Observations and Reflections on a Cadre Training Course at the Nanjing Campus of the Army Branch Arms University

"The Feeling of Being Tempered in Fire and Steel Has Been Found"

— Observations and Reflections on a Cadre Training Course at the Nanjing Campus of the Army Branch Arms University

■ Liu Xiaotian, Li Qiangyun, PLA Daily Special Correspondent Yang Kaiming

Editor's Note: At present, as the various tasks of the troops continue to expand and deepen, Party member backbone cadres are increasingly going out to participate in all kinds of training. However, individual officers and soldiers attending training still exhibit problems such as a lax mindset, superficial learning, or loose daily conduct and a weakened sense of discipline. Under these circumstances, Party organizations at all levels must deeply grasp the practical requirement in Xi Jinping's Party-building thought of "persisting in advancing the normalization and long-term effectiveness of conduct-building (坚持推进作风建设常态化长效化)," and, in conjunction with carrying out political rectification training (政治整训), make hard efforts to purify study conduct (学风) and work conduct (作风). They must guide Party member backbone cadres to focus all their thoughts and energy on learning to strengthen capabilities, ensuring that every training course becomes a real-combat "tempering in fire (淬火)" that forges Party spirit and elevates ability, thereby injecting a living source of water into the forging of a crack talent force capable of winning battles.

Midsummer in Jinling, with waves of heat bearing down. On a certain field training ground, a field-site tactical instruction exercise for an artillery battalion conducted by the Nanjing Campus of the Army Branch Arms University was reaching a critical juncture. Instructor Gao Wang pointed toward a nearby elevation point and posed a question: "Between the battalion headquarters and the observation posts of each company, who moves first and who moves last when relocating? What is the basis for that?" The trainees vied to speak, and differing views clashed vigorously.

During a training break, the reporter asked several trainees about their impressions of this initial-level command education training course. The words "real," "strict," and "solid" became the most frequently heard. "This kind of 'smell of gunpowder smoke,' this kind of collision of ideas — this is what we truly need." One trainee wiped away sweat and said that this training had taught them genuine skills for winning battles. "The feeling of being tempered in fire and steel has been found!"

I

Watching the trainees still engaged in heated discussion in the distance, Su Yunke, a Party branch secretary from a certain brigade, was filled with deep feeling. He told the reporter that over these several months of training — from the morning formation calls to the evening self-study sessions, from total concentration in the classroom to meticulous attention to internal affairs (内务) — everything carried a sense of being "different": "The most direct change is that the spirit (精气神) of preparing for war and fighting has been lifted!"

This sense of being "different" began the moment they stepped through the school gate.

On the evening of registration, Li, the secretary of the trainees' unit temporary Party branch, convened a full branch Party member meeting. Centering on the requirements of the training mission, and in conjunction with carrying out political rectification training and advancing the normalization and long-term effectiveness of conduct-building, he placed particular emphasis on discipline during the training period: "This training — from daily schedules and classroom discipline to internal affairs standards — will be strictly managed. There will absolutely be no going through the motions (绝不走过场)."

Su Yunke said that the reason the Party branch did this was to require everyone to keep firmly in mind their identity as Party member cadres, to always hold themselves to higher standards and stricter requirements in terms of ideology, study, and conduct, and to treat this place as a "furnace" for tempering Party spirit and elevating capability.

"Unexpectedly, the requirements were strict, and the implementation was even stricter." One trainee was deeply impressed by this. This trainee had participated in similar training before and initially was somewhat dismissive: "Training sometimes has high requirements but low implementation; the unit cadres won't be too serious about it — close enough is good enough." Carrying this "close enough" mentality, he was initially insufficiently engaged in his studies, did not take the assigned pre-study seriously, and dealt with post-class assignments perfunctorily. As a result, during one seminar-style class, he was unprepared when called upon and gave an irrelevant answer; he was seriously criticized and the matter was circulated as a notice to the entire unit. Shortly afterward, his internal affairs inspection also received a "red light" for failing to meet standards.

This left him unable to save face, and it thoroughly awakened him: "So this time they are playing for real. Every one of those requirements is a hard rule (硬杠杠) — not the slightest carelessness is tolerable."

