Visiting Sentries During the Dog Days | Deep in the Dense Forest: Officers "Nailed" to the Frontmost Position

A Reporter Visits the "Concealed Sentry Post" at a Training Ground of a Unit Under the Shenyang Joint Logistics Support Center——

Deep in the Dense Forest: Officers "Nailed" to the Frontmost Position

■ Jin Jiliang, Man Tianxin; PLA Daily Correspondent Wang Xuechao; Illustration: Fang Han

On a scorching midsummer afternoon, the blazing sun beat down relentlessly. The reporter drove to a training ground of a unit under the Shenyang Joint Logistics Support Center to visit a "concealed sentry post" deep in the dense forest.

Upon reaching the designated location and opening the car door, a wave of steaming, humid air carrying the scent of earth—rising after the rain—hit us in the face. Looking around, the trees on all sides were lush and full-branched, layered so densely that not a breath of wind could pass through. Apart from the occasional chirping of insects and birds, almost no other sound could be heard. Staff Officer Zhang from the unit's headquarters, who accompanied the reporter, said that the troops were conducting battlefield security training deep in the forest, and that the "concealed sentry post" was fully aware of our every move.

Hearing this, the reporter walked deeper into the forest while looking around in all directions, searching for where the "concealed sentry post" might be. Suddenly, two sentries—faces painted with camouflage grease, clad in woodland camouflage—leapt up from the roadside undergrowth.

"Don't move!" A low, forceful shout instantly charged the atmosphere with tension. After identities were verified, the alert sentries quickly turned and disappeared back into the forest.

Led by Staff Officer Zhang, the reporter carefully climbed to a spot beneath a cliff face halfway up the hill. Pushing aside the dense branches, the reporter discovered a captain officer lying in wait at the sentry post, intently observing the direction of the valley through binoculars.

Officers and soldiers conducting concealed reconnaissance. Photo by PLA Daily Correspondent Wang Xuechao.

Staff Officer Zhang introduced him as Liu Dong'ang, the political instructor of a company under the unit. From the very start of the concealment training, he had been "nailed" to the frontmost sentry post. At that moment, beads of sweat the size of soybeans slid down his cheeks, and the camouflage paint had become somewhat smeared from the soaking sweat. Having lain prone for more than an hour continuously, Liu Dong'ang's neck was covered with welts from mosquito and insect bites, yet he kept his eyes fixed unwaveringly on the target area.

For this training exercise, Liu Dong'ang was responsible for leading a security detachment in executing the concealment mission. Before the mission commenced, upon learning that they would have to lie in the jungle for an extended period and endure the trials of intense heat, sun exposure, and insect bites, a few soldiers developed a reluctance to proceed. To ensure the mission was completed successfully, Liu Dong'ang not only organized motivational education sessions on multiple occasions, but also declared on the spot: he would take the lead at the frontmost concealed sentry position.

"What you require soldiers to do, officers must lead by doing it first—that is more persuasive than any amount of mobilization!" said Liu Dong'ang. He added that throughout the vast expanse of black soil where the unit is stationed, the red bloodline of revolutionary forebears has always flowed: Wang Detai, deputy commander-in-chief of the First Route Army and commander of the Second Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, was a famously fierce general. Whenever the troops held a position, he would always go to the front line in person, even personally manning a machine gun to sweep fire at the enemy; when charging into battle, he frequently led the assault at the very front, and when ammunition ran out, he would engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat.

"It was the same in battle as in daily life." Liu Dong'ang told the reporter that at that time, the Second Army spent long periods maneuvering against the enemy deep in the mountains and forests, where food shortages and sleeping outdoors were the norm. Faced with a harsh natural environment and a dangerous struggle, Wang Detai consistently persisted in sharing hardships and facing life and death together with his soldiers.

"In those years, our revolutionary forebears called out 'Watch me' and 'Follow me,' inspiring and rallying officers and soldiers through their actual actions, and cultivating a revolutionary comradeship of shared hardship and shared fate in life and death. Today, we must carry forward the red bloodline, and properly inherit and carry forward the fine traditions forged by our revolutionary forebears with their blood and lives." Looking toward the target area in the valley ahead, Staff Officer Zhang told the reporter that before this training mission commenced, Liu Dong'ang led his soldiers in an on-site reconnaissance to select the location of the "concealed sentry post" and plan concealed withdrawal routes; once training began, he took the lead at the frontmost sentry position, achieving "concealment as steady as a boulder, attack as swift as lightning, and withdrawal without a sound," setting a benchmark for officers and soldiers through his actual actions.

The sentry post before them commanded a wide field of view, overlooking the entire valley. The reporter could not help wanting to stand up for a clearer look, but was pulled back by Liu Dong'ang: "A miniature UAV is flying toward the airspace above us, hugging the treetops—its reconnaissance intent is obvious."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a faint buzzing sound approached from a distance. Liu Dong'ang's gaze locked onto the UAV flickering in and out of view among the treetops. About ten seconds later, the UAV flew off into the distance. Only after the buzzing had completely faded and Liu Dong'ang had confirmed that no follow-on reconnaissance assets were moving in did he lower his voice and tell the reporter: "That was a probing reconnaissance by the OPFOR. Judging from the UAV's flight path, our position has not been exposed—we must continue to lie in wait."

