Li Shuxiang, a 27-year-old sergeant who has served in the army for eight years, was one of those who left for Africa on Tuesday.

"I didn't think much before I applied for the peacekeeping mission," he said. "I just felt a sense of honor."

Family members of the troops heading overseas cannot help but worry about them.

Yang Wenhua and his wife registered their marriage on the morning of July 1, and his orders to depart to Mali came that afternoon.

Yang's busy training schedule prevented the couple from holding a wedding ceremony, but his wife understood and supported him.

"She kept crying and crying in the last two days before our departure, but she still wants me to be the best in the team and serve the mission in Mali successfully," Yang said, adding that his wife had packed his luggage for him.

The new bride waited at the airport until the lights of the peacekeeper's flight disappeared into the dark night.

"I will give her the best wedding ceremony next year, after the mission," Yang promised before he boarded the aircraft.