Acting on the order of the PLA Commanding Group for the Earthquake Rescue and Relief, the third batch of earthquake rescue and relief troops began to pull out from the quake-hit areas on August 21, indicating that the military has wrapped up its primary rescue and relief tasks. For these officers and men who will return to their barracks with great honor, the earthquake rescue and relief is not only an unforgettable experience but also a chance to develop a reservoir of valuable wealth.

　　The earthquake rescue and relief operation is a special military operation other than war (MOOTW) in the history of the PLA. It dwarfed all military trainings in peacetime and other military tasks in terms of the numerous ways of deploying the troops, the dimension of the target areas, the frequency of action conversion, the complicacy of environment, and the difficulty in command and coordination.

　　It is fair to say that the earthquake rescue and relief operation is not a war but embodies plenty of battle elements, it is not a combat and yet implies the essence of combat. Owing to it, the troops withstood unparalleled tough challenges and severe tests, and were steeled with their capability uplifted unprecedentedly. It has not only helped the troops to amass important experience in dealing with multiple threats to security and fulfilling the diversified military tasks, but also offered an objective driving force and subjects for practice in order to build an IT-based army and win information warfare.

　　The earthquake rescue and relief operation is likewise a baptism for the officers and men and a trial of their ideology, will and work style. With that experience, they will be proud of themselves in their lifetime. In this sense, trials do not only help to regenerate a nation but also help to make the army mightier. Therefore, the hard-won precious wealth amassed in the quake rescue and relief operation should be valued extraordinarily.

　　The first and utmost important thing to do in showing that we value the hard-earned precious wealth is to sum up the experience and lessons of the quake rescue and relief operation and offer experience and inspiration for the army building and reform under the new situation, so as to fulfill well various tasks with higher standards and stricter requirements, and enhance the overall army building to new heights.

　　(Aug 22, PLA Daily)                                               Editor: Dong Zhaohui