Editor's note: At the "two sessions" each year, NPC deputies and CPPCC members from Chinese armed forces actively put forward bills, proposals and suggestions. We are launching the "NPC deputies and CPPCC members from the military" series, telling stories of some military service persons in fulfilling their duties as NPC deputies or CPPCC members. The following is the second story of the series.
The person we are going to meet today is Captain Yang Lei, a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) from a brigade of the PLA 83rd Group Army.
In the brigade, everybody knows Captain Yang Lei. In 2013, Yang won the championship in a mountain and jungle sniping skill competition with the participation of 103 top gun snipers from the whole army, and was conferred the first-class merit citation. Since elected an NPC deputy in 2018, he has got himself a new identity – Deputy Yang who reflects the voices of soldiers from grassroots units.
The title conveys trust from his comrades-in-arms and comes with great responsibilities. To better reflect the wishes of soldiers in his suggestions, in the past four years, talking with them and hearing their voices has taken almost every minute of Captain Yang Lei's time besides military training. The thick stacks of notebooks in his bookshelf bear witness to how diligently he is in fulfilling his duty as an NPC deputy. In the past four years, he has made investigation visits to the troop units of the PLA in 15 cities across Henan, Hebei and Shaanxi provinces. Over time, Captain Yang has a deeper understanding of what grassroots service members really need.
In the past four years, Captain Yang Lei has played a key role in the preparation of more than 20 motions and proposals, ranging from the retention of outstanding non-commissioned officers (NCOs), benefits for grassroots service members, to the protection of rights and interests of service members and their families, among others. Many of them have been put into practice.
Growing up from an ordinary soldier himself, Captain Yang has paid special attention to the retention and cultivation of grassroots talent. This year, he has new thoughts on the development of squad leaders. Focusing on this subject, Captain Yang surveyed squads and platoons in the 83rd Group Army to solicit squad leaders' opinions in hopes of taking more good proposals to the NPC and doing his bit for strengthening the military.
