'Exorcists' protect against hidden dangers

Unlike most soldiers, Zhang Lidong is trained to fight an invisible enemy.

"Our job is to remove the demon that normal people cannot see," the 25-year-old private said of his unit, which is trained to deal with chemical, biological and nuclear threats that could cause mass casualties. "That's why we call ourselves 'The Exorcists'," he added.

Zhang, whose antichemical warfare regiment is based in Beijing, commanded the two Chinese crews that competed in this month's International Army Games in the desert near Korla, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.