Officers and Soldiers' Family Affairs Are Tied to Military Morale — When the "Small Family" Is Stable and Harmonious, the "Greater Family's" Cause Flourishes
"Small Family" Stable and Harmonious, "Greater Family's" Cause Flourishing
— News Investigation No. 6 on Party Committees and Organs at All Levels Helping Grassroots Officers and Soldiers Overcome Difficulties with the Correct Outlook on Political Achievement (正确政绩观)
■ PLA Daily Reporters Peng Hongxia, Zhang Dongpan, Peng Bingjie
"The child's condition has stabilized and improved. I feel an unprecedented sense of relief, and there will be far fewer conflicts at home." In early summer, Shi Chengliang, a Grade-2 Master Sergeant (二级军士长) in a certain brigade of the Rocket Force, took his second son to the hospital for a follow-up examination. Upon learning that the treatment results had exceeded expectations, much of the pressure that had been weighing on him dissipated.
Shi Chengliang and his wife have three children, who are ordinarily cared for by his wife alone at their hometown in Shandong Province. After their second son was diagnosed with tethered spinal cord syndrome, the family's previously stable life was completely upended: Shi Chengliang was not by his child's side, consumed with worry yet powerless to share the burden; his wife toiled day and night, anxious about the child's condition, exhausted in body and spirit with no one to turn to.
"The economic burden and psychological pressure compounded each other, and friction between me and my wife inevitably increased," said Shi Chengliang. Ever since the child fell ill, disharmonious factors affecting the family relationship had gradually emerged.
"As the saying goes, 'when the family is at peace, all things prosper.' Whether officers' and soldiers' families are harmonious is not a purely 'private family matter' — it is a major issue that affects military morale and unit stability." A leader of the brigade explained that they treat helping officers and soldiers manage their families and foster a harmonious atmosphere as a "Party committee project" (党委工程), actively working to relieve officers and soldiers who encounter family conflicts and difficulties.
This leader told reporters that when the brigade Party committee studied solutions to Shi Chengliang's "nagging problem," it concluded that only by thoroughly resolving the difficulty of getting the child medical treatment could the underlying threat to Shi Chengliang's family relations be eliminated at the source. To that end, they made contact through multiple channels and coordinated with the PLA General Hospital to provide treatment for Shi Chengliang's second son.
As it happened, just as the hospital notified Shi Chengliang to bring the child to Beijing for examination, he received orders to carry out a mission at a location in northwest China. Upon learning of the situation, the brigade Party committee deliberated and decided to temporarily adjust the mission personnel, ensuring that Shi Chengliang could accompany his child to the hospital without worry.
Moreover, once Shi Chengliang met the conditions for his family to join him at his duty station, the brigade organs immediately processed the family relocation (家属随军) and also helped complete the enrollment procedures for his child. Seeing one concrete difficulty after another effectively resolved, Shi Chengliang's wife was deeply moved: "I will do everything in my power to support my husband in serving with peace of mind, and I will absolutely not let down the organization's care and generosity."
"When the 'small family' is stable and harmonious, the 'greater family's' cause flourishes." On the topic of "officers' and soldiers' family affairs being tied to military morale," Political Commissar Ma of a certain brigade under the Northern Theater Command Army also had profound feelings. During the interview, he recounted an experience.
On one occasion, the brigade's "Political Commissar's Mailbox" received an anonymous letter: "My spouse and I have been living apart in different locations for years. The heavy workload and family chores have left me physically and mentally exhausted, and marital conflicts have grown increasingly frequent…" In just a few words, a military spouse's bitterness and helplessness were laid bare.
After reading the letter, Political Commissar Ma was deeply troubled and decided to investigate further. Through various means, the brigade organs eventually identified the letter writer — the wife of a technical backbone (技术骨干) in one of the companies.
