Zhao Fangjun talks during an interview on July 22, 2017. [Photo by Liu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn] Like most of his fellow comrades, Zhao Fangjun felt at a loss when he stood 1,500 meters above ground level and waited to do his first parachute jump. However, after years of practice, the fear faded and he began to appreciate the breathtaking view in the sky. Now, 12 years after he joined the army, the 30-year-old works as a political instructor and helps new comers conquer their fears. Zhao's brigade, which belongs to the No 80 Army Group of People's Liberation Army, was established in 1947, and has earned numerous awards in both wars and peacetime since. The brigade is also the only special force which has been awarded the collective top-grade merit citation. Parachuting is a specialty of the troop. This year, the soldiers have completed more than 3,000 jumps. When an emergency occurs, parachuting is often the fastest way to send troops into the key area, Zhao said while citing an example of the deadly earthquake in Wenchuan in 2008, when some of the brigade's soldiers successfully landed in the epicenter. However, the high efficiency of parachute landing also brings high risks. When learning how to dive in water, soldiers will have a safety rope attached to them and they will be pulled out of the water in case of emergency. However, when practicing parachute landing, they have no one to rely on except themselves, said An Weiwei, a skydiving coach of the brigade. A failed parachute jump often results in serious injury or death. Zhao recalled a harrowing scene of a fellow soldier, where he jumped out of a helicopter and mistook the parachute's disconnecting unit for release unit. As a result, half of the parachute was detached from the parachuter, which made him fall rapidly. Although the soldier luckily survived, the experience rang the alarm bell in many, he said. To be permitted to skydive, an inexperienced individual will need intensive training and have to pass the strict evaluations of every single step. Soldiers who have passed the evaluations but still feel too nervous to jump from the helicopter will be retrained or receive psychological consulting. We will never push them to do it if they are not ready, Wu Zhongliang, the brigade's political commissar, said. Skydiving is of high risk and we should take nothing for granted. Folding the parachute is also a very important procedure. If the parachute is not correctly folded, the soldier may be unable to open the parachute timely and properly in the sky. Folding a parachute requires no less delicacy as broidery and it allows not the slightest mistakes, Wu said. Thanks to the high alertness, not a single soldier has been injured in the past some 3,000 jumps. cool wristbandswide rubber bandscustom livestrong braceletsrubber wristbands custom cheap
Boats anchor in the fishing port before the typhoon Nesat, the ninth typhoon this year, arrives in Shishi city of east China's Fujian Province July 29, 2017. Fujian meteorological station said the 10th typhoon had been also formed and was expected to land late Sunday or early next Monday in central to northern Fujian. [Photo/Xinhua] Latest update Typhoon Nesat makes landfall in east China FUZHOU - Typhoon Nesat, the ninth typhoon of the year, made landfall in southeast China's Fujian Province on Sunday morning. Nesat, packing maximum winds of up to 33 meters per second at its center, landed at coastal Fuqing City at around 6 a.m. after travelling across Pingtan Island, according to meteorological authorities. Previous coverage China evacuates thousands as Typhoon Nesat approaches FUZHOU, July 29 (Xinhua) - More than 3,100 people have been evacuated as eastern China's Fujian Province braces for the impact of Typhoon Nesat. Fujian meteorological station said Nesat was expected to make landfall in Taiwan Saturday and might land in the form of a typhoon or strong tropical storm in Fujian early Sunday. By Saturday noon, over 3,100 women, children and elderly had taken to the shore from fish farms, the provincial flood control headquarters said. In Songfeng Village administered by Putian City, Wu Jinxi, head of the village committee, helped evacuate residents. Don't come back until you are informed. Just let me know if you have difficulty taking care of your mum at the relocation center, Wu told villager Liu Guoxiang, who was about to temporarily leave his 60-year-old home with his 93-year-old mother. On Saturday, Nesat, the ninth typhoon this year, was traveling at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour in a northwest direction, packing gusts of wind up to 144 kilometers an hour. The station said the 10th typhoon had been also formed and was expected to land late Sunday or early next Monday in central to northern Fujian. The authority warned of torrential rain from Saturday through to next Wednesday due to the impact of dual typhoons. Rain is forecast to be over 500 millimeters in some areas. China's State Oceanic Administration Friday issued this year's first orange alert for ocean waves off the east coast ahead of Typhoon Nesat. The administration ordered vessels in affected waters to return to port, personnel to evacuate and related departments to close beach entertainment facilities. As of 5 pm Saturday, nearly 1,300 fishing boats have returned to harbours, according to the provincial flood control headquarters. At ports of Xiamen City, rescue ships and helicopters are standing by. The dual typhoons have disrupted traffic in Fujian, forcing all ferry services, 129 train services and 70 inbound and outbound flights at the Fuzhou airport to be canceled. China has a four-tier color-coded system for severe weather, with red the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
