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Patrolling the desert border: I am the motherland's "mobile boundary marker"

——Visiting the Qinghekou outpost of a border defense brigade of the Northern Theater Command Army

■ Zhang Xiang, Ai Hongbo, People's Liberation Army Daily reporter Zhang Dongpan

The sentry observes the situation in the defense zone through a telescope. Photo by Yang Bingju

In the Gobi Desert during the dog days of summer, the heat waves are rolling.

Early in the morning, the reporter set out from Ejina Banner, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia, to visit the Qinghekou outpost of a border defense brigade of the Northern Theater Command Army hundreds of kilometers away.

Although it is called "Qinghe", there are no clear springs or rivers along the way. All you can see is the endless Gobi Desert, and there is no one living anywhere. Along the way, the gravel rolled up by the wheels kept hitting the car body, and the saxauls flashing by the window looked scorched yellow under the scorching sun...

The outpost is located on the edge of the Badain Jaran Desert. The annual precipitation is less than 40 mm, and there are more than 260 days of strong winds above level 7 throughout the year. It is known as the "forbidden zone of life."

Near noon, a sentry tower appeared on the edge of the sand dunes, with the five large characters "Qinghekou Sentry Post" on the building particularly eye-catching. Walking into the camp, the red willows on the roadside attracted the reporter's attention. This is a rare bright color along the way.

"These trees were planted last year. Only two or three of the saplings survived, and we don't know how long they can live." Sentry leader Mo Yingquan told reporters that officers and soldiers try to plant trees and grow vegetables around the post every year, but they all fail because the well water here is bitter and salty, and the survival rate is extremely low when used to irrigate plants.

On the first floor of the outpost, the reporter saw a water cellar. Mo Yingquan said that before the company installed water purification equipment, the soldiers at the outpost used the water cellar to store bitter and salty water and drink it after it settled. Today, drinking purified water has been guaranteed, but the water supply is limited, and the soldiers still maintain the style of hard work and thrift.

The reporter climbed up the sentry tower along the spiral staircase. He thought it would be a little cool inside, but when he walked in, he found it was scorching hot. Sentinel Zhou Xingyi held a telescope in his hand, concentrating on observing the border situation, and his vigilant eyes "scanned" the border cordon back and forth. The sun shone on his dark face, and beads of sweat slid down his cheeks. On the wall, the red scale of the thermometer stopped at around 35℃.

"The sentry tower is surrounded by glass windows, and the sunlight stays on for a long time. Even with the air conditioner on, it is difficult to lower the temperature." Mo Yingquan told reporters that this place is close to the border, the environment is harsh and the situation is complicated. In addition, the defense zone is large and the border line is long, so the sentries have heavy duties and must keep their eyes open at all times and keep their combat readiness tight.

"The sentry post is the battle post, and being on duty is fighting a war." When leaving duty, Zhou Xingyi wiped the sweat from his face and stomped his numb feet. "I feel very proud to be able to guard the motherland on the front line." As he spoke, the several dry cuts on his lips were particularly eye-catching, with bloodshot eyes faintly visible, but his eyes were clear and firm.

The sentry post is not big, but it carries the original aspirations and dreams of the border guards and witnesses their loyalty and perseverance. Perhaps, ordinary perseverance is itself extraordinary.

At the monitoring point, duty officer Zhang Yu's sentry post is in front of the screen. He stares at the control information system screen and conducts real-time monitoring of various points on the border of the defense zone. Mo Yingquan told reporters that in recent years, as the front-line of border defense has accelerated the transformation of information construction, the sentry post is equipped with a border control information system. This system integrates front-end monitoring, reconnaissance and early warning, command and control and other functions, realizing the informatization of border control means. Officers and soldiers can have a panoramic view of the border situation without leaving home, greatly improving the efficiency of border control.

Coming down from the sentry tower, the company's deputy commander Li Dong was preparing to organize officers and soldiers to patrol on duty, and the reporter decided to go with him.

"The desert soil is soft, and turning too little or too quickly will increase the risk of the vehicle getting stuck, or even causing a rollover." Li Dong told reporters that in the past, when patrolling in difficult areas, officers and soldiers had to ride camels. In recent years, as road conditions have gradually improved, patrols have become much more convenient.

