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The first transmitter-receiver of the people's army

  Ablaze flame can be derived from the first kindling, and lofty mansion is based on the first footstone. The people's army experienced countless "the firsts" in the 80 years of its magnificent history. The special column of the Firsts in the History of PLA picks up only a small number of these numerous "the firsts" in the history of the PLA. Let's witness the great expedition of the people's army growing out of nothing and expanding from a small to a large force and from a weak to a strong force.
The University of the Red Army, the first university of the people's army

  The Central Revelutionary Military Commission issued The Command Concerning Transformation of Schools of the Red Army and made a farsighted decision, creating a precedent of people's army to run university, thus giving the birth of the University of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army.
The first hospital of the PLA——Central Red Hospital

  There's a Central Red Hospital in the history of the PLA. It is the first hospital taken over by the PLA after the Nanchang Uprising. The proletarian revolutionaries of the older generation such as Mao Zedong, Wang Jiaxiang and Chen Geng once received medical treatment in that hospital.
PLA's first self-made rifle in Yan'an cave

  On May 1, 1939, the first rifle made by Yan'an Ordnance Factory was sent to Qiao'ergou of Yan'an for an exhibition, which was spoken highly by Chairman Mao. The factory produced its first batch of rifles before long. This batch of rifles had created a good score of 200 hits in the life test.
The first tank of the PLA--- "Meritorious Service Tank"

  One day in November 1945, the Chinese Northeast People's Autonomous Army captured a Japanese-type tank from the enemy.On December 1, Zhu Rui announced the establishment of the Northeast Tank Group of the PLA and named this Japanese-type tank as No.102 Tank, which became the first tank of the PLA Armored Force.
First batch of female pilots

  "Are these girls pilots now?" asked Chairman Mao in pleasant surprise when he met the first batch of female pilots of the PLA Air Force in Zhongnanhai on 24 March 1952. Liu Yalou, the then commander of the PLA Air Force replied: "yes, they are all pilots now, and all of them can carry out flight missions independently."
Excellent performance of the flamethrower company

  In the early December 1954, a division of the Army, under the directive of the East China Military Area Command, gathered all servicemen of chemical defense detachments of every regiment and selected over 50 servicemen with operation experience from the infantry regiment to set up the first flamethrower company and bring it into the trainings immediately before fighting.
The people's Air Force opens air route to Tibet

  On the morning of May 26, 1956, the deputy director of a unit of the Air Force Han Lin piloted an Il-12 to take off from Yushu (Qinghai) Airport with his crew and landed at Dangxiong (Lhasa ) Airport. This seemingly common flight has uncommon significance: China has realized the dream of flying over the "roof of the world".
The first anti-chemical unit of the PLA

  On October 16, 1964, China successfully exploded the first atomic bomb and it was the first time for the PLA anti-chemical force to be involved in nuclear test. At 3:00 p.m. on that day, China's first atomic bomb successfully exploded. Amid joyful cheers and applause to hail the successful explosion of atomic bomb, hundreds of officers and men of anti-chemical troops were, according to their division of work, busy with radiation safety protection test, radiation technology test and taking samples for radioactive chemical analysis to determine the nuclear equivalent.
The first armed helicopter unit of the PLA

  In mid 1980s, the Central Military Commission made a strategic decision to reduce the PLA by one million and set up a new arm of service at the same time, namely army aviation force. In June 1988, the first armed helicopter unit of China was given birth.
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