Crossing Mountains and Ridges, the Veteran Takes Me to Patrol the Line

Crossing mountains and ridges, the veteran takes me to patrol the line

By | Hou Lei

Putting down the phone receiver and turning his head, a dark, thin face is facing the reporter, with humble eyes shining brightly. The veteran in front of me is Senior Sergeant Gao Yuhua from a certain battalion of the Information Support Force.

Next to the red telephone, there is a notebook with curled edges, densely filled with writing. On the bedside, there is a book marked with a bookmark titled "Information Technology and Applications of Mechanical Equipment." "I’m really sorry, but I have a patrol task today and can’t chat with you for too long," the veteran said while adjusting his uniform and tightening his belt, speaking decisively and moving briskly.

After serving for 36 years, fighting in five major mountains, applying for service extensions seven times, achieving "first-class" in military sports training at the age of 54, mastering the operation and maintenance of over 50 types of equipment, training more than 500 professional technical backbones, and having multiple inventions included in the exhibition at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution... Before interviewing this "Mountain Guardian King," the reporter had already heard of his remarkable deeds.

Upon hearing that the veteran was going to lead a patrol, the reporter applied to join the team and set off with the patrol squad after receiving approval.

It rained all night, and the sky had not yet cleared; thick clouds gathered overhead from time to time. Behind us, a small camp was surrounded by towering mountains; ahead, a winding mountain road extended upward, disappearing into a sea of dark green after rounding a hill.

“We organize patrols every week, mainly to maintain equipment, inspect lines, and clear obstacles,” said First Class Sergeant Tian Kuo to the reporter. He explained that patrolling is a fundamental task, and the work is quite trivial, but Sergeant Gao often applies to participate. At first, he didn’t understand, “Why would such a ‘technical expert’ come to do such basic work?”

An experience dealing with an unexpected situation changed Tian Kuo's perspective.

“The incident happened right there; I can still vividly recall it,” Tian Kuo said, pointing to a slope not far ahead. At that time, a major task was about to unfold, and Tian Kuo was conducting a routine patrol with a private when Gao Yuhua joined them at the last minute—participating in patrol inspections before major tasks was his habit.

As they passed the slope, Tian Kuo and his comrade conducted a close observation and then deployed a drone for inspection, finding nothing unusual, and were preparing to continue. Just then, Gao Yuhua noticed the scattered tree bark and broken branches on the slope and suggested they check the situation along the slope.

Climbing up the slope, Tian Kuo was startled to see a section of tree trunk, about 10 centimeters in diameter, that was not completely broken, lying across the tangled branches. “If it completely breaks or falls due to strong winds onto the line, it would definitely cause serious consequences,” Tian Kuo said. From below, the trunk looked just like any normally growing tree, but Sergeant Gao was able to detect the anomaly from subtle clues, which was impressive.

“It all depends on intuition!” Facing the reporter's surprised gaze, Gao Yuhua said. In his view, developing this intuition is most important through attentiveness, always paying attention to changes in rockfalls, vegetation cover, and even the movements of birds and animals, because “every detail may contain information and clues related to the task.”

This focus on details stems from Gao Yuhua's heightened awareness gained from participating in major tasks multiple times: during cross-regional maneuver training, soldiers had camouflage backpacks on their beds, ready to grab and go at the sound of the call; during joint training with multiple military branches, pilots stayed with their aircraft for 24 hours, taking off immediately upon receiving orders; during emergency drills at the command post, personnel at each position gathered information and issued commands, using both hands and eyes, racing against time...

“Participating in major tasks, although we mainly undertake support work, we are always enveloped in an atmosphere of ‘facing a great enemy, truly engaging in battle,’” Gao Yuhua said. “The more experiences I have, the deeper my understanding, and the stronger the sense of urgency not to slack off.”

While speaking, Gao Yuhua stepped forward with his left foot onto an exposed tree root, pushing off with his right foot, and his whole body crossed a steep slope. After turning around briskly, he reached out to his comrades behind him.

“People’s emotions are contagious,” Gao Yuhua said. Every time he undertakes a major task, he becomes particularly cautious even in his breathing, not out of fear of danger, but out of concern that he might disrupt the rhythm and affect the younger soldiers around him. “Completing tasks to a high standard requires not only solid skills but also a strong mindset.”