The people and events around them served as a warning to all the trainees. Su Yunke frankly admitted that although he had not been as lax as that trainee, he too had initially harbored the thought that "coming out for training, there's no need to be as serious as in the company." But under the Party branch's strict management — with internal affairs inspections, formation drills, and classroom attendance all quantified and scored, with weekly notifications and monthly rankings — he came to have a genuine understanding of the iron rules and steel regulations, and began to hold himself to strict standards at all times.

"In the unit be strict; when going out for training be even stricter — you must tighten up and learn more genuine skills." Su Yunke's reflection articulated what training ought to look like: by no means a "rest stop," but truly a "refueling station."

II

Late at night, a self-study room in the trainees' unit was still brightly lit.

Following the light, the reporter found trainee Ding Wanpu and several members of a temporary Party small group gathered around a map, repeatedly deducing a scenario assignment. Over the timing of a fire support action, the group was engaged in a heated discussion, sweat sliding down their cheeks unnoticed. "What was taught during the day is all new tactics and new theory close to actual combat. If you don't strike while the iron is hot and get it figured out, you might fall behind the next day!" Ding Wanpu spoke his mind.

This sense of racing against time stemmed from the "hard linkage (硬挂钩)" performance mechanism implemented by the trainees' unit. "At the conclusion of every course, not only is the full unit ranked and the results publicly posted, but the overall transcript is sent directly back to the original unit as an important reference for cadre selection and adjustment." Secretary Li explained to the reporter that establishing this mechanism was intended to set a clear orientation that "good performance and poor performance are not the same."

In the past, influenced by certain bad tendencies and muddled thinking, individual cadres harbored the notion that "it's better to get along well than to study well," believing that going out for training was a chance to "relax." Ding Wanpu recalled that several years ago he had participated in a training course where individual dormitories frequently held "hometown gatherings" and "reminiscing sessions" during off-hours, with individual trainees putting their energy into eating, drinking, and socializing, while the energy and time actually spent on studying was not much.

At the start of this training, similar early warning signs actually appeared. Ding Wanpu said that a trainee in their Party small group received a phone call from an old classmate one weekend, warmly inviting him to "get together and catch up." After hanging up, this trainee was momentarily hesitant: "After all, it's an old classmate I haven't seen in years — it would be a bit awkward not to go."

"We came here this time for training, not to reminisce. Strictly observing discipline and regulations, and putting all our thoughts and energy into studying — that's the only way to be worthy of the organization's cultivation and worthy of our own efforts." Upon learning of the situation, Ding Wanpu, as Party small group leader, promptly offered a quiet word of advice (咬耳扯袖). In the end, this trainee not only politely declined the invitation but also resolved to bid farewell to his past "whatever" attitude and threw himself wholeheartedly into the training and study.

Ding Wanpu said that in conjunction with carrying out political rectification training, the various temporary Party small groups in the trainees' unit held multiple discussions and analyses around some typical cases of violations of regulations and discipline, and a broad consensus was formed: to mutually supervise and remind one another, to proactively discard past bad habits, and to return energy to learning itself.

One weekend morning, the self-study room was already full to capacity. The reporter asked one trainee: "It's finally the weekend — why not go out and relax?"

"This training has a lot of content and a high combat-relevance content (含战量), and measured against the requirements of actual combat, there is far too much I need to study and strengthen. I feel a sense of urgency." He shook his head, indicating that rather than visiting relatives and friends or sightseeing, it was better to spend the time on elevating capability and quality.

III

Inside the campus's "Artillery Passing the Torch (炮兵薪火相传)" lecture hall, Tang Youxuan, a cadre from a certain border defense unit, was drawing on his own experiences to recount stories of strengthening the military by taking root at the frontier and achieving merit on the front lines. The phrase "go to where the motherland needs you most" resonated deeply with the comrades in the audience.

