I was dispatched by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the mission area of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to perform the one-year-long peacekeeping mission.
The registration requires the signing of the "inheritance" distribution form
Eighteen hours after departing from Beijing, I arrived in EI Aaiun City where the headquarters of the mission area was located.
A staff officer of the personnel department, a Malaysian major, created for me a personal profile, then handed me a form—personal property distribution form.
Although I had already known of the requirement to fill out an "inheritance" distribution form in China, I still could not help feeling a qualm in heart while holding the form in hand.
Perhaps, perceiving the subtle change in my mind, Sazhali said in a teasing manner: "If by chance you sacrifice your life, the UN will give you a "bonus" of US $50,000 no matter whether you're a general or a soldier. They won't repudiate the debt. There have been almost 20 people who have "won" it during the last 20 years since this mission area was established". Although he spoke of that with a sense of humor, a fit of nervousness still came over my entire body.
After the registration, a week of training and assessment followed. During the training of flight safety knowledge, the security officer from India told us that: "You can cry in the desert. Don't be ashamed of it just because you're a man. And don't suppress your emotion just because you are a soldier. If you cry, no one will laugh at you."
Have you been absent during your children's childhood?
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