Special: China's band of brothers

Updated:2011-12-09 16:53

By Gao Qihui (chinadaily.com.cn)

Editor's note: At the end of each year, hundreds of thousands of young army conscripts are discharged from active duty as their time serving the country comes to end. Even for the nation's toughest men, it is an emotional time as they bid farewell to the brothers in arms they have trained alongside for years. The uniform may be removed, but the bond formed will remain for a lifetime. As they fall out for the last time, we salute the service and union formed by China's band of brothers.  Editor: Gao Qihui

Changing the guard
A retired soldier bids farewell to his comrade at a railway station in Yinchuan, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region Nov 25, 2011. Many soldiers completed the military service this year and began to leave the army.	Who shall be discharged? A soldier is discharged from active service upon the expiration of his term of active service.Before the expiration of his service, a conscript may, according to the needs of the armed forces and on a voluntary basis, extend his service as a petty officer after approval. The period of service as a petty officer shall be no longer than 30 years. Soldiers with outstanding performance during their service could be selected to be sent to military institutes and then appointed as officers after graduation. Who shall be enlisted? Each year, male citizens who have reached 18 years of age by December 31 shall be enlisted for active service. Those who are not enlisted during the year shall remain eligible for active service until they are 22. Graduates of higher education remain eligible until 24.To meet the needs of the armed forces, female citizens may also be enlisted for active service. To meet the needs of the armed forces and on the principle of voluntary participation, citizens who have reached 17 years of age but, but have not yet reached 18 years of age by December 31 of a certain year may be enlisted for active service.	New recruits leave home in Chaohu city, East China's Anhui province, Dec 10, 2008.
Soldiers weep as they bid farewell at a railway station in Dandong city, Northeast China's Liaoning province, Nov 30, 2011.		New recruits leave home in Yuechi county, Guang'an city, Southwest China's Sichuan province, Nov 20, 2011.

Farewell platform – last stop for goodbye
A weeping soldier bids goodbye to retired comrades at the railway station in Dandong city, Northeast China's Liaoning province, Nov 30, 2011.	Retired soldiers wave goodbye to their comrades at a railway station in Yinchuan, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Nov 25, 2011.	Soldiers throw their leaving comrade in the air at a railway station in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, Nov 25, 2011.	Two soldiers embrace during an emotional goodbye at a railway station in Heihe city, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Dec 1, 2011.

Brothers in arms - comrades forever
Hu Jiwei sits beside Chen Wanqing, the mother of Liao Bing, in Southwest China's Chongqing. A bond beyond life For more than 20 years, Hu Jiwei, a retired military officer, has continued taking care of the mother of Liao Bing, his brother in arms who died in a traffic accident while serving in 1992. The two young men, from Southwest China's Chongqing, were both enlisted for active service in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in October 1986. When they were about to complete basic training in 1987, they made a promise to each other that if one of them died during their service, the other would look after their parents. After Liao died in a traffic accident in 1992, Hu keep his promise by comforting Liao's parents saying “Don't be too sad, I will be your third eldest son (Liao is his parents' third eldest son) from now.” Every holiday when Hu Jiwei returns to his home city of Chongqing, he always visits Liao's parents before going back to his own family. Hu was discharged from army in 1998 back to Chongqing to work in the municipal government. He always visits Liao's parents as long as he is free. Meanwhile, at each holiday he also buys some daily necessities and sends them to them. When Liao's father passed away in 2004, Hu Jiwei, along with Liao's other brothers, kept a bedside vigil at the coffin for three days. Now the ex-serviceman always spends one day of his weekend with Liao's family. Even during the Spring Festival, Hu usually has the reunion dinner with Liao's family at first before visiting his own parents. Sometimes, he will ask the two families to have reunion dinner together. (People.com.cn)
Special emotional ties – the pain of goodbye
Farewell to my aircraft		Soldier's best friend
Micro-view of comradeship
Xinguibaby In the world, there is only one type of friendship that will let others sacrifice their life to block the bayonet and bullet for you. That is the comradeship in arms.	Lixuan2009 Today is the second anniversary of my retired days from the army. I miss my “brothers” who I use to fight together. Although we are apart from each other, I still believe that our brotherhood lives forever.	Yixiaoxi in barback I never feel the coldness of the winter, as I am warmed by the fellowship among my comrades in arms.	Flying female assassinator Our comradeship in arms is a memory that will lives forever in our life, and it is also our most valuable wealth.

Life after service – the future
Preferential policies for veterans
Military Service Law  A conscript retired from active service shall be given retirement pay according to the provisions of the state, accepted by the local people's government at the county level or above of the place of resettlement and may be given a financial subsidy according to the actual local situation. A conscript retired from active service shall be given retirement pay according to the provisions of the state, accepted by the local people's government at the county level or above of the place of resettlement and may be given a financial subsidy according to the actual local situation. After a conscript is retired from active service, the local people's government at the county level or above of the place of resettlement shall arrange him or her to participate in vocational education or skills training free of charge. [Read More]	Better protection of veterans' rights Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Chairman of the Central Military Commission Hu Jintao Saturday issued an order to publicize the Regulations on Resettlement of Ex-Servicemen, which will take effect from November 1. Formulated with an aim to protect the legitimate rights and interests of ex-servicemen, the 53-article document highlights a series of initiatives designed for the appropriate placement of veterans. State organs, social groups, enterprises and public institutions should give preferential treatment to ex-servicemen while recruiting staff members or contract workers, according to the regulations.[Read More]
Respect – always heroes
Drowned man declared a hero A man who died last week trying to save a drowning woman has been declared a hero by the city government. Niu Zuotao, 31, a retired soldier, originally from Heze of East China's Shandong province, was walking along the river with friends when they saw a woman jump into the Pearl River at about 8:40 pm, police said at a news conference. Niu quickly took off his shoes and jumped into the river. He tried to pull the woman from behind to the riverbank, but the terrified woman made it difficult for him to get a grip on the bank and they drifted out into the middle of the river, until both were out of strength and drowned. Niu's body was found the next day.[Read More]
Cleaner sweeps his way to the top A veteran mops up the image of Henan people with his cleaning career. While most people look for a job that commands power and respect, Zhang Xizhong has kept his outlook down-to-earth by starting an "underground" career as a sewage system worker. The middle-aged man who retired from the army more than two decades ago still considers himself a soldier. He is the manager of a cleaning company that drains water and sewage systems. Called the Senior Soldier Cleaning Center, it has 22 workers, of which 12 are retired soldiers, and seven vacuum sweepers worth more than 800,000 yuan. His business deals not only with communities but also the buildings of the Central Military Commission, as well as Zhongnanhai, the central headquarters of the Chinese government. [Read More]	Ex-soldier wages personal war on blood shortage A retired soldier in Jiuquan, Gansu province, has donated 11,800 ml of blood in the past 10 years. Wang Junsheng first donated blood in September 2000 and has since given 400 ml every three to six months. "I used to be a Chinese People's Liberation Army soldier and wanted to do something for society in my own way," he said. "It's a pleasure to know that the blood I donate is used to save other people's lives." As well as making his own donations, Wang also urges others to follow suit by telling them that it does not harm a donors' health. "I'm almost 50 years old and am in very good health. I hope more people will donate their blood," Wang added.