The moment the lecture ended, the young trainees surrounded him. Some sought advice on practical experience in border defense duty; others inquired about methods of day-to-day management. One question followed another, and they were reluctant to disperse for a long time. "After hearing Staff Officer Tang's sharing, I have a clearer picture in my mind — what to do and how to do it when I get to the unit is suddenly clear." Said Zhang Hongsheng, a trainee about to graduate.

Watching the scene before him, Tang Youxuan felt genuine joy. He said that in past training at military academies, everyone basically studied on their own, with relatively little exchange between classes, and the good experiences and practices of different units had difficulty spreading outward to be shared.

What left Staff Officer Tang with a deep impression was an exchange and interaction session among several trainees' units, where it turned out that some comrades' conversations kept circling back to which unit had better conditions and which post offered faster career advancement, while those who actually sat down to talk about fighting and leading troops were not many.

During this training, the campus Party committee listened carefully to everyone's opinions and suggestions and decided to give full play to the functional role of Party organizations at all levels, actively building platforms for mutual learning and mutual reference. Trainees generally felt that activities such as the "Artillery Passing the Torch" lecture hall, book-sharing sessions, and trainee forums were directly aimed at training for war and the practice of leading troops; through in-depth interaction between units and the academy, and between units and units, sparks of thought frequently flew, and everyone gained a great deal and was deeply inspired.

What caught the reporter's eye was that during interactive exchanges, they implemented a "honorary squad leader (名誉班长)" mechanism, selecting outstanding graduates from previous years to establish regular contact with current classes, periodically conducting online exchanges and consultations on difficult problems, so that the mentoring and guiding role of backbone cadres could continue even after training ended.

"Good traditions and experiences cannot remain only at the grassroots level — only by going up to the podium and into the classroom can more comrades benefit." As he noted down the contact information of several trainee comrades, Staff Officer Tang reflected.

From reshaping conduct to reinvigorating study conduct, and then to establishing platforms for experience exchange, the campus Party committee and the trainees' units' temporary Party branches each gave full play to their organizational leadership role, effectively rectifying the chronic problems that had existed in past training. Today, the training course has truly returned to its original purpose of "tempering in fire and steel, cultivating people for war (加钢淬火、为战育人)." The trainees here have not only tempered a solid conduct but have also gained the genuine knowledge and skills to step onto the future battlefield.

This Training "Played for Real"

■ Li Shihang, Trainee, a Certain Trainees' Unit, Nanjing Campus of the Army Branch Arms University

For a period of time in the past, whenever a training notification came down, there were always people saying "training is just a chance to relax" or "go out and make some friends," and some even "tipped me off": "When you get there, what matters isn't how much you learn, but how many people you get to know." Honestly, hearing these things, I was somewhat confused inside.

During this training, when the first rankings came out, the unit posted them directly for public display. At that moment, everyone knew this training was "playing for real." The several people in our Party small group immediately reached a consensus on the spot: any points of confusion from the day's classroom instruction had to be digested that same day — no one could drag the others down. From that point on, no one brought up anything else in the evenings; what was spread out on the desks were all maps and notes, and what everyone discussed and exchanged were all combat details. At first it felt like being driven by pressure, but gradually it became clear that when you truly settle your mind and immerse yourself, learning itself becomes a habit.

What left the deepest impression on me was the command exercise. The topic our small group drew was of relatively high difficulty. We worked overtime for several consecutive days and nights running deductions. Everyone was holding back a surge of energy. No one was single-mindedly trying to find some fellow townsman or leader to pull strings, and no one entertained the thought of "close enough is good enough." Instead, we scrutinized the plan over and over for real. When the final results were announced, not only did I rank near the top, but I was individually rated as an outstanding commander. At that moment I understood: recognition earned through genuine ability is more solid and useful than anything else.

What exactly did political rectification training yield? Judging from this training, it rectified away that "getting by (混)" mentality and that "relying on others (靠)" thinking, and rectified into being the proper appearance of Party member cadres — clean and upright, with solid skills. What I am taking away from this training is not a few more names added to my contact list, but a sense of confidence in training for war and fighting. Wherever I go in the future, I will dare to say with my hand on my chest: stand on your own ability, let your real achievements do the talking.

(Compiled by PLA Daily Special Correspondent Yang Kaiming)