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maintenance officers and soldiers of a brigade of the northern theater command army inspect and maintain a helicopter. photo by qi dong

why did the former "star" recruit encounter a "downward cycle"?

as night fell, instructor li from a certain company of a certain brigade of the northern theater command army came to the headquarters building and handed the task list for the recent training to staff officer wang of the training department.

"why is shen xing's name not on the list?" staff officer wang frowned after reading the list twice. he was in charge of the training of this batch of recruits, and was deeply impressed by shen xing's outstanding military qualities among the same batch of recruits.

"shen xing?" instructor li was a little puzzled after hearing what staff officer wang said. "the company organized a survey before, and his military quality is only at the middle level."

no, it's not just that his military quality is average. instructor li quickly reviewed it in his mind. in the six months since he joined the company, shen xing didn't seem to be outstanding in any aspect. he was neither outstanding nor outstanding. he was far from the "good seedling" mentioned by staff officer wang.

after repeatedly comparing shen xing's personal information, what staff officer wang couldn't understand was: how did the recruit who ran very fast in physical fitness courses and was at the forefront of all activities during the new training become the "middle group" of the company?

thinking back to the days since he was transferred to the company, shen xing himself felt a little dazed.

after joining the company, shen xing thought he had not slacked off, and continued to train, work, and study as hard as before. however, the new journey of military life was not as broad as he had imagined, and the waves of his dream soon died down.

the shining moment of "the beginning of the army" did not continue after joining the company as expected. i can't remember when the "front-line soldier" who was often praised by the squad leader gradually became silent.

corporal liu sen has experienced this growth gap: "when i was a new recruit, i felt like i was full of energy, but now i feel like i'm out of energy."

liu sen is a "military fan". before joining the army, he liked to browse military forums on the website. he knows all types of helicopters like the back of his hand and is a well-known "military expert" among his batch of recruits.

when liu sen, full of passion for helicopters, came to the maintenance company closest to the helicopters, he truly felt the gap between reality and imagination.

the electric switches, buttons, and wires are so numerous that one can hardly take in the sight. the pipelines, wires, and oil lines are as dense as blood vessels and nerves. the complicated maintenance procedures and boring theoretical studies have worn away his passion and confidence bit by bit.

it was liu sen’s first time participating in helicopter maintenance. he was criticized by the squad leader for not counting the parts carefully enough.

drawing schematics, mastering various data, studying various regulations, every step on the road of professional learning feels difficult, and every hurdle seems difficult to overcome. seeing his comrades "let go" one by one, while he himself is standing still, liu sen feels that he has "slid into the 'slow lane'".

the "growth variations" experienced by shen xing and liu sen are a microcosm of the training, work and life of many new recruits after they are assigned to other companies.

"the training for recruits is relatively simple and the evaluation is relatively single. after being assigned to a company, the company's diverse training courses and intense mission pace may cause the recruits to encounter a growth 'bottleneck'." in the opinion of a leader of the brigade, those recruits who have outstanding performance and are often praised in the recruit company, when they are assigned to a company and face higher standards and more difficult tasks, the advantages they were proud of before are no longer prominent, and this may become a "double-edged sword" that destroys their self-confidence.

once depression and loss spread, it often leads to an imbalance in the mentality of recruits. this period, which should be a critical period for recruits to cultivate a positive mentality and develop tough habits, is likely to become an irreversible "downward cycle".

why did the former "star" recruits encounter a "downward cycle"? how to view silence and emergence, how to understand the "fast" and "slow" on the road to growth, is not only a "heart" change that new comrades need to recognize, but also a "heart" issue that leaders need to pay attention to.

only by racing against time and catching up can we win the qualification to play.

as the sun rises, at the airport, several helicopters, wrapped in golden light, stand on the tarmac like eagles with their heads held high, ready to take off.

"first open the engine skin, then wipe and maintain it, carefully check every component and every fuse..." a loud explanation sounded next to the fighter plane. this was mechanic sun siyu instructing his new comrade in his work.

looking at the slightly immature faces of her new comrades, sun siyu often thinks of herself when she was a new recruit.

in 2016, sun siyu joined the army and became a member of the armed police force after finishing his freshman year. after completing his conscript service, he returned to school to continue his studies. in 2019, he was reluctant to leave the military camp and joined the army for the second time.

"from being a recruit to a company, i'm actually stepping into another track." the experience of joining the army twice has given sun siyu a deeper understanding of growth.

when she first arrived at the army, sun siyu was the "training model" of the recruit company due to her outstanding physical fitness. she also made full use of her training expertise and became a good assistant to the training squad leader.

but after joining the company, sun siyu felt obviously struggling when faced with completely unfamiliar subjects and complex majors.

once, the helicopter was undergoing a ground test and several mechanics were needed to work on site. this task was not difficult, but considering that sun siyu was still a new recruit, the company commander asked several other mechanics to perform the task.

the harder it was to endure that moment, the more unforgettable it was. watching the busy figures of her comrades, sun siyu in the "spectator seat" understood that since she had stepped onto the new "track" of helicopter maintenance and support, all her past experience and achievements would have to be reset to zero. only by racing against time and catching up could she win the qualification to play.