In a candid heart-to-heart conversation, this backbone member revealed the truth: the unit had been away for extended field training exercises with heavy mission loads, leaving him no time to care for his family; his wife was busy with her own work and also had to care for elderly parents in poor health at home, leaving her worn out by the dual pressures of work and family. Over the past six months or so, the two had communicated less and less, and phone calls frequently ended in arguments — the husband felt his wife did not understand his difficulties, while the wife felt the husband ignored her hardships. The prolonged emotional drain had made this backbone member withdrawn and silent, with no energy for work or training.
After getting a clear picture of the situation, the brigade Party committee tackled the blockages and pain points through multiple channels: on one hand, they proactively coordinated with local education authorities, leveraging the military-civilian co-construction work mechanism to help this military spouse successfully secure employment at a kindergarten near the unit's garrison, resolving the hardship of living apart in different locations; on the other hand, the organs dispatched cadres to separately conduct ideological communication work with both husband and wife, guiding them to view things more from each other's perspective, to empathize with each other's difficulties through role reversal, and to be grateful for each other's contributions.
As concrete difficulties were resolved and family relations were gradually sorted out, this backbone member quickly regained his working form. In a skills competition organized by the brigade, he won the top prize for "proficiency in one specialty with competence in multiple skills" (一专多能).
The brigade organs drew broader lessons from this case, focusing on concrete problems affecting the harmony of officers' and soldiers' families — sorting out a list of difficulties to resolve, studying countermeasures item by item, and pressing ahead with implementation.
"In the past, we always worried that family conflicts among officers and soldiers would affect safety and stability. But really, what family is perfect and flawless? The key is whether problems can be discovered in time and resolved effectively." Not long ago, a certain brigade of the Eastern Theater Command Army organized a major discussion on "What is the correct outlook on political achievement?" (什么是正确的政绩观). The remarks of one brigade leader resonated deeply among officers and soldiers.
This clear-headed understanding grew from deep reflection. Previously, the brigade had conducted an in-depth investigation into the family situations of officers and soldiers, and the results were unexpected: many officers and soldiers faced real problems affecting family harmony, yet the vast majority had not raised them with the organization. When asked why, some felt "the organization should not have to worry about family matters," others felt "family shame should not be aired in public," and still others believed "family difficulties involve personal privacy."
"Only when the organization takes the initiative to step forward will officers and soldiers feel a measure of warmth." To that end, the brigade explored and innovated mechanisms for resolving difficulties: the brigade organs established a cooperative mechanism with local judicial, civil affairs, and people's armed forces departments to promptly follow up and resolve urgent and difficult matters involving serious illness or legal disputes (涉法涉诉) affecting officers, soldiers, and their family members; companies and battalions regularly investigate changes in officers' and soldiers' family circumstances, and on the basis of respecting the wishes and privacy of officers and soldiers, formulate plans for resolving difficulties; cadres and backbone members are encouraged to routinely conduct heart-to-heart conversations to ensure that early signs are detected early and problems are resolved early.
During the interviews, reporters found that on the desks of the brigade's leaders, there was a list of difficulties to be resolved. Children's school enrollment, family members' employment, serious illness relief… behind each item of need, the person responsible and the progress of the work were clearly noted. Pointing to the list on his desk, one brigade leader stated candidly: "Improving the capability to win battles is the greatest political achievement for commanders at all levels. Only when officers and soldiers are free from worries at the rear can they go into battle unburdened and devote themselves wholeheartedly to training and war preparation."
【Do Not Let Officers and Soldiers Take "Burdens" to Their Battle Positions】 Reporters visited barracks after barracks. Party committees and organs at all levels, guided by the correct outlook on political achievement (正确政绩观), are working hard to help grassroots officers and soldiers overcome difficulties — making great efforts to resolve problems related to children's schooling, welfare benefits, and legal rights protection, handling the heartwarming matters that officers and soldiers most care about. (Zhang Tianye, Li Haoqi, Shao Bokang)
Eyewitness Account
The Organization Is Our Greatest Pillar of Support
■ Grade-2 Master Sergeant of a Certain Rocket Force Brigade, Shi Chengliang
The moment the doctor told me that my child had begun to recover after treatment, my eyes grew moist. After several years of traveling from place to place seeking treatment, the child's condition has finally seen a ray of hope, and my wife and I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Looking back on these years of seeking medical care, I have a thousand feelings in my heart — there was hardship, there was warmth, but above all there is gratitude toward the organization. After the child fell ill, my wife and I had more arguments and disagreements due to living apart in different locations and the financial pressure. The unit's leaders saw this clearly and took it to heart, doing everything they could to help us relieve our worries and resolve our conflicts.
