In the air, encrypted radio waves shuttle and interweave into an invisible command network; On the sea surface, the two-color flag traced a powerful trajectory in the hands of the signalman, and complex commands were now transformed into concise visual language. A joint training is in full swing in a certain sea area. Under the sky and above the blue waves, invisible commands are rapidly transmitted between the sea and sky. At the signal battle position of a certain ship at a naval base in the Northern Theater Command, Second Class Sergeant Li Li'ao's eyes were lit up, staring closely at the jumping waveform on the screen. As his fingertips lightly and precisely tapped on the radio button, the noisy radio waves in the earphones were instantly transformed into clear and error free text commands. The buzzing of radio current, the crisp sound of keyboard keystrokes, the rustling sound of pen tips brushing over newspapers... entering the mission state, various signals and commands in the ship's cockpit interweave and echo on the battlefield between every inch. Sweat beads oozed from Li Ziao's forehead, but he was completely unaware. His entire mind has been immersed in the ever-changing world of signals - reporting various information to the commander and accurately issuing various instructions from the commander. In the driver's cab, the signalman seemed to be the "shadow" of the commander. For Li Ziao, every precise reception and transmission is weaving a meticulous and precise information network for the safe navigation of the ship and the victory of the battle. On the vast ocean, these figures standing firm in the sound and light, watch over the "ocean currents" of information. Every signal here is connected to the safety of the ship. What do signalmen do every day? ”This question is almost the "opening line" for every new recruit who has just been assigned to the signal department to start their military career. Signal soldiers are the 'thousand mile eyes' and' windward ears' of naval commanders, and the nerve hub for external communication of ships. ”Second level Sergeant Li Ziao defined it as follows: "Regardless of the weather, we must ensure smooth communication between the ship and the outside world, as well as between the ship and the formation." Becoming a qualified signalman requires a long and arduous transformation. Li Ziao, who has just completed the signal battle duty, now speaks professionally and eloquently. But when time went back a few years, the scene when he first boarded the ship was completely different. Carrying the dream of "sailing a giant ship and venturing into the ocean", Li Ziao enlisted in the army, but was assigned to a tugboat that constantly operated around the military port. Looking at this' small boat 'and touching some' retro 'flags and signal lights on the wall, Li Ziao's psychological gap is very large. This is not at all what I imagined a modern navy would look like, "he said. Zhou Yuli, the squad leader and first level sergeant of Li Ziao, is a veteran who has worked in the signal post for more than 10 years. He could see the new recruit's thoughts at a glance. Don't complain that our ship is small and our equipment is old. The basic skills of a signalman are like the foundation of a building, and they can be trained anywhere. The most important thing is to master them. ”During a routine maintenance of the equipment, Zhou Yuli patted the well maintained old signal light and said to Li Ziao. At that time, Li Ziao nodded on the surface, but felt somewhat indifferent in his heart: "Isn't it just waving flags and pressing switches? How high can there be in terms of technical content?" The military camp is the best melting pot, and practice is a rigorous teacher. In the first professional assessment for new recruits, Li Ziao was hit hard. During the flag communication assessment, he distorted his movements due to nervousness and expressed completely different meanings... When the report card came out, Li Ziao blushed with embarrassment. He lowered his head and approached the class monitor, ready to accept criticism. To his surprise, Zhou Yuli didn't get angry and just took him to the deck. At dusk, a missile destroyer that had just completed long-distance training was slowly approaching the dock with the assistance of their tugboat. The sunset cast a layer of golden glow on the hull, and the figures of officials and soldiers on the bridge were busy. Various weapons and equipment showcased the charm of a modern navy. The safe departure and smooth return of such a national treasure cannot be achieved without seemingly insignificant support forces like us in the port. ”Zhou Yuli pointed to the warship in front of him and said, "Signals are a crucial link in the chain of defense. Every signal here is connected to the safety of the ship. If your basic skills are not solid, you will plant a timed bomb next to your comrades." The squad leader's words awakened Li Ziao. For the first time, he truly felt the heavy responsibility carried by the small flag and seemingly ordinary signal light in his hand. Change begins after the conversation under the sunset. The flag language movements were not standard, so Li Ziao practiced repeatedly in front of the military mirror; The speed of copying military language is slow and there are many errors, so he found news broadcast recordings and repeatedly dictated them to improve reaction speed and accuracy; He was not proficient in lighting signals, so he worked overtime at night to simulate and practice... Day after day, he practiced hard, and in return, he achieved professional improvement. In the graduation assessment of new recruits, Li Ziao was awarded the title of "Training Model" with excellent results and won the championship in the higher-level professional competition. Later, due to his outstanding comprehensive qualities, Li Ziao was selected to a new type of warship and became a signal backbone. We must remain vigilant like radar in modern naval battles, in complex electromagnetic environments where information rushes like a torrent and interference and deception are everywhere. Signal soldiers must firmly lock onto their targets and hold onto their own "channel" amidst countless interferences. This ultimate focus is not innate, but honed through high-intensity training and urgent tasks. Zhou