after clarifying the goal, sun siyu used the hard work she had previously put into physical training to improve her professional skills. she eagerly read the principles, memorized the circuits, and practiced the operations.

after hard training and study, sun siyu is not only able to operate skillfully, but also has a clear understanding of technical parameters, component performance and circuit diagrams. he has grown into a qualified mechanic and is back on the "fast track" of growth and progress.

the sun and the moon alternate, and the war eagles rise and fall.

on the ground, second sergeant bai wenbo, wearing a blue work suit, raised his rough, thick, scarred right hand and waved towards the distance, saluting the fighter plane he had released.

before joining the army, bai wenbo was an expert in auto repair, proficient in mechanical principles and strong in hands-on ability. however, he also experienced a period of "frustration" when he first joined the company.

fighter aircraft maintenance technology is more difficult and has stricter standards. any "mistake or omission" during operation may pose a huge safety hazard. bai wenbo is extremely nervous every time he operates, fearing that there will be even the slightest mistake or omission.

"i used to be able to play with car engines, which was considered a high 'pace' among the recruits. now i have to figure out helicopter engines, and my previous 'pace' is definitely not up to the task," said bai wenbo.

after he got his mind right, the car maintenance experience that seemed "useless" before became a "new driving force" for bai wenbo to improve his abilities. soon, he stood out from his peers and became one of the soldiers with the fastest improvement.

during a mechanical day, bai wenbo was inspecting the helicopter tail rotor when he found a through crack in a component. he immediately reported the situation, effectively eliminating the potential safety hazard. due to his outstanding work performance, bai wenbo was awarded the first third-class merit in his military career.

"fast" and "slow" are relative. only by accumulating strength and then releasing it gradually can we achieve long-term success.

overnight, second class sergeant xu yikun became a "celebrity" throughout the brigade - a professional textbook he took the lead in compiling and editing was officially published and became a reference book for professional learning and job training of the brigade's officers and soldiers.

this kind of attention made xu yikun a little uncomfortable at first.

during his 10-year military career, this veteran has lived in obscurity. his last shining moment dates back to when he was a rookie - during a training session, a certain equipment system suddenly broke down, and he took the initiative to check and debug it, and solved the problem in a few minutes.

from then on, xu yikun was like a stream slowly flowing into the sea, and never caused any big waves again.

if it weren't for this set of professional teaching materials that "came out of nowhere", his comrades might still not pay attention to this veteran who always liked to sit in the corner when eating.

however, in the eyes of instructor xia, who is familiar with this veteran, xu yikun is not a "dark horse" who suddenly emerged: "he is thinking about his profession even when he walks. it takes ten years to sharpen a sword, and this is the best proof."

over the years, the training has become more and more intense, and the tasks have become more and more onerous, but xu yikun has never stopped thinking and exploring. he has his own unique insights on the "fast" and "slow" of personal growth: in a long military career, "fast" and "slow" are relative, and only by accumulating strength can one go forward steadily.

"i was a very good recruit, but now i am quiet." "studying those theories is useless for personal improvement." faced with different opinions, xu yikun did not hesitate. he insisted on reading various professional books while studying and sorting out the notes of technical backbones. in the end, he produced a set of teaching materials covering most positions in this major.

growth is like a folding fan, which gradually unfolds over time. sometimes, if you jump out and stand farther away, you can see more clearly.

"70% pushing, 30% twisting." on the training ground, a new recruit took a deep breath, whispered the operating techniques, and successfully removed the components from the equipment.

"good, the operation is accurate and the key points of the movements are mastered." at the training site, first sergeant wang xuesong gave the recruit an approving look.

"now, the new recruits adopt the training mode of 'training first and then supplementing'. after several months of 'one-stop' training, the new recruits must not only master the basic subjects, but also undergo preliminary professional training." in wang xuesong's view, the training foundation of the new recruits is more solid now. "more than 20 years ago, these recruits were all 'little tigers'."

the "acceleration" in the early stage does not mean that the subsequent progress will be "smooth sailing". wang xuesong, who has 27 years of military service, clearly remembers that some recruits who once impressed everyone often left the barracks with regret and reluctance because of lack of stamina.

"on the contrary, the technical backbones who stayed behind were not conspicuous when they were new recruits, and even did not show their talents for a period of time after they were assigned to the company," wang xuesong analyzed. "according to my observation, these soldiers rarely worry about gains and losses, will not be proud and complacent because of their rapid progress, and rarely become lost and lazy because of being ignored."

as a professional instructor, wang xuesong has taught dozens of sergeants. among them, 25 have grown into professional technical backbones of battalions and companies, and 4 have obtained advanced skill certificates or above. talking about these "apprentices", wang xuesong said frankly: "they are not 'sprinters', but tireless 'marathon runners'."

after the training, wang xuesong handed over several maintenance work notes to several recruits and said, "you ranked high in the new training assessment. you must not relax your requirements in the future."

the faded cover, degummed edge, and frayed inner pages reveal the age of these notebooks. they are the result of wang xuesong's years of research and the testimony of his 27 years of growth.

on the title page of one of the notebooks, there are a few big characters written neatly: study hard, practice hard, and persevere.

(at the request of the interviewees, some names in this edition are pseudonyms)

(china military network)