At the scene of the gun awarding ceremony, recruits Chen Honglong (left) and Zhang Heng solemnly took the steel gun from the company veterans. In the first ten days of February, the northwest border was covered with snow and the cold was pressing. The area where the officers and soldiers of the Bayimza Border Protection Company of the Tacheng Military Division of Xinjiang are stationed has been covered by heavy snow from November to March of the next year, which is a veritable "snowy island". Although the environment is harsh and the conditions are difficult, officers and soldiers insist on patrolling every day. On February 3, new faces appeared in the company patrol. Last year, two new recruits from the bottom company joined the patrol team as they wished because of their excellent comprehensive qualities and carried out patrol tasks on the border for the first time. The night before the patrol, Zhang Heng, a new recruit, wrote in his diary: "Since we have arrived at the military camp, we must make contributions in the most needed place in the motherland." After starting from the camp, the officers and soldiers first rode on the snowmobile. After half a journey, the road became rugged and the officers and soldiers could only walk on foot. The hillside is steep, the snow is deep, and the cold wind is cold... The first patrol, marching in the vast snow sea, not only tests the physical ability of the recruits, but also trains their spiritual will. Along the way, the leading cadres reminded them to pay attention to safety from time to time. After more than three hours of trek, the patrol officers and soldiers arrived at the boundary marker. According to the company tradition, when new recruits participate in patrols for the first time, the company will hold a ceremony to teach them guns at the boundary marker, and the veteran representatives will teach them guns, so as to convey the ideal and belief of sticking to the border. The monument witnessed that recruits Chen Honglong and Zhang Heng took the steel gun from two veterans. "Taking over this steel gun means taking over the mission and glory!" said the recruit Chen Honglong excitedly, holding the steel gun. Carry loyalty on your shoulders and guard the frontier defense line of the motherland with your blood and youth. Snow mountains, steel guns, boundary markers... This moment will become the eternal memory of the border guards. The officers and soldiers rode snowmobile to the patrol area. The officers and soldiers struggled on the slope with deep snow. Zhang Heng, a recruit, painted the boundary marker red. (Outlook New Era)