As part of celebrations marking the Chinese Communist Party’s 105th anniversary, state media profiled several “Outstanding Communist Party Members,” including He Xianda, a serviceman in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force. A July 13 Xinhua article portrays He’s rise from military cook to model missile operator as an example of exceptional dedication. At the same time, the account offers unusual insights into the Rocket Force’s personnel practices and training standards.
According to the report, He enlisted in 1997 as a cook in a missile brigade. In six months, he self-studied and ranked among the top three in a brigade-wide missile theory examination. He was then reassigned as a missile-loading operator and, within five months, reportedly became the brigade’s top operator. In 2000, he qualified as the brigade’s first enlisted “No. 1 operator”—the missile launch position previously reserved for highly educated officers. His story of a cook becoming the top operator is an inspiration story, but it suggests many servicemen in the Rocket Force may not have strong education background.
The article notes that the “No. 1 operator” is an instable position since the educated officers were often promoted to higher positions after some time. The military had to fill the vacancies with enlisted personnel who had limited technical backgrounds and relatively short training periods.
The profile also recounts an incident in which onboard equipment reported an abnormal voltage reading shortly before a missile launch. Instead of aborting the mission, He crawled beneath the launcher, manually inspected the system by touch, concluded the circuit was functioning normally, and authorized the launch to proceed. State media praised his judgment, claiming “his hands were more reliable than the instruments.” The episode, however, suggests that field units may rely heavily on operator experience when equipment warnings are considered unreliable or diagnostic capabilities are limited.
A separate Xinhua article published on June 30 profiled Fang Yongzheng, a missile launch operator in the PLA’s “First Dongfeng Brigade.” According to the report, Fang compiled operational procedures, technical manuals, and troubleshooting guides that were adopted across the brigade. The article also states that, despite 26 years of service, he has never participated in an actual missile launch. This suggests that key training materials is missing and the military has to rely on documents developed by personnel whose expertise was derived primarily from training rather than operational experience.
Taken together, the two showcase exemplary Rocket Force servicemen inadvertently suggest persistent shortages of technically qualified personnel, extensive reliance on accelerated on-the-job training, and continued dependence on experienced individuals to compensate for gaps in technical expertise and organizational capacity.
Sources:
1. Xinhua, July 13, 2026
https://www.news.cn/20260713/959650c9a06b414d91cdb56746c54da1/c.html
2. Xinhua, June 30, 2026
https://www.news.cn/politics/20260630/46cce79284e74942a780dc8af0fca9a4/c.html
3. Epoch Times, July 19, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/7/18/n14812116.htm