Border sentry post no longer "deserted island", more like "happy harbor"

Source
China Military Online
Editor
Huang Panyue
Time
2021-11-23 20:27:25
A soldier at the Kunmujia sentry post stands guard in the cold night. (Photo by Xu Wenbin)

By the end of last year, grid connection came to Kunmujia sentry post under the PLA Xizang Military Command (MC) at an altitude of 4,900 meters. From then on, the sentry post finally bid farewell to the no-electricity history of over a decade.

Electric power supply has always been a challenging issue affecting the construction of the post. Military members served at the sentry post were filled with emotion when recalling the history of power consumption.

When the sentry post was first built in 1962, the frontier defense soldiers mainly relied on kerosene lamps for lighting. Later, they used an old low-power hand-cranked generator to generate electricity. In 2005, the post was equipped with diesel generators, and the daily power supply was extended to three hours.

In addition to lighting, new electrical appliances began to enter the lives of soldiers serving at the post. In 2008, the first local telephone line was putted through for communication between frontier defense soldiers and their families instead of mails. In 2014, the superior department distributed a TV to the sentry post. Border guards watched TV programs in the post for the first time relying on satellite antennas.

Time flies and when it came to the year 2021, the working and living conditions of frontier defense service members have been greatly improved. "Today's Kunmujia sentry post, which located at the westernmost end of the Xizang MC, is no longer a 'deserted island', but more like our 'happy harbor'," a soldier said.

"An asphalt road has been built between the company and the sentry post. Various supplies can be delivered in time even if the mountains are covered by heavy snow. Now we can have fresh vegetables and fruits every day, and sometimes even seafood," soldier Jia Niansheng said proudly.

While the supply of basic materials is fully guaranteed, the stable electric power supply also adds to the richness of service members’ after-work life. With the full coverage of network signals, Frontier defense soldiers can also have a video chat with their families at any time in addition to leisure and entertainment in their spare time.

The sentry post is also equipped with a multifunctional micro-oxygen chamber, which can simulate the climatic environment in low-altitude areas, help service members recover their physical strength, detect and record various physical data and effectively reduce the incidence of plateau diseases.

Up to now, the PLA Xizang MC has basically solved the traditional "six difficult problems" of power, drinking water, heating, and oxygen inhalation for front-line companies, and has provided reliable support for border defense and combat readiness.

A soldier picks fresh vegetables at the "plant factory" in the sentry post. (Photo by Su Hao)

 

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