southern Theater Command Navy to implement policies that benefit the military, ensuring healthy growth for military children and smooth employment for military families, with stories of support for the military continuously unfolding.

When she moved to Zhanjiang with her military husband, military wife Zhou Nan had two concerns: Would she be able to pick up her teaching career again? Would her child be able to settle down in a new school?

Zhanjiang City introduced preferential policies that addressed both issues—Zhou Nan became a teacher at a local school through the military family placement channel; her child also enrolled smoothly. Zhou Nan truly felt that in Zhanjiang, her “second hometown,” her family had put down roots.

Like Zhou Nan, many military wives have found their desired jobs through the employment preferential policies for military families.

This year on Navy Day, a classroom question left a deep impression on Zhou Nan. The teacher drew an island and a warship on the blackboard and asked the children, “What would you like to say to the uncles and aunts guarding the reefs?” After a moment of silence in the classroom, hands began to rise: “Thank you for guarding the South China Sea,” “You are our pride,” “I also want to serve the country in the future”... The innocent words of children were heartfelt and moving.

Jiamusi in Heilongjiang establishes a long-term coordination mechanism

Transfer procedures for students completed within a week

PLA Daily News

Qi Huan, reporter Li Weixin reports: “Dad, I’m going to school!” Watching his child leave, Sergeant Major Zhao Jianchen from a certain brigade of the 78th Group Army smiled. “I didn’t expect that my child would smoothly enroll in school within a week of moving with the military.” He said this was thanks to the long-term coordination mechanism established by various departments in the area.

The brigade is located in a remote area with dispersed units, and the enrollment policies for stationed troops vary, often causing difficulties for soldiers regarding their children's education. To effectively address the concerns of soldiers, Jiamusi City in Heilongjiang Province held a coordination meeting to establish a long-term coordination mechanism among military sub-districts, education bureaus, schools, and police stations, providing warm services for the enrollment of military children.

Taking advantage of this “favorable wind,” the brigade broke the routine of “batch processing” and established a green channel for the enrollment of soldiers' children. Soldiers can submit their children's enrollment materials at any time, with designated personnel in the office handling the process, ensuring smooth enrollment for military children. This summer and autumn, the brigade's office resolved enrollment issues for several soldiers' children, with the fastest completion of transfer and military settlement procedures within a week.

It was reported that within a week of the start of school, the Jiamusi City Education Bureau also established a special inspection team to verify the enrollment status of military children, ensuring that the preferential policies are implemented without missing anyone.

Luoyang in Henan opens a dedicated service channel for military personnel

No need for frequent trips for children's enrollment

PLA Daily News

Mu Siyuan, reporter Lu Dongfang reports: On a day at the end of August, Sergeant Major Mei from a certain unit of the Rocket Force, along with his wife Song Jing, took their child out of the community and to the school, quickly helping the child complete the enrollment procedures.

“Organizations at all levels helped us solve the problem of our child's enrollment, making the warm service truly heartfelt.” After watching her daughter enter the teaching building, she said with emotion.

In response to the practical issues of soldiers being stationed away for long periods and difficulties in their children's enrollment, the political work department of the unit actively coordinated with the Luoyang Military Sub-district, working together with the city’s education bureau, veterans affairs bureau, and relevant schools to open a dedicated service channel for military children's enrollment. They contacted soldiers point-to-point to understand their children's situations and verify eligibility for preferential treatment, quickly handling file verification and information transfer through online methods.

With the joint efforts of military and civilian staff, the unit has achieved fewer trips for military children transferring schools and uninterrupted academic records.

It was reported that after military children enroll this autumn, the unit will also organize offline exchange meetings and regular visits to follow up and resolve subsequent issues in a timely manner.