Political Work

Deep in the Plateau, a Training Site Has a Temporary 'Photo Studio'—What's Going On?

高原深处驻训场有个临时“照相馆”，这是咋回事？

PLA Daily (解放军报) 8 June 2026

Summary

A Western Theater Command Air Force unit's headquarters staff officer, identified as Staff Officer Huang, improvised a dress-uniform photo studio at a plateau training site to help deployed NCOs and soldiers obtain credential photos required for bulk military service certificate (军士证) processing—a bureaucratic deadline that disadvantaged personnel who had rotated forward without dress uniforms. The article documents a persistent friction point in PLA forward deployments: administrative credential cycles run on fixed quarterly schedules that do not account for personnel temporarily detached from their home units, creating compliance gaps that fall on individual staff officers to resolve informally. The unit's leadership has since incorporated Huang's response into an ongoing campaign on 'correct views of achievements' (正确政绩观), using it as a model for how headquarters staff should orient their work toward grassroots needs—a framing that fits the broader institutional push to reduce bureaucratic detachment between staff organs and line units.

Translation

One staff officer takes initiative, a group of troops on training deployment are all smiles——

A Temporary 'Photo Studio' Deep in the Plateau

■ Cao Runfa, PLA Daily Special Correspondent Deng Dongzhi

In early summer, a unit of the Western Theater Command Air Force held a mission after-action review. In addition to summarizing their training deployment experience, the officers and soldiers of the mission detachment unanimously brought up a temporary "photo studio."

"There's a 'photo studio' at the training site—what's going on?" Faced with the reporter's puzzlement, the unit's leadership recounted an episode in which a staff officer proactively served the grassroots.

Not long ago, one afternoon, Private First Class Xiao Li, a corporal in the mission detachment, knocked on the office door of Staff Officer Huang at the unit's headquarters element. Xiao Li stood in the doorway, hands pressed to the seams of his trousers, eyes full of expectation.

It turned out that the unit was at that time processing military service certificates (军士证) in bulk, requiring newly selected and promoted non-commissioned officers to provide dress uniform photographs bearing their new rank insignia. Missing this opportunity would mean waiting until the following quarter. Xiao Li had only rotated into the mission detachment the previous month, and none of his fellow soldiers around him had brought their dress uniforms either. On the chance it might work, Xiao Li sought out Staff Officer Huang, hoping to ask him to help borrow a dress uniform from another unit.

At the end of last year, Staff Officer Huang had come to the plateau with the mission detachment to carry out a training deployment. During the deployment, the detachment's officers and soldiers were temporarily billeted in vacant barracks belonging to a sister unit. Over the course of more than half a year, Staff Officer Huang coordinated upward with multiple functional departments and served the detachment's officers and soldiers below, earning unanimous praise from everyone.

"I know Instructor Ma at the communications station—they have a lot of people there and dress uniforms in all sizes. You can go directly to the communications station to borrow one." After hearing Xiao Li's request, Staff Officer Huang, without much further thought, simply offered the suggestion and went back to his work. Xiao Li said a quiet "thank you" and left, closing the door behind him.

"Xiao Li has only been here a little over a month—for him, behind every door is an unfamiliar face." Thinking that Xiao Li might run into difficulties contacting the communications station on his own, Staff Officer Huang hurried out and called him back, then immediately phoned Instructor Ma to help Xiao Li temporarily borrow a well-fitting dress uniform. Not only that, he also arranged with Wei Zhixing, a detachment engineer with a talent for photography, to use the detachment's camera to take an ID photo for Xiao Li.

Wearing the well-fitting uniform, Xiao Li straightened his appearance and adjusted his posture under Engineer Wei's guidance. After the photos were taken, Xiao Li selected the one he was most satisfied with from several digital images and handed it to Staff Officer Huang. Resize, change the background… After the photo was uploaded, Xiao Li gave Staff Officer Huang a regulation military salute.

"Is Xiao Li the only one who needs a photo?" After seeing Xiao Li off, Staff Officer Huang looked into the matter and learned that when officers and soldiers go out to execute training deployment missions, they bring with them only commonly used uniforms such as camouflage uniforms, flight suits, and maintenance uniforms—very few bring dress uniforms. When he asked around further, he found that multiple soldiers needed to renew their credentials and all had photography needs.

"Let's just open a temporary 'photo studio' and help everyone get the photos they need." No sooner said than done: Staff Officer Huang used his rest time to clear out an office, hung a backdrop on the wall, and used a desk lamp as a fill light. Moreover, he borrowed several sets of dress uniforms in different ranks from sister units to have on hand. Upon learning of Staff Officer Huang's plan, Engineer Wei volunteered to serve as photographer.

