Strengthening Skills and Confidence to Win (The Story Behind the Reply: Inheriting the Red Gene)

The tactical assessment site organized by the company.

Photo by Zheng Jiajun

The officers and soldiers of the company are training in the Strong Army and Precision Warfare Intelligent Special Training Room.

Photo by Xu Xiaolong

The officers and soldiers of the company are reading in the reading station.

Photo by Zheng Jiajun

The officers and soldiers of the company are undergoing physical fitness assessments.

Photo by Xu Xiaolong

In the midsummer, deep in eastern Fujian, a tactical exercise is in full swing.

The "Strong Army and Precision Warfare Red Fourth Company," as the main attacking unit, quietly completed the battlefield layout. Unmanned reconnaissance aircraft advanced, and multi-mode sensors such as infrared and visible light marked the "Blue Army" troop deployments and firepower configurations on the command terminal. Commands pierced through the smoke, and armored vehicles plunged deep like daggers.

This heroic company, born from the Huangma Uprising, has come a long way through the flames of war, awarded honorary titles seven times and recognized for collective combat achievements 45 times. In 2015, the company was awarded the honorary title of "Strong Army and Precision Warfare Red Fourth Company" by the Central Military Commission. Night raids on Yangming Fortress, "Model Combat Company," "Hard-Boned Sixth Company"… On the honor wall, bright red battle flags are earned with the blood of predecessors and polished with the sweat of successors.

On the eve of the 2024 "August 1" Army Day, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xi Jinping sent a letter to all officers and soldiers of the "Strong Army and Precision Warfare Red Fourth Company," emphasizing, "Continue the red bloodline, be determined to strengthen the army and enhance martial skills," and "Strive to build a strong and capable company that dares to fight and win, achieving new results and new contributions on the new journey in the new era."

The Weight of Honor

The red gene is passed down through generations, and the soldiers of the Fourth Company have built a wall of honor with their blood and sweat.

How heavy can an album be in the hearts of the soldiers?

On November 28, 2024, the anniversary of the company's establishment. In front of the honor room of the Fourth Company, the entire company stood in neat formation. The former instructor held a thick album, its cover already showing signs of age.

"Zhang Hongchao!" he called out loudly.

"Here!"

"You are the fifty-sixth soldier in the honor album. I hope you cherish this honor and continue to move forward!"

The young soldier straightened his back and took the freshly developed photo—he was covered in mud, just coming down from the "Individual Warrior" competition of the group army, his eyes filled with determination.

At the moment the shutter clicked, this photo was also recorded in the company’s history.

This honor album holds great significance in the hearts of the Fourth Company members. It contains not only competition champions and recognized models but also the growth marks of the officers and soldiers. It is the "Heroic Roll" of the company, and being included in the album is the goal of every officer and soldier in the Fourth Company.

"With spiritual nourishment in the heart, there will be the courage to strive," said the former instructor.

This statement is not empty. Second-class sergeant He Yong, when he first arrived at the company, was like a "silent gourd," but when he first walked into the honor room and saw the "Strong Army and Precision Warfare Red Fourth Company" battle flag, he was deeply shocked.

"The honor earned by our predecessors with their lives must be defended by our generation with strength," He Yong said. From then on, he transformed, conquering physical fitness, tactics, and skills one by one. Later, he achieved excellent results in the group army's "Individual Warrior" competition and was awarded a third-class merit.

In the Fourth Company, there are many soldiers ignited by the company’s history.

When new recruits join the company, the first thing they do is visit the honor room; when officers take office, their first lesson is about the company’s glorious traditions; the first song they learn to sing is the company song. The company has also organized "Red Class Records" and "Three Family Heirlooms," documenting the loyalty and glorious traditions of generations of officers and soldiers in a chronological format.

The members of the Fourth Company understand that the best way to cherish honor is to create new honors.

In 2021, the company’s party branch was recognized as a national advanced grassroots party organization and was awarded collective first-class merit at the end of the year; in 2023, it was recognized by the army as a "Model Unit for Practicing Strong Army Goals"; in 2024, it was again recognized as an "Advanced Unit for Standardized Construction," earning collective second-class merit…

The wall full of honors has been built by generations of Fourth Company members with their blood and sweat. On the road to a strong army, the officers and soldiers continue to write brilliance.

To the Battle of Toughness

Starting from scratch and exploring difficulties, the officers and soldiers of the Fourth Company are striving towards transformation and construction.

How difficult is transformation?

Around 2017, amidst a new wave of national defense and military reform, the Fourth Company was restructured from a mechanized infantry company to an armored infantry company.

From "infantry" to "armored infantry," it seems like just two more words, but there is a "mountain" in between.

"You can't just sit in the infantry fighting vehicle while your mind is still stuck on 'iron feet'!" During the evening roll call, then-company commander Zhang Kang's words were resolute, "We must tackle this hard nut and never let the 'Strong Army and Precision Warfare' gold sign tarnish!"

