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Director of the Central Guards Bureau: You Xigui -- DOR
Reform form the famous 8341 VIP bodyguard Regiment. Responsible for the security of senior government, party, and military leaders, has several barracks in central Beijing and in northwest Beijing near the Western Hills. The Central Guard Unit is not subordinate to Beijing MR headquarters, but reports to the CMC through the GSD.-- Dennis J. Blasko "PLA Ground Forces: Moving Toward a Smaller More Rapidly Deployable, Modern Combined Arms Force"

Under Wang Dongxing, carried out the September 1976 coup d'etat against the Gang of Four, it was Mao’s bodyguard

120 communication specialist received system training, They can conduct quick troubleshoots and repairs while on duty.

As part of CMC’s elite crisis management team. Including ECM, ELINT, and SIGINT

This unit just recently comes into the spot light. It was formed during 1990 and is a part of the CMC's crisis management term, and has won many citations and awards. The best example of its achievements was the prediction of the Allied attack date during the Gulf War of 1991, thus allowing China to withdraw its personnel from the danger area. Currently being deploy in Xinjing areas to monitor US events in Afghanistan .

It's under PLAAF Order of Battle (orbat) but in reality, the 15 AB is directly control by the CMCIn July 1950, the Military Commission established the Air Force Marines (kongjun luzhan) First Brigade in Shanghai. The cities of Kaifeng and Zhengzhou in Henan Province were designated as the brigade’s training bases. On 1 August, the brigade’s headquarters moved to Kaifeng. Thereafter, the unit’s designation changed several times, becoming the Air Force Marine First Division, the Paratroops Division ( sanbing shi), and then the Airborne Division (kongjiangbing shi).

In April 13, 1949. While on route from Shanghai to Fujing on board of the US made LST Chung-102, the KMT 3rd paratroop regiment commander Liu Nongjun defected to the PLA alone with 2500 of his comrades, those included the KMT paratroop command staff, entire 3rd paratroop regiment and elements 1st and 2nd regiment. When the PLA airborne was born, those troops became the technical backbone of this new unit.

Administratively, HqAF does not have a separate Airborne Department, so the Operations Department is responsible for most of the airborne troops’ operational requirements. In addition, HqAF’s Training Department has an Airborne Division (kongjiangbingchu), which is responsible for training.

Its Artillery elements of all three divisions took part in the Sino-Vietnam war of 1979. They were subordinated to the PLAAF’s 19th AAA division’s 55th regiment at Ningming. Elements of the 15 Airborne spearheaded the Tiananman crack down of 1989

Kenneth W. Allen “PLA Air fore Organization” page 68-69

Due to shortage of airlift, only one division can be deploy to any part of China within 48 hours. 15 AB Corp is considered to be elite rapid reaction force within PLA. According to Jane’s, PLAAF is receiving an additional 60 IL-76 transports in 2002, and make heavy use of civilian transports.

Unlike other PLA troopers, Airborne are recruited throughout China by special recruiting teams fro its training division. The new recruits are between the ages of 18 and 20. Recruits enlist for a minimum of four years and may stay for up to six years. If recruits want to stay after six years, they must be selected as NCO “leaders” In contrast, the minimum enlist period of a PLA recruit is two years, and if PLA recruits wants to stay for a longer term, they will be given the rank of NCO Junior grade. Officers report for training at the division after having completed training at a military academy.

Report claimed that China transported a 10,000 man airborne division to Tibet in less than 48 hours in 1988 (India Express, December 29, 1992; China’s Air Force Enters The 21st Century page 168)

One of its airlift regiment is having aircraft maintenance issues and ground all aircraft for two months PLAdaily 9-27-01.

15 Airborne's command post (Div and Regt level) are mobile digitalized with real time feed back from front line troops PLAdaily 5-10-02.

Consider the elite of the 15 Airborne, “a sharp knife against enemy HQ” PLAdaily 9-19-01

Received new unit designation in 1949.1 as 89th Infantry Division, became 1st paratrooper brigade in 1950. Enlarged to became 1st paratrooper division, and renamed to be 43rd Paratrooper division in 1969. Downsized to Paratrooper brigade in 1985It became the first paratrooper brigade to reform and enlarged and reformed as Airborne Division in 1993.

In 1998, it became the first PLA unit to gain the new "Instrument Recon troops."

Received new unit designation as 44th infantry division in 1949.2 Converted into 44th Airborne Division in 1961, Downsized to Paratrooper brigade in 1985, and enlarged and reformed as Airborne Division in 1993.

Received new unit designation as 45th infantry division in 1949.2 Converted into 45th Airborne Division in 1961. Downsized to Paratrooper brigade in 1985, and enlarged and reformed as Airborne Division in 1993.

Under Air Force HQ Training Department “Ken Allen’s PLA Air Force Organization” page 69.