She, born in 1995, is sweeping landmines on the international peacekeeping battlefield | Dai Zhengqin | sweeping mines
I first met Dai Zhengqin in the dressing room recorded on the program "Youth Talks". With a delicate face, fair skin, and petite figure, it is difficult for the girl in front of me to associate with the calm and resolute 95s minesweeper who I imagined to be on the front line of peacekeeping, risking her life.
But it is this seemingly weak girl who once served as a blue helmet female soldier in the 20th batch of Chinese peacekeeping forces to Lebanon, and went to the Lebanon mission area to carry out a one-year mine clearance mission, blooming her most beautiful youth on the peacekeeping battlefield.
"I know it's dangerous, but this task must be done by someone." In April 2021, "Minesweeper Hero" Du Fuguo returned to his unit to share his minesweeper deeds with everyone, and the phrase "let me do it" ignited the flame in Dai Zhengqin's heart.
As one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, mine sweeping carries extremely high levels of danger and uncertainty. To become a qualified mine sweeper, one must develop strong skills.
During the peacekeeping training period, Dai Zhengqin wore heavy protective clothing every day for kneeling and excavation training under the scorching sun. He knelt for several hours and could only sleep on his back at night because his knees were red and purple, causing a heart wrenching pain when lying down.
In order to better master the use of mine detectors, she self pressurizes, lifting bricks on the training ground and dumbbells in the equipment room. Before going to bed, she also doesn't forget to do a few sets of flat braces on the bed. Sometimes after a day of training, her hands shake so much that she can't even hold chopsticks steadily.
In addition, she never retreats from the assessment of more than ten subjects such as theory, physical fitness, and psychological behavior training. "I believe that what others can do, I can also do it. As long as I dare to persist, I can achieve victory."
After arriving in Lebanon, Dai Zhengqin was greeted by the "ultimate assessment" near the battlefield. She and her comrades passed more than 30 tests in 13 courses at the United Nations Mine Action Center in one go, obtained the qualification certification for mine clearance and explosion control, and officially became mine clearance operators.
Every step on the international peacekeeping battlefield is full of thrills and challenges, and every second on the minefield is a test of life and death.
"When excavating landmines, it usually takes several hours to work in a kneeling position before the tail of the mine can appear." Dai Zhengqin explained that some landmines are buried under tree stumps, and the intricate entanglement of tree roots greatly increases the difficulty of handling them; Some landmines have almost half of their appearance burnt and their performance is extremely unstable.
Despite facing numerous difficulties, Dai Zhengqin and her comrades never backed down. They collaborated and successfully completed mine sweeping tasks time and time again.
"When I think about the local people being able to freely graze and grow crops on the land we have cleared, I feel that all the efforts are worth it," said Dai Zhengqin.
As an outstanding minesweeper on the United Nations international peacekeeping battlefield, Dai Zhengqin was awarded the United Nations Peace Medal Commemorative Medal. In September 2022, Dai Zhengqin successfully completed a one-year international peacekeeping mine clearance mission and returned to his familiar campus. In March of this year, she was named the "Most Beautiful College Student of 2022" by the Central Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Education.
The most beautiful youth, coexisting with the motherland and resonating with the times.