Words were spoken, but reality lay before them: no mature teaching materials, no professional instructors, no practical experience, everything had to start from scratch.

Key party members of the company volunteered to dive into the training ground, exploring each component and recording each parameter, hand-writing nearly 100,000 words of professional training materials.

In the midsummer of eastern Fujian, the temperature inside the sealed armored vehicle exceeds 50 degrees Celsius. Once inside, one is immediately soaked. Yet, in such an environment, the officers and soldiers of the Fourth Company stayed for more than half a day. They trained repeatedly, turning every action into muscle memory.

The effort paid off with solid results—within less than a hundred days of new equipment being deployed, the combat shooting assessment pass rate reached 100%, the best in the entire brigade. Six months later, all vehicle crews achieved good results, and 12 gunners were recognized as "Master Gunners"…

Transformation has no end. With the continuous expansion of mission tasks in recent years, the company’s digital and intelligent construction has accelerated, and many officers and soldiers have once again felt a sense of skill anxiety. The company established the "Strong Army and Precision Warfare Intelligent Special Training Room," introducing multiple immersive simulation training systems and technological equipment, exploring "unmanned intelligence" as a new growth point for combat effectiveness.

Late at night, the special training room is brightly lit.

"Can drones expand reconnaissance capabilities and enhance target recognition?" "Can the mounting system be optimized to improve task adaptability in complex environments?" A brainstorming session on the tactical use of drones is underway. The officers and soldiers are discussing enthusiastically, with brilliant ideas coming one after another.

These discussions quickly yielded results on the training ground. In a recent nighttime live-fire exercise, the reconnaissance guidance team quickly identified targets and accurately located them using drones, and each vehicle crew launched attacks as ordered, swiftly annihilating the "enemy."

"Controlling drones is now a must-practice skill for every officer and soldier in the company," said Company Commander Dai confidently, "Next, we will accelerate our push towards intelligence!"

The Tempering of Talent

Day after day of high-intensity training, the officers and soldiers of the Fourth Company strive for everyone to showcase their talents.

How does a talent team grow generation after generation?

In the Fourth Company, a common scene is: the old squad leader guiding young soldiers, meticulously refining movements and honing techniques on the training ground.

On the armored vehicle training ground, second-class sergeant Kong Tao is practicing shooting with sergeant Zhang Yu. "Pay attention to the coordination between aiming and firing; timing is key!" Kong Tao says while demonstrating.

Zhang Yu is preparing for a vocational skills assessment and initially felt uncertain. After this special training, his skills improved significantly, and he felt more confident.

Such mentorship is a daily occurrence in the Fourth Company.

The company’s party branch has specifically developed a talent cultivation plan, establishing an annual task list and a "Talent Growth Database" mechanism, implementing personalized training programs based on each officer and soldier's professional strengths and job requirements.

Last year, the higher unit organized drone training, and private Deng Chaoyang made operational errors due to nervousness, resulting in unsatisfactory performance. The Fourth Company tailored a special improvement plan for Deng Chaoyang: one-on-one mentorship from professional key personnel, regular practical training, along with psychological counseling and stress training. Day after day of refinement transformed this once-nervous young man. In this year's drone training, Deng Chaoyang won first place.

"A knife is sharpened on a stone, and a person is trained through practice," said Company Commander Dai, "We must dare to give young soldiers responsibilities and tasks, allowing them to showcase their talents on a larger stage."

Second-class sergeant Wang Junwei, with his superb armored driving skills, topped the company assessment and was recommended to participate in the group army's "Iron Armored Pioneer" professional competition. Facing high-intensity training and fierce competition, he remained calm during the driving assessment, scoring full marks and winning first place. The company’s party branch dares to push outstanding talents to the front line, allowing them to face challenges in urgent and difficult situations, growing their capabilities through trials.

In the Fourth Company, "everyone can become talented, and everyone can showcase their talents" is not just a slogan. The company organically integrates individual growth with collective glory, recording the competition achievements, professional qualifications, advanced deeds, and growth transformations of officers and soldiers in the honor book, allowing those who strive to be remembered, those who compete to shine, and those who work hard to gain glory. Since the beginning of this year, the company has won four first-place awards in the brigade, and many officers and soldiers have achieved rankings in higher-level competitions.

As night fades and dawn breaks, the sound of the bugle pierces the silence, and the roar of armored vehicles thunders like thunder.

The assembly whistle sounds. All officers and soldiers of the company shout in unison the company spirit: "Listen to the Party, follow the Party, attack to win, fight to succeed, fear no difficulty, fear no danger, the company is home, and hardship is honor!"

Resounding oaths echo across the camp.

With the belief and responsibility of "Strong Army and Precision Warfare," the officers and soldiers face the rising sun, once again launching a new charge towards higher, more difficult, and more dangerous victory heights.

The battle flag flutters; this heroic company, born from the flames of war, is writing new glory on the land.

(Contributions by Huang Xiongquan and Liu Siyu)