Pioneering PLA unit vows to maintain its long traditions

That posed two choices for the squad. "One was to cross the river directly, but we would probably have been knocked over and washed away by the fast current," Ke said. "The other was to skirt around the river and find another route, which would take much longer and risk missing the best combat opportunity."

The soldiers finally decided to cross the river directly, despite altitude sickness and the inherent danger. After doing so, they achieved the designated goals.

"Actually, we were very clear about the dangers lying ahead, but we didn't want to lose the key opportunity that would allow us to take our enemies by surprise and win the fight," Ke said.

In his eyes, striving to come first in various drills and training exercises is not only part of the company's tradition, but also a safeguard for the soldiers.

"Our company's rigorous exercises are targeted at winning real battles," he said. "One of the most important things in real wars is to bring soldiers home alive from the battlefield. Thus, all of our regular training and exercises are meant to be harsh and close to real combat."