Veteran Soldiers

The Sept 3 parade will mark the sixth time for Ding Hui, a veteran tank driver who has served in the PLA Ground Force for 32 years, to take part in a national parade, and the fifth time he drives the frontmost tank to lead other ground vehicles.

"I am the chief trainer of all ground vehicle drivers and the commander of the foremost tank group. I train trainers, who then train other vehicle drivers. Though I have taken part in five massive parades and driven the first tank in four of them, I still feel huge pressure because we set an even higher standard to ensure that all tanks move in perfect synchronization with each other. So we need repeated training and precise coordination," he said.

A major challenge for Ding is that many tanks and armored vehicles were recently delivered to troops, so operators must quickly familiarize themselves with the new equipment.

"The knowledge and skills we acquire from parade training will enable us to build combat capability as soon as we return to our barracks. As I often tell my men, a parade is another type of combat exercise," the tank driver said.

He recalled that when he joined the military and was assigned to a tank regiment 32 years ago, the first tank he drove was a Type 59, China's first domestically made battle tank.

"Since then, I have used 18 types of tanks across three generations. I am a witness to the history of the Ground Force's hardware development over the past three decades. Compared with previous generations, our new tanks are much more advanced, with tremendous leaps in automation and information processing capabilities. Figuratively speaking, the new tank now has a brain," Ding noted.

In his view, a parade in the PLA is not only an occasion to honor fallen heroes but also a reminder of the tradition of always following orders from the Commander-in-Chief.

"All of us are ready to move from the training range to the battleground once the top commander gives the order," he said.