Reflections on Military Training
When people talk about military training, most picture blazing sun, sweat all over, and drills repeated over and over. For me, however, this experience brought me plenty. I have become more disciplined, gained a strong sense of achievement, and grown a lot.
I joined the National Flag Guard, so my training was different from other groups. We had to practise every single step again and again and make sure each one was done properly. Senior members of the school flag team guided us. They told us that confidence matters most for flag guards: hold your head high, stand tall, keep your gaze forward and stay focused. Holding the rifle while standing at attention and practising goose‑step marches wore me out. There were moments I wanted to give up. But when I saw my teammates standing straight, I told myself I could keep going. Gradually, my restlessness faded away, and I began to understand what perseverance means. Practicing rifle movements over and over built up my patience. Marching in perfect sync with my teammates helped me truly learn what teamwork is. Luckily, our flag team got to train in shaded areas, which was really nice.
The training was exhausting. Holding the rifle for long periods made my shoulders sore and stiff. My legs would shake after standing for hours. On the first few days before we carried rifles, only my legs ached at night. These days, my whole body feels sore, and it is even hard to roll over in bed.
Tough as it was, there were light moments too. Our instructor was strict with our movements, but he cracked jokes once in a while to ease our tension. Laughter took some of the tiredness away and brought our team closer. Every time we froze in position and lined up our steps, I could feel us getting better and better. I believe when I face big troubles in the future, I will look back on these days of persistence.
Looking back on this week, military training gave me more than good posture. It strengthened my will. Physical discomfort does not last forever, but the strength I gain from pushing through will stay with me. I think this is what military training is all about.
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文字录入：学生工作处 张润茵；编辑：甄诚