Chinese military personnel out in the field can now look forward
to a hot shower after a hard day of manoeuvres thanks to a new
especially-equipped shower vehicle.
At midnight at a campground of the Chengdu Military Command at
an unspecified site, the camouflage vehicle is quickly set up in
five minutes. Inside, 20 people can shower simultaneously in the
10-square-meter space.
"The shower vehicles can automatically adjust water temperature
and store quite a large amount of water," said Li Chunyuan, head of
logistics of the division under the Chengdu Military Command. "Now
soldiers who are doing field exercises can have a shower at least
once a week."
He said his division undertook long journeys and high-plateau
exercises each year. The inhospitable conditions of the campsites
meant servicemen had to suffer from inadequate drinking water,
while a hot water shower had been a luxury. The low air pressure at
high elevations also made cooking difficult.
In addition to the shower truck, vehicles for cooking and water
storage were also recently introduced to the division.
The cooking vehicle is resistant to cold, strong winds and is
equipped to automatically raise air pressure. Each vehicle can
prepare food dishes for more than 100 servicemen at a time.
The water storage vehicle has various functions. These include
purification, storage and transport. In addition, each company of
the division is allocated two water storage bags when they go for
field exercises. The vehicle and bags guarantee the soldiers have
enough access to drinking water even under difficult
conditions.
(Xinhua News Agency, December 5, 2007)