Female commandos prepare for action
Print Edition
HANDLING explosives, rappelling from a 6-story building, parachuting from 800 meters, and dodging a hail of bullets — it’s all in a day’s work for these women.
For this female-only squad of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) special operations forces, daily training carries all the risks of real battle.
“Sometimes, I hear bullets fly past my ears. I realize how I would feel if enemies were to shoot at me on the battlefield,” said Huang Anqi, 21, who was among the first to join the squad. The brigade was reorganized as a special ops troop in 2013, and soon after the all-women’s squad was formed.
The first time Huang was asked to rappel from a tall building, she clutched the rope and didn’t dare to move, but after daily practice, it has become her strong suit.
The squad now consists of 21 soldiers between the ages of 19 and 26. They are trained in shooting, climbing, explosives, reconnaissance, parachuting, operating boats, driving and swimming.
Female soldiers may not be as physically strong as their male counterparts, so their training focuses more on skills, said Miao Zhong, political instructor of the company that supervises the squad.
“Their training is as intense and demanding as that for male soldiers. They have to train for up to 10 or 11 hours a day,” Miao said.
The female soldiers are tasked with special reconnaissance, combat missions and assisting in counter-terrorism operations, so they hone their skills in infiltration, reconnaissance and assault, said Liu Yong, deputy commander of the brigade.
Liu said every soldier in the brigade is trained according to a personalized growth plan to become an expert in a particular area, while also developing skills in other areas.
In the women’s squad, Wu Mei is good at martial arts, Yang Xujiao climbs remarkably fast, and Ma Yan is an adept sniper.
“In special ops forces, it is crucial for an individual to develop all-around abilities. Though it is much smaller since reorganization as a special ops force, the brigade has become stronger, featuring greater mobility, better-performing soldiers and more diverse missions,” said Tang Kaixi, the brigade’s political commissar.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