Yuli has a deep understanding of this. He served on a lifeboat for many years. The nature of lifeboat missions is special, often requiring them to rush to complex and harsh weather areas to carry out search and rescue missions, which greatly tests the concentration of signalmen. That year, Zhou Yuli accompanied the ship to search for a missing fishing boat in a certain sea area. At that time, the sea conditions were poor, with high winds and strong waves on the surface, extremely low visibility, and the lifeboats violently bumpy between the peaks and valleys of the waves. Standing at the signal battle position, a strong sense of dizziness kept assaulting him. He suppressed vomiting and stared fixedly at the radio screen and the sea outside the window, afraid of missing any distress signals or friendly ship information. Time passed by minute by minute, and anxiety spread throughout the cabin. Suddenly, an extremely weak and intermittent radio distress signal came through the earphones, almost completely drowned out by the noise of the waves and radio stations. There's a signal! "Zhou Yuli exclaimed, immediately holding her breath and pressing the earphones close to her ears, mobilizing all her energy to distinguish the elusive sound. The shaking of the cabin and the roar of the machines seemed to disappear instantly, leaving only tiny radio waves in his world. He carefully copied and confirmed the information with the other party, finally obtaining an extremely precious set of coordinates. It was this critical information obtained under extremely difficult conditions that ultimately guided the lifeboat to successfully locate the distressed fishing vessel and saved the lives of several fishermen. After the mission was over, the captain patted Zhou Yuli's shoulder and said, "Old Zhou, thanks to you this time, your ears are sharp and your concentration is strong!" Zhou Yuli wiped the cold sweat off her forehead. He knew that it was a skill he had developed many times by forcing himself to concentrate and calm down in the midst of shaking positions and noisy disturbances. This ultimate focus is also reflected in daily details. On a new type of frigate, signalman Zhao Lei is renowned throughout the ship for his "unforgettable" hearing. He can easily distinguish the subtle differences in background noise between different radio stations and channels, and can clearly capture every piece of information when multiple people report at the same time. Behind this' ultimate skill 'is his years of hard training: often during his break time, he wears headphones and immerses himself in various simulated signals and interference sounds, deliberately training his auditory resolution and anti-interference ability. On the battlefield, the enemy will try their best to interfere with you, and the signal may be fleeting. We must remain vigilant like a radar and accurately capture every piece of effective information, "Zhao Lei said. From Zhou Yuli's composure in times of crisis to Zhao Lei's meticulousness, generations of signalmen have proven through their practice that ultimate focus is the cornerstone of signalmen guarding the information lifeline. Delivering the right information to the right object at the right time is a system to system confrontation in modern naval warfare. The value of a signalman lies not only in the communication support of a single ship, but also as a key information node in the entire combat system. Although their positions are small, they carry the important mission of connecting the multi-dimensional battlefields of land, sea, air, space, and electricity. During a joint training exercise, the warship led by Sergeant Wang Hai served as the formation command ship. For a moment, the information flow from the superior command post, neighboring ships, aviation units, and shore based troops surged towards the onboard communication center like a sea of rivers. Wang Hai and his comrades quickly identified, classified, and processed this information, and accurately distributed key instructions to various units within the formation. It feels like being in a current of information. ”Wang Hai described, "The sounds of different channels in the radio station are intertwined, the data on the screen keeps scrolling, and the flags and lights are ready to respond to emergencies at any time. We must maintain extreme clarity of mind, understand the priority and flow of each message, and ensure that the correct information is transmitted to the right object at the right time." In this process, any small mistake can lead to coordination imbalance and even affect the overall direction of the battle. Signal soldiers, at this moment, are the 'lubricant' for the smooth operation of the system. In order to enhance combat support capabilities, a naval base in the Northern Theater Command regularly organizes cross ship cross training for signal troops, selects key personnel to visit sister units for learning and exchange, familiarizes themselves with the communication characteristics, command processes, and coordination rules of different units. They also rely on simulation training centers to construct joint action scenarios of multiple military branches in complex electromagnetic environments, honing the role of signal troops as information hubs in system operations. During a joint air defense exercise, a certain destroyer formation collaborated with aviation units for training. Suddenly, the enemy aircraft adopted a low altitude breakthrough tactic in an attempt to evade radar detection. At the critical moment, signalman Li Yuemin Rui captured the faint target indication information from the shore based troops. Subsequently, the ship quickly shared the data link with all ships in the formation and air patrol aircraft, successfully intercepting the "enemy" aircraft. During the rehearsal and review, the commander commented, "The sharp response of the signal soldiers has won valuable time for the entire system." From fighting alone to system integration, from ensuring the ship to connecting the three armies, the functions and missions of the signal soldiers are undergoing profound changes. They are not only transmitters of commands, but also organizers and guides of battlefield information flow, and an indispensable part of winning future high-tech wars, "said a staff officer. (New Society)