WhethermilitarytrainingisstillnecessaryforfreshmenhasbecomeaheatedtopicinChinarecently.Somepeoplemaintainthatitisnotandshouldbecanceled.Foronething,militarytrainingisnothingbutkindoftorture,causinghorriblesuddendeathtimeandagain.Foranother,thetrainingseemsineffectivesincemoststudentsresumetheiridlinglifestylesattheendofthetraining.
However,otherpeoplebelievethatmilitarytrainingisamustfortoday’sspoiledyouth.Firstofall,itmakesthemmorelikelytopersistinsteadofescapinginfaceofhardships.Second,theself-disciplineandteamworkspiritstudentsdevelopareinvisiblyvaluablewealthfortheirfuture.Lastbutnotleast,itprovidesagoodchanceforstudentstolearnmoreonmilitaryandbroadentheirhorizons.
Generally,Iagreewiththoseadvocatingformilitarytraining.However,Iinsistthatsometrainingprogramsshouldbemodifiedorcarriedoutcarefully.Forexample,whentraineeshavetostandforhoursinthehotsun,trainersandteachersshouldwatchcloselytheirphysicalconditionstopreventthetragedyofsuddendeathfromhappening.
ThereisnodenyingthefactthatithasbeenahotlydebatedtopicwhetherstudentsshouldattendmilitarytraininginChinainthepastyears.Opinionsonthisissuediffersharply.Someholdthepositiveview.Theysaythatthetrainingcannotonlybuildupstudents'bodiesbutalsotempertheirwillpower.Besides,throughthetraining,studentscandeveloptheirteam-spiritandsenseofdiscipline.
Others,however,holdtheoppositeview.Theysaythatashortperiodoftrainingasstudentsarehavingnowcannotworkwellinbuildinguptheirbodiesorstrengthentheirwill.Instead,weshouldlayemphasisontheirdailyexerciseandactivitiesforsuchpurpose.What'smore,asuddenincreaseofintensephysicalexercise,especiallyduringsummer,doesharmtostudents'healthandmayevencausedeaths.Whathappenedinthepastyearshasprovedthis.
Weighingtheprosandconsofthesearguments,Iaminclinedtoagreewiththeformerpointofview.Militarytrainingisnotonlyameanstostrengthenstudent'sphysiqueandwillpower,butalsoaneffectivewaytoenhancetheirsenseofnationaldefenseandfostertheirpatriotism.Thoughsomedeathshappenedduringthetraining,weshouldnotgiveupeatingforfearofchoking.Besides,thedeathsareperfectevidencethatstudentsneedmoresuchtraining.Ofcourse,measuresshouldbetakentoensurethattheleastharmisdonetothetrainees.
Thedaywewerelookingforwardtocameatlast--aweek'smilitarytrainingbegan.
Duringthetraining,eachofusdidhis(her)partinearnest.Wedrilledmorethansixhoursaday,thoughitwasveryhotatthetime.
Intheblazingsun,wealwaystriedtomeasureuptothehighstandardswhichweredemanded.Sweatstreameddownandwewouldn'twipeitoff.Olnythreedayslaterourfacesweretanned.Wefelthappyandproudofit.
OurplatoonofficerwasayoungPLAman,abouttwentyyearsold.Hewasverystrictwithusduringthetrainingandverykindtousafterwards.Bytalkingwithhim,wecametoknownotonlymoreinformationaboutarmylife,butalsoaboutmilitaryaffairs.
Themilitarytraininggaveusgooddiscipline.Itbroughtusgreathappiness,too.We'llneverforgetit.