Keep the Combat-Readiness String Taut at All Times — Training Continues as Normal on Barracks Open Day
Early summer, fine rain like silk. An anti-submarine patrol aircraft spewed scorching heat waves as it lifted off from the far end of the runway, piercing the lead-gray clouds like a sharp sword. Dozens of meters away, at the perimeter fence, a crowd craning their necks upward broke into cheers.
This was a scene from a Barracks Open Day event organized by a unit of the Eastern Theater Command Navy. During the event, they invited local residents into the base for close-up interaction with officers and soldiers.
In the static display area, multiple types of combat aircraft stood like eagles coiled to strike, their wings beaded with fine raindrops. Visitors filed past in an orderly queue, moving slowly and softly. Children pressed against the guardrails, rising on tiptoe to look carefully, their eyes full of longing. Narrators spoke in clear, strong voices, telling the story of the People's Navy guarding the sea and sky.
Aviation maintenance soldiers shuttled back and forth beneath the fuselages, inspecting fuel lines and checking mounted equipment; the repeated clang of metal rang out in echoes across the open hangars. On the other side of the runway, several combat aircraft completed their sortie preparations and taxied out one by one. In the drizzling rain, their wings cut through the mist and cast a cold gleam.
"Cleared for takeoff!" At the command from the tower, one aircraft took off first, heading to a designated airspace to conduct search-and-attack anti-submarine training. At the same time, another aircraft was conducting touch-and-go training at the field: the silver-gray jet touched down lightly, then immediately took off again and climbed. Banking, landing, accelerating again — each takeoff was like a sprint on a tightrope, testing the crew's precise control under short-interval, high-frequency conditions.
This tense and thrilling scene held the visiting crowd's gaze fast. Everyone pressed against the perimeter fence, rising on tiptoe and lifting their heads, watching intently as the aircraft flew past. Amid the thunderous roar, the children first covered their ears, then jumped up and down, their faces written with curiosity and delight.
"Hearing that deafening roar, watching the aircraft take off one after another, a sense of pride wells up from the heart!" Xu Zhanfeng, a military enthusiast who had come especially to watch, eyes blazing, his voice full of excitement.
One airfield, two worlds — the viewing area bathed in peaceful tranquility, the training ground roaring with engines. This stark contrast gave the reporter pause for thought: on one side, smiling faces gazing upward; on the other, a thunderous, all-out charge forward. This intense contrast and juxtaposition is like the two sides of a coin — one face inscribed with "the mountains and rivers are at peace" (山河无恙), the other engraved with "sleeping on one's spear, awaiting the dawn" (枕戈待旦).
The officer in charge at the scene told the reporter that during the Barracks Open Day event, the unit scientifically coordinated the functions of the airfield, staggered the deployment of support personnel, and assigned roles with precision down to each post, ensuring that the training plan, standards, and intensity remained unchanged throughout the event. "We must open our doors wide to cultivate the bond between the military and the people (军民鱼水情), and even more so keep the combat-readiness string taut and forge the hard skills of fighting." said the officer in charge.
The rain stopped and the clouds dispersed. The war eagles taxied out once more. Wingtips traced across the sky, leaving behind a trail of flight — pressing ever forward toward battle.