Reaching a relatively flat area, the exhausted reporter found a stone to sit on, preparing to take a short break. Gao Yuhua turned his head, and Tian Kuo understood immediately, quickly opening his portable equipment to start working. Before long, he handed a small black notebook to Gao Yuhua. Power supply technical parameters, power consumption status, potential hazard point analysis... Looking at the information recorded in the notebook, Gao Yuhua nodded in satisfaction.

As a professional backbone trained by Gao Yuhua, Tian Kuo has also developed a strong sense of urgency in recent years, just like Gao Yuhua.

“Nowadays, with more and more new equipment, higher technical content, and increasingly complex support needs, the intersection of professional roles is becoming more evident,” Tian Kuo said. He mentioned that he has encountered tricky problems several times and has sought solutions from Sergeant Gao over the phone. Later, the headquarters specially installed a military line phone in Gao Yuhua's dormitory to facilitate him in providing technical consultation to soldiers on missions outside, which is affectionately called the “Old Gao Hotline.”

“With Sergeant Gao having extended his service seven times and still working so hard, we have no right to take a break,” said Second Class Sergeant Zhong Hui, noting that it is common for Sergeant Gao to work overtime on weekends, sometimes staying in the training room for several days to tackle major issues.

After completing the patrol, everyone made their way down the mountain. On the downward slope, broken branches lay scattered. The soldiers said that in places where the path is unclear, it is best to walk on the thicker branches to reduce the chances of falling.

“Shall we find a place to rest?” someone suggested as they reached a bend. But Gao Yuhua quickly opened the communication device—signal is poor in the mountains, and he was worried about missing a distress message, so he checks every time he reaches an open area. Two “missed call notifications” caught his eye; he called back to find out that a brother unit was urgently seeking help for a tricky problem, and he needed to hurry back to the training room to study a solution.

In the mountains, mist swirled, and the greenery was lush. The distant peaks soared into the sky, and sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting down patches of golden silk. The beautiful scenery is intoxicating, but it cannot distract from the green figures; the towering mountains do not slow the hurried footsteps of the soldiers...

Reporter’s Note

Stay close to that squad leader

By | Hou Lei

A camp surrounded by mountains, not large in size, yet “hiding dragons and crouching tigers”: on the light boxes along the roads and the walls of the barracks corridors, portraits and profiles of professional backbones are posted. Most of them are outstanding in their respective fields, some, like Gao Yuhua, have gained fame beyond the mountains and are well-known throughout the military. What is most surprising is that they are all soldiers that Gao Yuhua has trained or taught.

When asked about his secret to leading soldiers, Gao Yuhua pondered for a long time and told the reporter, “Consciously do your own job well.” During the patrol, he always walks at the front, and when encountering situations that need to be addressed, he never just issues orders based on experience but instead observes, analyzes, and assesses the situation on-site, thinking deeply before coming up with feasible solutions.

It’s the same in daily life. In the morning, he is the first to go downstairs to line up; during formation training, he stands tall at the front; in internal inspections, the “Gao-style tofu block” has always been the benchmark... Throughout the patrol, the soldiers shared a few anecdotes that made this veteran's image even more vivid. They said that whether in study, work, or training, they fear falling behind or lagging, and staying close to Sergeant Gao is always the right choice.

The mountains are majestic, and the Xiang River flows northward. Clouds drift by, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore can be heard from time to time.

This river is named in history for the “rolling red currents dyeing the blue sky” during the Long March of the Red Army. Many revolutionary predecessors, when talking about that period, said their greatest concern was “fear of falling behind” and “daring not to stop.” “Fear of falling behind” and “daring not to stop” are driven by reality and tied to mission. Watching the soldiers patrolling fade into the distance, the reporter silently felt that their hurried steps are indeed a legacy of the urgency and sense of mission passed down from their predecessors.

This legacy transcends time and space, stirring strength, igniting the passion of the vast number of officers and soldiers to strive for a strong military, and writing new verses of youth on every training ground...

Source: PLA Daily