A total of 188 militia instructors and key militia cadres of the Zhongshan emergency militia battalion will participate in a 10-day closed training exercise in 3 groups at the Zhongshan Training Base for National Defense Education from March 22 to April 2.

"We specially invited instructors from the training base of the Officers College of PAP to instruct our militias." Tan Jian, staff officer of the Combat Readiness Construction Department of Zhongshan Military Sub-District, said that the militias are comprised wholly of military veterans. The training is divided into two stages. The first stage mainly focuses on unifying movements and teaching methods. The second stage will be intensive training.

Tan said that militia teams are the backbone for emergency rescue, disaster relief and preserving social order. Militias can be seen firefighting and on the frontlines of epidemic prevention and control. Last year, Zhongshan Military Sub-District dispatched more than 30,000 soldiers to assist during the epidemic. In addition, forest fire fighting and typhoon relief were also important events responded to by Zhongshan's militias.