During the conversation, the reporter learned that Li Dong has been working in the border defense for 13 years. After graduating from the military academy, he took the initiative to submit an application for border defense and resolutely chose to serve in the most difficult frontier defense.

"An unknown target has appeared ahead. Please ask the patrol team to investigate and deal with it." As he was speaking, a special situation report came from the intercom. Upon hearing the order, the officers and soldiers immediately adjusted their direction and rushed to the target area. Surveying the terrain, calibrating the position, conducting reconnaissance and blockade... Everyone divided the work and cooperated closely, and quickly eliminated the special situation.

"Only by working hard in peacetime training can we be deployed, go up and win at critical moments." Li Dong told reporters that the company, based on the actual border control tasks, regularly organizes training to hone the officers and soldiers' emergency response capabilities.

On this sacred border, generations of border guards have left their footprints of guarding the border and defending the country, as well as their fiery youth and even young lives.

In the middle of the desert, a martyr's tomb stood quietly from afar. Approaching and paying tribute, I saw the martyr's name engraved on the tombstone: Zhang Liang. After everyone paid tribute, Li Dong told reporters about the martyr Zhang Liang's sacrifice:

In May 2002, Zhang Liang left his remaining half pot of water to his comrade who was suffering from heat stroke while on patrol with him. Unfortunately, he lost his way due to the strong wind and sand on his way back to the company for help. In addition, he was severely dehydrated due to the scorching sun, and his young life was forever left in the vast Gobi Desert. When his comrades found Zhang Liang's body, they discovered that in the last moments of his life, he dug a deep pit with his hands and buried his gun in the sand to prevent it from being lost.

Li Dong unscrewed a kettle of water and gently sprinkled it in front of the tombstone. All officers and soldiers stood in solemn remembrance. Li Dong told reporters that after Zhang Liang died, officers and soldiers placed a kettle in front of his tombstone. Every time they patrolled this place, they would refill the kettle in front of the tombstone to express their endless grief for the martyr.

Over the years, Zhang Liang's name has inspired successive generations of officers and soldiers to take root in the border and work hard to hone their skills. College student soldier Teng Dongyang is one of them.

Last year, college student Teng Dongyang joined the army. He admitted that when he first arrived at Qinghekou, his feelings were like the folk song popular in the Alxa region: "Crossing the Helan Mountains, the more I walked, the more sad I felt; seeing Qinghekou, I turned around and wanted to leave..."

During that time, Teng Dongyang, who came from the Jiangnan water town, was not able to adapt and was in a low mood. The company cadres took him to pay tribute to the martyr Zhang Liang and told him the story behind the kettle. That night, he lay in bed tossing and turning, and finally understood that "being on the front line of the border, we must be a good 'mobile boundary marker' of the motherland."

As the sun sets, the patrol team arrives at the boundary marker. Teng Dongyang and his comrades paint the marker red. The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the dark faces of the soldiers, and their bright and clear eyes are shining. The boundary marker stands tall, and the sentinels look resolute, just like the poplar trees in the desert, tough and tenacious.

On patrol, the most common phrase the reporter heard from soldiers was "conditions are getting better and better now". With the care and concern of party committees at all levels, the outposts have been connected to long-term electricity, high-efficiency water purification equipment has been installed, "green greenhouses" have been built, and the camps are also covered by 5G signals...

When I returned to the sentry post, it was already late. The vast sea of ​​sand was somewhat lonely at night, and even the violent winds that raged during the day had stopped. In the vast night, the sentry tower was glowing with light, standing quietly - the sentries on duty were guarding their posts, protecting the peace of the border and the lights of the thousands of homes behind them.

In this sacred sentry post, soldiers have been brave enough to shoulder the heavy mission with their youth and passion, despite the scorching heat. They stick to the front line of the motherland's border defense, regard the sentry post as their home, and become a beautiful landscape in the "forbidden zone of life".

Layout Editor: Zeng Huolun, Yang Yan, Li Lidi

Source: China Military