Fighting Wind and Waves to Defend the Nation's Gate: Today, Let's Get Closer to the Veterans Who Have Guarded the Reefs for Ten Years

Fighting the Wind and Waves to Guard the National Gate

A Heart Always Toward the Party

On a certain reef in the Nansha Islands, the temperature is high, humidity is high, and salinity is high all year round

Yet generations of reef guards have taken root here

They face the wind and waves head-on, ready for battle

Making the reef their home, accompanied by the sea

They use their youth and blood to strengthen the iron defense line of the South China Sea

They are on standby 24 hours a day

Ready to set out at any time

▲ Lighthouse on the Nansha Reef

▲ Navy soldier Sun Wei

Navy soldier Sun Wei

Has been stationed in Nansha for 10 years

Completing thousands of missions

Constantly accompanied by wind and waves

He has the most genuine experience of the dangers and tests of this sea area

▲ Soldiers preparing for patrol

▲ High-speed boat in motion

For him and his comrades

Every outing to sea

Is a tough battle

The surging waves at sea

Can lift the boat to the crest and then throw it down

The shallow waters and hidden reefs

Can cause the boat to run aground at any time

Heavy rain and fog increase the difficulty of navigation

▲ Sun Wei instructing his comrades

During a practical training exercise at sea

The command post suddenly reported a maritime situation

Sun Wei and his comrades immediately switched from training to combat

Rushing at full speed to the target sea area to handle it

The training task originally planned for just one hour

Ended up taking a whole day

That day the wind and waves were strong

Water kept pouring into the boat

They endured the scorching sun

When hungry, they nibbled on some compressed rations to fill their stomachs

Both physically and mentally

It was a real test and trial

▲ Navy soldiers on patrol

Wind and waves sharpen courage

Danger trains hard skills

Years of honing in such a close-to-combat environment

Have equipped the soldiers with solid skills in fighting wind and waves

Emergency response, rapid maneuvering, maritime vigilance

And other combat capabilities continue to improve

▲ Soldiers are on patrol

▲ Liu Xiaopeng counting supplies

Liu Xiaopeng, who works in logistics

Has also been stationed in Nansha for 10 years

Storage, maintenance, and support of military equipment

Is his daily work

“Having a clear understanding and precise handling of equipment and supplies

Is the hard standard for this position

All of us are always on high alert for combat readiness

As soon as the alarm sounds

Equipment and supplies must be in place immediately

To ensure we can fight at any time”

Speaking of his position

Liu Xiaopeng said

▲ Inspecting equipment

After 10 years of guarding the reef

Liu Xiaopeng has witnessed

The iterative upgrades of island support facilities

The conditions for material transfer and storage management

Have undergone tremendous changes

Generations of reef guards

Have continued to stand firm and work hard

Transforming the barren sea desert

Into a livable and training-friendly

Solid and stable maritime position

▲ Soldiers on lookout

▲ Soldiers conducting training

▲ Fast sailing of the small boat

Different positions

The same loyalty

Generations of Nansha reef guards

Make the reefs their home

Willing to guard the ends of the earth, work hard, and pursue dreams at sea

With loyalty and responsibility

They protect the “South Gate” of the motherland

Authors: Jia Siyu, Shi Yu, Zhou Zhou, Zhang Tianlong, Qiu Guo, Guo Xin, Shen Yuhang