Word of the temporary "photo studio" opening spread quickly, and officers and soldiers came one after another.

The first to walk into the "photo studio" was Xiao Liu, an aircraft maintenance soldier and sergeant. He took off his maintenance uniform—cuffs stained with grease—and changed into a crisp dress uniform. As Staff Officer Huang helped him straighten his collar insignia, he got a clear look at his face: skin dark and weathered, cheeks flushed with the "plateau red" (高原红).

"I deal with aircraft every day—I've basically never worn the dress uniform." Xiao Liu laughed with a touch of embarrassment. Sitting down in front of the backdrop, he puffed out his chest, tucked in his chin slightly, and his eyes were full of pride. The moment the shutter clicked, Staff Officer Huang's thoughts drifted back to the past: during night flight training, Xiao Liu stood by at the airfield supporting takeoffs, waiting in the biting cold wind for hours on end; when the aircraft returned, he had no time to rest, working through the night on maintenance, pressurization, and charging. The two conspicuous patches of "plateau red" on Xiao Liu's cheeks were marks left by the plateau's wind and sand—and also medals earned in the service of guarding the warbirds.

Private Xiao Wu had barely joined his unit when he followed the mission detachment to the plateau for the training deployment; the dress uniform issued to him by the unit he had never had the chance to wear. Walking into the "photo studio," Xiao Wu put on the dress uniform and turned left and right in front of the mirror. "Could you take a few more photos for me? I want to pick the best-looking one to send to my family." Xiao Wu's face carried the greenness of someone newly entered into military life. Engineer Wei, adjusting the angle, said: "Relax—this is a photo shoot, not a training exercise." Xiao Wu smiled slightly, and the shutter was pressed at just that moment.

At dusk, Squad Leader Zhao led his wife and child into the "photo studio." His wife had made her way from their hometown a few days earlier to visit him at the training site, bringing their son with her. Although she had developed altitude sickness and her lips were slightly purple, she kept a smile on her face the whole time.

"Staff Officer Huang, could you take a family photo for us?" Squad Leader Zhao was a little embarrassed. "My son is already over two years old, and I still haven't taken a photo with him in uniform." Over the past two years, whenever Squad Leader Zhao came home on leave, he was always in a rush, and the matter of taking a family photo was put off again and again.

In front of the backdrop, the child mischievously reached out a small hand and touched Squad Leader Zhao's collar insignia, breaking into a giggling laugh.

The setting sun slanted in through the window. Engineer Wei quickly pressed the shutter, capturing a long-overdue family photo for Squad Leader Zhao's family.

The scenes inside the "photo studio" moved Staff Officer Huang and warmed his heart. Not long after he transmitted the photos back to the unit, the newly processed credentials were issued to the officers and soldiers. Staff Officer Huang packed the family photos and commemorative photos one by one into paper envelopes and delivered them personally to each soldier. After receiving the photo, Squad Leader Zhao's wife looked at it again and again. "I'm going to put this family photo in the most prominent place in our home," she said.

What the temporary "photo studio" captured in light and shadow reflects the good conduct (好作风) of staff officers who keep the grassroots in their hearts and pour their feelings into their soldiers. The unit's leadership told the reporter: the headquarters has a thousand threads, the grassroots has one needle (机关千条线，基层一根针). Incorporating this into the ongoing study and education campaign on establishing and practicing a correct view of achievements (树立和践行正确政绩观), they have used Staff Officer Huang's experience as educational material to guide staff officers to continuously strengthen their consciousness of serving the grassroots, and to carry out the work of serving soldiers with greater care, greater substance, and greater results.

