The 185 regiments in early autumn were sunny. From a distance, the big characters "I only do one thing in my life, I will be the guardian of the motherland" on the outer wall of the military post are particularly eye-catching. In the early morning of August 14, as usual, Ma Junwu and his wife Zhang Zhengmei were preparing for the patrol. For more than 30 years, their husband and wife have been repeating the same tasks every day-patrolling borders, guarding waters, and protecting forests.

The 185th Regiment of the Tenth Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps is known as the first regiment of the Northwest Frontier. The military post (Sundek post) stationed by the Ma Junwu and his wife is affectionately called the husband and wife post.

33 years of guards

Ma Junwu, the second generation of the native army reclamation. In 1988, he took over the job of a border guard from his father, guarding the watchtower on the edge of the river and patrolling the border to this day.

The Arakbek River, this meandering river is the natural border of the country. In the spring of 1988, snowmelt floods raged and the river bank broke in Sandeck. According to international practice, if the river is diverted, our territory may be assigned to a neighboring country. After 16 days and nights of fighting, the soldiers of the Corps finally succeeded in blocking the breach, and our country has not lost any land.

"Blocking the breach means preserving the country. There was nothing to hesitate at the time, but to keep Longkou." That year, Ma Junwu was 19 years old and moved his family to Sandk Longkou just after participating in the flood fight, in order to keep this article every spring. There are rivers in danger of rupture. This defense is 33 years.

"You see, there is Jiehe in front of us, and the motherland behind us. We must guard here firmly." Standing on the Jiehe River, recalling the past, Ma Junwu looked resolute, "It is the duty of the Corps members to open up and defend the border. I have never regretted my choice. ."

As the second generation of the Corps, his father’s precepts and deeds allowed Ma Junwu to take the responsibility of the Corps members to guard the country more than anything else.

Walking into the Anti-Flood Defense Memorial Hall not far from the military post, the "Corps Spirit" section brings people's thoughts back to the passionate years. On the display board, soldiers of the Corps brandished their pickaxes and cultivated on the Gobi wasteland, showing the pride of fighting against heaven and earth.

"Back then, my fathers came here, digging large canals, building reservoirs, reclaiming wasteland, and creating fertile land on the Gobi desert and the edge of the desert." Ma Junwu said that in the early days of the formation of the XPCC, the first batch of soldiers from all corners of the XPCC had just started. When I came to this wasteland, there was no "standing" building here.

The place where they are located is one of the four largest mosquito gathering places in the world. In summer, the raging mosquitoes can kill livestock; in winter, the temperature often drops to minus 30 degrees Celsius, and the knees can be lost in heavy snow overnight.

It was under such difficult conditions that the soldiers of the Corps used fire-like enthusiasm to reclaim the borders, continue to struggle, put the desert in green, and turn the wilderness into fertile land. Ma Junwu said that the spirit of dedication and struggle of his fathers here has always inspired him, which is why he has always adhered to it. "I will stay here forever and pass on this spirit of dedication and struggle."

On the stone tablet in front of the house of the 185th regiment, there is a passage inscribed: "The continuous cutting of national conditions, the unbreakable soldiers, the unbreakable frontier defense, the unbreakable soul of the army." This is to defend the land and defend the country. The best portrayal of here, the infinite loyalty and deep love for the motherland have long since turned into silent actions. Nowadays, Ma Junwu's deeds are widely known, and his perseverance and conviction have moved many people. Many foreign tourists made a special trip to the military outpost to visit the couple.

In recent years, the 185th Regiment has continued to develop red tourism resources. The first company of the Northwest Frontier, the military post, and the flood-fighting and soil-saving memorial have become more and more famous. Focusing on rural revitalization, the 185 regiment formulated the development ideas of "traveling to the north and animal husbandry in the south" and building small rural towns in cold regions, advancing "a series of sceneries" and "a series of products", focusing on building tourist routes for the northern company. At present, the first company, second company, and third company of the regiment have been selected into the list of key rural tourism villages in the country. Therefore, Ma Junwu has another job-a volunteer interpreter.

"I want to tell you the wonderful stories of the Bingtuan people's family and country feelings, and the wonderful stories of reclaiming and defending the border, so that more people can understand the responsibility of guarding the border, love the motherland, and guard the country." Ma Junwu said.

I only do one thing in my life, and I am the guardian of the motherland. Ma Junwu is the epitome of the members of the Corps. They always keep in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s instructions. They not only integrate the spirit of the Corps into their blood and daily life, but also take the inheritance and promotion of the spiritual wealth left by their predecessors as an important mission. A blueprint for the future. Editor/He Yuting