Military Reporter at the Grassroots | "Soldier-Instructors" of the Deep-Blue Classroom
Aboard the Navy's Qi Jiguang, currently executing a far-seas comprehensive training and visit mission, there is a group of non-commissioned officer (NCO) backbone personnel——
The night is ink-black, the bow plowing through the sea. The Task Force 83 formation, composed of the Chinese Navy's Qi Jiguang and Kunlunshan, completed a friendly visit to Indonesia and departed Surabaya port, then sailed into the concentrated fishing vessel operating area in the waters near Java Island.
In the early morning hours, this reporter entered the Qi Jiguang's bridge. Watch personnel each performed their duties, while trainee students Zhang Xin and Du Shanggeng fixed their eyes on the radar screens, tracking every navigation-obstructing target. During the far-seas comprehensive training and visit mission, standing night watch is an important lesson for the students.
Radar section leader and Second-Class Senior Sergeant Zhao Leilei monitored the students' target-acquisition operations while holding binoculars to compare against surface vessels. He quickly identified the students' weak point: difficulty accurately correlating radar returns with surface targets.
"This is a common problem for beginners," Zhao Leilei told this reporter. This veteran section leader, who had worked for many years aboard the Zhaoqing and is familiar with various radar positions, now bears the additional responsibility of instructing students while ensuring the vessel's navigational safety.
He handed the binoculars to Du Shanggeng and explained in detail: "The brightness of the fishing vessel's lights and the relative positions between targets are all the basis for our judgment. A radar operator's eyes must watch the screen and also look at the real scene for comparison……" Under Zhao Leilei's careful guidance, the two students grew increasingly proficient in their operations.
As wind and waves picked up, at the signals watch station, Signals Section Leader and First-Class Senior Sergeant Cheng Bingjie stood steady as a boulder, concentrating intently on every sound coming through the VHF radio. Since the Qi Jiguang was commissioned in 2017, Cheng Bingjie has supported nearly ten cohorts of students through far-seas training.
This familiar scene moved navigation officer Cai Guoqiang in the chart room deeply. He told this reporter that in 2023 he was still a student at the PLA Naval Dalian Warship Academy, and it was Section Leader Cheng who patiently answered his questions during signals watch orientation — questions such as how to properly hoist flags.
This reporter noted that when the formation moored at foreign ports or transited the complex, narrow waterways of Surabaya port, the signals watch workload surged sharply. Student Wang Wenjun candidly admitted that although he had studied the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) in the classroom, he still felt considerable pressure when facing rapidly changing, complex situations. "Every word spoken over the VHF must be 'rapid, accurate, secure, and uninterrupted' (迅速、准确、保密、不间断)," Cheng Bingjie repeatedly emphasized. "Strict adherence to standards is what enables accurate expression and ensures navigational safety."
During breaks in instruction, PLA Naval Dalian Warship Academy instructor Hou Lingyi frequently came to the bridge to observe. He told this reporter: "The vivid, firsthand experience of the 'soldier-instructors' (兵教员) is the most lively case-study library for teaching."
Leaving the bridge, this reporter proceeded to another location where students conduct on-station orientation — the main engine room. Unlike the bridge, this space is stifling and noisy, yet it is the "heart" of the warship. Electrical Section Leader and Second-Class Master Sergeant Sun Weishan was leading several students through the equipment spaces. From generators down to a single light bulb, he can explain maintenance principles in a clear and accessible way.
"Only by familiarizing yourself with every station can you better command a warship in the future," Sun Weishan said with resounding conviction. When this reporter asked about his motivation for holding the electrician's post for more than twenty years, the veteran replied with firm resolve: "The warship charges across the ocean — the electrical systems deserve the credit!" Under his and his comrades' watch, the Qi Jiguang has not experienced a single major electrical failure since beginning its missions.
Sailing all the way, training all the way, improving all the way. Throughout the days of embedded reporting, this reporter constantly felt the passion of the Qi Jiguang's "soldier-instructors" — racing against time, holding nothing back in what they imparted. Though their time with the students is limited, they give their all to help the fledgling eagles harden their wings.
The deep-blue classroom; instruction at the battle station (战位带教). As Task Force 83 sets course for home, this cohort of students' deep-blue voyage of initiation is drawing to a close — while these admirable "soldier-instructors" will continue to hold fast to their battle stations, tempering their warfighting capabilities (研战能力), refining their standards of combat instruction (教战水平), and forging their ability to win battles (胜战本领)……