A Private's Competition Win Sparks a "New Recruit Podium" — Anyone Can Shine If They Dare to Try

A certain detachment of the People's Armed Police Tibet General Corps encourages soldiers to dare to try, producing a chain reaction —— A Private's Competition Win Sparks a "New Recruit Podium"

■ PLA Daily Special Correspondent Zhang Kemeng

Some time has passed since a certain detachment of the People's Armed Police Tibet General Corps held its instructional competition, yet when Private Xue Hao of a certain company looks back on that experience, it still feels like a dream — he, a new recruit who had been in the military for less than a year, had actually stood on the competition stage before the entire detachment and taken third place.

"A private can compete too." "He actually won a prize — and this was a detachment-wide competition!" … The day the news reached the company, it set off a wave of discussion among his comrades. For a time, young Xue became the center of attention.

But those around him all knew the road he had traveled was not easy.

A month earlier, the political instructor had announced at evening roll call: "The detachment's 'Three Competencies, One Excellence' (三会一好) instructional competition is about to begin. Comrades who are interested may begin preparing in advance."

Standing in formation, young Xue felt a surge of excitement. Before enlisting, he had served as a propaganda backbone in an editorial department at a local institution and had placed in public speaking competitions. After joining the military, he had participated multiple times in theoretical propaganda work and bulletin board production, and had long harbored a wish to "pick up the microphone."

During basic training, he had once mentioned to his squad leader that he wanted to develop himself in an all-around way, only to be talked out of it: "A new recruit's job is to lay the foundation. Get your training subjects solid first before thinking about anything else."

That was not wrong, and young Xue had put his head down and trained for the better part of a year. Now that all his assessment results were excellent, he felt the moment had come.

Yet when young Xue mentioned to his comrades that he wanted to enter the competition, he was met with a bucket of cold water.

"Don't be impulsive." A comrade tugged at his sleeve. "Think about who else is competing — veteran political workers, veteran backbone personnel. Their teaching experience is longer than your time in service. Aren't you just going to make up the numbers?" Another comrade was more blunt: "If you go and don't place, you won't just embarrass yourself — people will laugh at you afterward for overestimating your abilities."

Those words weighed on young Xue like stones. It wasn't that he hadn't thought about all this, but he was unwilling to accept it — how would he know he couldn't do it if he never even tried?

Squad Leader Wang Shuai noticed that young Xue had been spacing out alone during training breaks over those few days. After a conversation, he learned that this young soldier had drive but was afraid of "taking a fall."

"He has the foundation and he has the drive. We can't hold him back just because he's been in the service a short time and lacks seniority." Squad Leader Wang went to the political instructor and reported Xue's situation.

"What is the point of a competition? Competing for honor and placing well is all fine and good, but discovering talent and tempering talent is the true purpose." The political instructor laid out his thinking: we must understand that we don't wait for someone to become capable before giving them a platform — it is giving them the platform that enables them to become capable. Results are secondary. When a soldier wants to grow and improve, the organization must do everything it can to help.

Hearing the political instructor's words of encouragement, young Xue's eyes grew moist — he had only intended to give it a try, and had not expected the company to be so supportive.

During the days of preparation, young Xue wound himself up like a spring. Whenever he had free time, he buried himself in the study room, revising his lesson plan over and over, polishing every sentence repeatedly. He also pulled in comrades to serve as his audience, and they were not shy about it, offering him revision suggestions one by one.

On the day of the competition, young Xue walked into the venue and could not help feeling nervous: the lowest rank among the other competitors was staff sergeant, and most were political instructors and ideological backbone personnel from the various companies. He turned to look at his own private's shoulder insignia, and his palms were soaked in sweat.

Standing at the podium, young Xue steadied himself and began from his own confusion when he first arrived on the plateau, then spoke of the impressions he had gained following the veteran squad leader up to the sentry post … From the perspective of a private, he spoke about his own understanding of a soldier's duties and mission.

When the lesson concluded, warm applause broke out from the audience.

Detachment leadership affirmed Xue's performance: "We felt the vigor and vitality of the young officers and soldiers. He spoke about things close at hand and spoke from the heart — grounded, heartfelt, and this lesson was excellent!"

A private winning a prize in a detachment-wide competition quickly spread through the grassroots units, and also ignited the enthusiasm of more young officers and soldiers to participate in company building and theoretical study. The company's "Red Shoulder Insignia" (红肩章) theoretical study and propaganda group had originally been quiet and sparse, with only a handful of members; after young Xue returned from the competition, soldiers volunteering to join suddenly increased, and the group quickly expanded to more than twenty people.

Now, the company has struck while the iron is hot and established a "New Recruit Podium" (新兵讲台) — with no restrictions on topic, new recruits take turns going to the podium to discuss theory and share reflections. Those who speak prepare seriously, while backbone personnel in the audience gather to offer suggestions and help refine and polish the presentations. The sound of discussion in the study room grows livelier and livelier.

Standing in the corridor, watching the young faces in the study room take the stage one after another, the political instructor suddenly had a thought — in the military camp, there are no born supporting actors. As long as you dare to try, everyone can shine.