"That UAV was flying so low—why not use electromagnetic countermeasure equipment to capture it?" the reporter asked, watching the UAV gradually disappear.

"The core function of a 'concealed sentry post' is to covertly monitor enemy movements, guard against sudden enemy attacks, and promptly report any abnormal situations. It emphasizes concealment, early warning, and defense. Only when attacked may the sentries fire to raise the alarm, resist on order, or withdraw in an orderly manner." Liu Dong'ang explained: "Under normal circumstances, sentries must maintain concealment and observe calmly while lying in wait. Even if an emergency capture is required, it must be carried out without a sound and without leaving any hidden dangers."

Mid-conversation, the communications terminal in his hand suddenly transmitted a special situation report: "Two 'enemy' personnel in camouflage uniforms carrying reconnaissance equipment have been detected approaching your flank along the valley, at a distance of approximately 500 meters, with no follow-on forces observed. Higher command orders you to seize an opportunity to capture them!"

Upon receiving the order, Liu Dong'ang immediately maneuvered toward the flank slope while issuing low-voiced instructions: "Maintain concealment, do not expose yourselves—wait until the 'enemy' enters the ambush zone, then act on my order." The reporter noted that Liu Dong'ang's movements were both fast and light, causing no visible disturbance to the surrounding shrubbery.

After reaching the slope, Liu Dong'ang quickly concealed himself behind a thicket and raised his binoculars to observe carefully. In the valley ahead, two OPFOR soldiers were advancing cautiously, alternating between covering each other. Suddenly, the two stopped at a point approximately 60 meters from the concealed position; one of them raised binoculars and swept his gaze back and forth in Liu Dong'ang's direction. Liu Dong'ang signaled the sentries to prepare for capture, but did not issue an attack order, continuing instead to keep his eyes fixed on the two "enemies'" every move.

A moment later, the OPFOR soldier lowered his binoculars and signaled his companion to continue advancing. The two quickly moved into the optimal ambush zone of the "concealed sentry post." Liu Dong'ang decisively signaled "move in." The sentries, who had been motionless until that instant, suddenly rose, leveling their muzzles at one of the OPFOR soldiers. At the same moment, Liu Dong'ang also leapt from the flank thicket, pointing his muzzle at the other "enemy."

In a flash, the sentries swiftly subdued both OPFOR soldiers and confiscated their weapons and equipment. The entire capture was executed with complete surprise and clean efficiency.

With the capture complete, Liu Dong'ang picked up the communications terminal and reported the results to the commander. Higher command determined that the "concealed sentry post" was about to be exposed and ordered them to escort the "prisoners" and withdraw covertly along the pre-planned route……

Training concluded, and the after-action review immediately commenced. Inside the tent, the participating officers and soldiers spoke one after another, engaging in heated discussion around the problems exposed during training. Liu Dong'ang carefully recorded the soldiers' remarks, thinking about how to improve subsequent training.

"How did you manage to stay completely motionless during concealment?" Walking out of the tent, the reporter asked one of the participating soldiers. He pointed back at Liu Dong'ang: "The instructor didn't move a muscle—how could we?"

"Rallying" Requires "Leading" First

■ Wang Xuechao

"What you require soldiers to do, officers must lead by doing it first"—this is both the most straightforward principle of troop leadership for a grassroots commander, and a fine tradition forged and refined by our military through the trials of blood and fire. Faced with the many trials of concealment in the dense forest, Instructor Liu Dong'ang took the lead in holding the frontmost position, pushing through physiological limits in a harsh environment and completing the mission successfully, prompting soldiers to hold themselves to the same standard instinctively: "The instructor didn't move a muscle—how could we?"

Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army commander Wang Detai fighting shoulder to shoulder with his soldiers; General Deng Hua going by the alias "Ding Hua" to conduct night patrols along cliffs together with ordinary soldiers…… From the bloody battles of the anti-Japanese battlefields to the charges of field exercises, practice has repeatedly proven that when leading cadres share hardships and face life and death together with ordinary soldiers, actions speak louder than words, and orders are followed without fail.

"Rallying" requires "leading" first. During the dog days of summer, visiting the sentries, the reporter experienced firsthand the authenticity of officers being tempered at the sentry post on the exercise front line, felt the rigor of officers and soldiers training in earnest, and witnessed the fine traditions of our military being carried forward and inherited from one generation of officers and soldiers to the next. The reporter has every reason to believe that, striding forward in the new era and advancing on the new journey, the broad ranks of grassroots officers and soldiers will surely deliver an outstanding answer to the Party and the people through the hard capability to fight and win wars.