The brigade processed the family relocation for my wife, helping us end years of living apart. The enrollment procedures for the child were all handled by the organs on our behalf. With the whole family together, we face difficulties and solve problems together — there are fewer arguments, more warmth, and I feel far more settled in my heart.
When the timing of accompanying my child to Beijing for treatment conflicted with a unit mission, the brigade decisively coordinated arrangements so that I could accompany my child through the surgery with peace of mind. During the child's post-operative recovery, brigade leaders called multiple times to ask about the recovery progress. This meticulous care made my wife and me truly feel the warmth of the organization. In the past, my wife often complained that I had no time to look after the child; now, she always urges me to work hard in the unit.
As my wife wished, I have channeled the organization's care into the drive to strive. For two consecutive years I have achieved outstanding results in the brigade's professional skills competitions, and I have also participated in drafting and revising multiple professional training manuals.
In recent years, during the discharge seasons, whenever comrades-in-arms have consulted me about whether to stay or leave the service, I always draw on my own experience to tell them: "On the question of staying or leaving, listen to the organization — because the organization is our greatest pillar of support."
(Compiled by PLA Daily reporter Peng Hongxia)
Sincerely Resolving Problems — Actions Speak Louder Than Words
■ Wang Donglei, Staff Officer, Human Resources Section, a Certain Northern Theater Command Army Brigade
In recent years, as the military's combat-realistic training (实战化训练) has deepened, the training tasks of grassroots officers and soldiers have grown heavier and the pace of work faster. Long-term separation from family and infrequent reunions have left many officers and soldiers facing a variety of concrete difficulties that affect family harmony.
During one visit and investigation, a company commander's words were filled with bitterness: while on field training in the desert for several months, he led officers and soldiers in battling wind and sand to overcome training challenges, while his pregnant wife made repeated solo trips to the hospital for prenatal checkups and also managed the household and cared for the elderly. Over time, estrangement between husband and wife was inevitable.
This company commander's experience is representative of many officers and soldiers. Seemingly ordinary family matters — getting along as a couple, children's schooling, caring for elderly parents — are often what consume officers' and soldiers' energy the most and affect their morale the most. If worries about the rear are not properly resolved, officers and soldiers will find it difficult to devote themselves fully to training and war preparation. Resolving family conflicts among officers and soldiers and promoting family harmony fundamentally requires identifying the root of the problem and applying targeted measures to break through it.
"Sincerely resolving problems — actions speak louder than words." The brigade Party committee has a clear-headed understanding of this and has introduced a series of practical measures: comprehensively optimizing the system for officers' and soldiers' leave and rotation, giving priority to ensuring home visits and leave for those facing family difficulties; proactively coordinating with relevant local departments to make great efforts to resolve concrete difficulties such as employment placement for military spouses, school and kindergarten enrollment for children, and relief for families in hardship; regularly organizing mental health counseling sessions, forums for officers', soldiers', and their families' members, and other activities to help servicemembers and their families relieve emotional stress and resolve conflicts, eliminating estrangement and fostering affection through deepening mutual understanding.
"When officers and soldiers have difficulties, the organization is their backstop." Treating officers' and soldiers' family matters as major matters, important matters, and matters close to the heart — and doing everything possible to help everyone resolve the "three rear-area concerns" (三后) problems — is the only way to ensure that officers and soldiers can devote themselves wholeheartedly to their work and careers, and to consolidate strength for achieving the centenary goal of army building (建军一百年奋斗目标) on schedule.
(Compiled by PLA Daily reporter Zhang Dongpan)