Original Chinese

一个机关干部主动作为，一群驻训官兵喜上眉梢—— 高原深处有个临时“照相馆” ■曹润发解放军报特约记者邓栋之初夏时节，西部战区空军某部组织任务总结会，任务分队官兵除了总结驻训经验，不约而同地提到一个临时“照相馆”。 “驻训场有个‘照相馆’，这是咋回事？”面对记者的疑惑，该部领导讲起了机关干部主动服务基层的一段经历。前不久一个午后，任务分队下士小李敲响了该部机关黄干事办公室的门。小李站在门口，手贴裤缝、满眼期待。原来，该部那段时间正集中办理军士证，要求新选晋军士提供佩戴新衔级标识的常服照片，错过这次机会就得等下个季度。小李上个月刚轮换到任务分队，身边战友也都没带常服。抱着试一试的想法，小李找到黄干事，想请他帮忙找其他单位借一套常服。去年底，黄干事随任务分队来到高原执行驻训任务。驻训期间，分队官兵临时借住在兄弟单位的闲置营房。大半年时间里，黄干事向上对接多个业务部门，向下服务分队官兵，受到大家一致好评。 “通信站的马指导员我认识，他们那里人多，各类尺码的常服都有，你直接去通信站借就可以。”听了小李诉求，黄干事没有多想，只是提了建议，就埋头工作。小李轻声说了句“谢谢”，关门离去。 “小李刚来这里一个多月，对他来说，每扇门的后面都是陌生面孔。”黄干事想到小李自己联系通信站可能会遇到不便，赶忙出门把他叫住，随即打电话给马指导员，帮小李临时借了一套合身的常服。不仅如此，他还与擅长摄影的分队工程师魏知行商定：用分队的照相机帮小李拍张证件照。穿着合身的军装，小李在魏工程师指导下整理军容、调整坐姿。拍照结束后，小李从几张电子照片中挑选出一张最满意的交给黄干事。调整尺寸、更换背景……照片上传完毕后，小李向黄干事敬了一个标准军礼。 “需要照相的只有小李吗？”送走小李，黄干事了解得知，官兵在外执行驻训任务，随身带的都是迷彩服、飞行服和机务服等常用军装，很少有人带常服。再一问，多名官兵都要换证件，都有照相需求。 “干脆开个临时‘照相馆’，帮大家把需要的照片拍好。”说干就干，黄干事利用休息时间腾出一间办公室，在墙上挂上背景布，用台灯当补光灯。不仅如此，他还从兄弟单位借来几套不同衔级的常服备用。得知黄干事的计划，魏工程师自告奋勇担任摄影师。临时“照相馆”开张的消息不胫而走，官兵纷纷前来。第一个走进“照相馆”的是机务兵、中士小刘。他脱下袖口沾满油污的机务服，换上笔挺的常服。黄干事帮他整理领花时看清他的脸——皮肤黝黑粗糙，脸颊晕染着“高原红”。 “天天跟飞机打交道，基本没咋穿过常服。”小刘不好意思地笑了笑。坐到背景布前，他胸脯一挺，下巴微收，眼神里满是骄傲。快门声响起那一刻，黄干事的思绪回到了过往：战机夜训，小刘在机场保障起飞，瑟瑟寒风中一待就是好几个小时；战机返航，他顾不上休息，连夜为战机维修保障、充气充电。小刘脸颊上那两团醒目的“高原红”，是高原风沙留下的印记，也是守护战鹰的勋章。列兵小吴下连没多久，就跟着任务分队来高原驻训，部队发的常服他一直没有机会穿。走进“照相馆”，小吴换上常服后对着镜子左看右看。“能不能帮我多拍几张照片？我想选张最好看的寄给家人。”小吴的脸上带着初入军营的青涩。魏工程师一边调整角度一边说：“放轻松，咱这是照相，不是训练。”小吴微微一笑，快门恰在此刻按下。傍晚时分，赵班长领着妻子和孩子走进“照相馆”。他的妻子带着儿子几天前从老家辗转来到驻训地探亲，虽然身体出现了高原反应，嘴唇有些发紫，但脸上一直挂着笑容。 “黄干事，能不能给我们拍张全家福？”赵班长有些不好意思，“儿子都两岁多了，我还没穿军装跟他合过影。”这两年休假回家，赵班长总是来去匆匆，拍全家福的事一拖再拖。背景布前，孩子调皮地伸出小手摸了摸赵班长的领花，咯咯地笑起来。夕阳从窗外斜照进来，魏工程师迅速按下快门，给赵班长一家拍下迟到的全家福。 “照相馆”里的一幕幕，让黄干事既感动又温暖，他将照片传回单位没多久，新办好的证件就发到了官兵手中。黄干事用纸袋将全家福、纪念照等一一装好，挨个送到官兵手上。赵班长的妻子拿到照片后，看了又看，“我要把这张全家福摆在家里最显眼的地方。”她说。临时“照相馆”定格的是光影瞬间，折射的却是机关干部心系基层、情注官兵的好作风。该部领导告诉记者，机关千条线，基层一根针，他们结合正在开展的树立和践行正确政绩观学习教育，将黄干事的这段经历作为教育素材，引导机关干部持续树牢为基层服务意识，把为兵服务工作做细做实做出成效。