Treating major news events as advance orders, an air force regiment was highly prepared after the st

The Y-20 of the regiment is ready to go. Photo by Li Xinyang

On the morning of January 7, a regiment of the Central Theater Command Air Force Aviation Corps was holding a seminar on innovative tactics.

"Report!" Suddenly, a combat duty officer pushed the door open and reported to the head of the regiment who was presiding over the meeting: A 6.8-magnitude earthquake occurred in Dingri County, Shigatse City, Tibet!

The incident happened suddenly, so the head of the delegation immediately stopped the seminar and asked the duty officer to immediately notify all flight squadrons to quickly assess the disaster situation and be ready to go at any time. Finally, he added: "Everyone should pay attention to and collect information about the earthquake-stricken area in a timely manner."

A few minutes later, all the flight backbones, including the regiment commander, the regiment chief of staff and the captains of each flight brigade, gathered in the flight support command room.

How many planes were dispatched?

Which route do you fly?

Are the conditions for landing at the target airport?

…

The reporters who were allowed to attend the trial were encountering such an emergency for the first time and were full of questions.

In a short while, all these question marks were straightened out - a detailed flight plan was already on the table.

"When do we set off?" the reporter asked a captain next to him.

"We are ready to set off at any time, just waiting for the order from our superiors!" The captain introduced that as a fist force equipped with Y-20, they have already ingrained the awareness of being on the alert and acting upon orders into their blood and formed a conscious awareness over the years.

The word "can" warmed the reporter's heart. This confident answer demonstrates the strength and confidence of the "Great Power Kunpeng".

"We will fly wherever you tell us to fly!" At this time, an old pilot took over the conversation. For him, the most unforgettable experience was an emergency rescue mission that took place last summer.

At the time, he was on vacation at home and had been paying attention to the news broadcast by various media, a habit he had developed over the years.

When he saw the report of a disaster in a certain place in the country, he immediately called his unit to inquire about the situation, and then hurriedly bought a ticket back to the army.

Sure enough, not long after the pilot returned to the unit, the regiment received an order to transport mission troops to provide emergency assistance.

The captain of the Third Flight Squadron told reporters that the regiment has set up a special news group to collect, summarize and analyze major news events at home and abroad and provide reference for the party committee's decision-making.

The reporter later learned that four pilots of the regiment who were on leave contacted their unit as soon as they saw the news of a 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Dingri County, Shigatse City, Tibet, and took the initiative to return to the team early.

"Most of the time, we prepare but don't use them." A flight instructor told reporters that one year, the media had just reported a major international news story, and they started mission planning that very day, conducted a comprehensive assessment of the situation in the countries that might be passed along the way, especially the war zones, selected the best alternate airport, and studied and optimized the internal layout of the cabin to ensure that they could bring back more compatriots safely.

The next night, they drove the Y-20 to a domestic airport as ordered, ready to fly out of the country at any time.

"During the days we stayed at the airport, we were analyzing the situation in the mission area, weather changes and possible situations every day. Many pilots slept in their gear," said the flight instructor. "Although our superiors ultimately decided to send other military units abroad to perform missions, we are ready to go at any time as long as the motherland and the people need us!"

This is true. During the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Kunpeng rushed to Wuhan to provide emergency assistance; after the Tonga volcano erupted, Kunpeng transported relief supplies day and night... They all responded and dispatched at the first time, building a series of "air lifelines". During the conversation, listening to the details of non-war military operations, the reporter felt that "arrows on the string" has become the norm for the officers and soldiers of the regiment.

"Whether it is launched or not, we must always be prepared." The head of the regiment told reporters that when the Y-20 was first put into service, they had to prepare for a major mission for a long time in advance. Now, the troops can set off at any time after receiving a mission. The changes in the past are due to day-to-day training and preparations for war.

In recent years, the regiment has focused on practical training, normalized training in difficult subjects such as take-off and landing in low weather conditions and long-range follow-up airdrops, and carried out airdrops and parachutes in high mountains, islands and reefs, and distant seas to improve its all-domain combat capabilities; improved training methods, introduced advanced means such as simulation, information networks, and artificial intelligence, improved the coupling between combat and training, and shortened the distance between training and combat...

"To be ready for battle at all times, you must have the abilities and qualities to match it!" After saying that, the team leader became busy again.

By the end of the interview, when the reporter left the unit, the official mission order had not yet been issued. However, in the earthquake zone far away in the snowy plateau, rescue forces from all sides were pouring in. Looking out from afar, the transport planes of the regiment waiting in full force at the airport made the reporter believe that "Kunpeng" would accomplish its mission!

Reporters' comments

Thumbs up for this state of combat readiness

Zhang Kejin

This news is about a "live fish" that the reporter caught accidentally during an interview. At that time, we were attending a seminar held by the group and did not expect such a situation to happen.

It was this unexpected scene that made the reporter feel the combat readiness of this unit, and its strong strength of being able to fight at any time. Therefore, we recorded this experience in its original form, hoping that it can be a revelation to other units.

"Treating major news events as pre-orders" is an important experience of the regiment in combat readiness. During the interview, everyone from the regiment commander, the squadron leader to the ordinary pilots talked about this. As a result, the officers and soldiers of the regiment always pay attention to major events happening at home and abroad, and tighten the string of preparing for war. This not only broadens their horizons, but also deepens their training, and then forms a good habit. It achieves multiple goals at one stroke and deserves praise!

"Treating major news events as advance orders" is not only an attitude, but also an action. It is through daily cultivation and hard training day after day that the regiment can form a strong ability to support "always be ready to go" and better complete various major tasks.

At present, the world is undergoing a major change that has not been seen in a century, and the instability and uncertainty of my country's security situation are increasing. The military struggle tasks are arduous and onerous. Grassroots frontline troops should, like this regiment, enhance the initiative and foresight of combat readiness, always maintain a state of alertness to be ready for war at all times, promote the in-depth and practical training and preparation work, and be prepared for "the war tonight" to ensure that they can be deployed, deployed, and won at any time.

Column Editor: Qin Hong Text Editor: Lu Xiaochuan Title Image Source: Liberation Daily Photo by Zhang Haifeng Picture Editor: Shao Jing

Source: Author: Liberation Army Daily