An entirely new sort of army－civilian joint training and joint support drill kicked off on the North China Plain on the eve of the National Day. In this drill, the specialized detachments of local militia and reserve forces who could only played a minor role in the military exercise in the old days were now quipped with new sophisticated equipment such as digital early warning system, and came onto the main stage along with aviation, armor and tactical missile units.

　　According to the general director of the drill, in the past two years, the PLA troops stationed in North China have teamed up with the local governments to form a joint training and joint support mechanism. Supported by the national defense mobilization system, the local leaders and related departments at various levels have been organized into the command organizations while the specialized emergency equipment and technical forces have been incorporated into the joint training and joint support system after integration, so as to realize the intensification in terms of theoretical discussion, organizing and command, overall arrangement of resources and utilization of strength.

　　The reporters saw that a group army with over 10,000 troops and thousands of vehicles staged a long-range mobile drill traveling across three provinces and cities. Along its way, 100-odd civilian specialized detachments were urgently mobilized to drill on eight training subjects such as army-civilian joint resistance operation, army-civilian joint support and battlefield rescue operation under informationization conditions. With the support of local militia and the reserve forces, the PLA troops have been further reinforced, just like a tiger that has grown wings. Meanwhile the specialized detachments of militia and reserve forces have been tempered in an all-round way in such drills.

　　By Luo Luyun and Zhang Kunping

　　(Oct 8, PLA Daily)