Learning lessons for today and tomorrow

Walking around the campus of Peking University in Beijing, it was noticeable that Song Xi had darker skin than many of the other women on the campus. That wasn’t surprising, given that for the past year, while the rest of her classmates have been busy working on their graduate theses, the 22-year-old “student soldier” has been training with the People’s Liberation Army Navy. Last year, she suspended her studies and enlisted for two years.

“All the people who join the army voluntarily have always dreamed of becoming soldiers — the idea has always been firmly rooted in their minds,” she said, explaining that she enlisted because she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her father, a career soldier.

Army life has changed Song, who always seemed to have a spring in her step. “I have become more tolerant of people’s differences and am more considerate to others,” she said. “All the changes are the result of the tough training I have undergone and the isolated environment that helps people to understand each other better and teaches them about sharing and responsibility.”

As a member of the Naval Special Warfare Force, the two training exercises that impressed her most were a swimming and diving course, and a wilderness survival challenge.

From March to July, jellyfish are active in the sea off the coast of Guangdong province, where Song’s squad trained. “They may look cute, but they are dangerous. Many of us were stung,” she said, recalling how one of her comrades was stung and her leg swelled to twice its original size.

“But no one stopped until they finished the 3-kilometer swim. It made me believe that no mission is impossible if you have a belief in your duty to the country and the people,” she said.

The three-day wilderness survival challenge provided another indication of her growing resilience. Team members, who were each given just 0.05 kg of rice per day and 2 liters of water in total, were required to complete a trek across an isolated island in the face of inhospitable weather.

“We climbed several hills and marched throughout a night of heavy rain carrying backpacks that weighed about 25 kilograms. After three days, we arrived at the summit of a mountain. Looking down on the ocean, we all read the oaths we swore when we joined the Communist Party,” she said.

“It was the most memorable moment of my life. When I thought about the efforts we have made to safeguard our motherland, my tears dropped spontaneously.”

As a psychology major, Song contributes her expert knowledge to help her comrades. “Compared with many of my peers, I’m not the best in terms of physical condition, but I’m so happy that my professional skills are helpful, especially as it is a female brigade. Girls can be emotional, but an intimate conversation has often offered a solution to a problem.”

Song said most people of her predominantly single-child generation care more about their own needs and feelings than those of other people.

“The opportunity to serve in the military is so precious that it changes people for the better. It helps them to understand how to cooperate with others and be helpful in a group. It will be one of the most important courses we will ever take and great preparation for our futures,” she said.

Song Xi