V. The military carries out the testament of President Ho Chi Minh

To implement the testament of our beloved President Ho Chi Minh is a self-aware, wordless order from the hearts of each officer and soldier of Vietnam People's Army (VPA). Over the past 50 years, through practical, concrete, and vivid actions, the soldiers, together with the whole Party and people, have gradually made Uncle Ho's sacred testament come true; steadfastly struggled for national liberation and reunification; and built a strong military to firmly safeguard the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.

Together with the whole Party and people, the VPA was the key force in winning the war of resistance against America for national salvation, liberation of the South, and national reunification

The war of resistance against American imperialists was an all-people, comprehensive one, in which the VPA played the leading role. Being organised and educated by the Party and Uncle Ho and possessing heroic blood of the nation, our military always heightens spirits of determination to fight, determination to win, ingenuity, creativity, solidarity, discipline, endurance, and ability to overcome difficulties to successfully accomplished every assigned task. Carrying out the testament of President Ho Chi Minh to "resolutely fight American aggressors to final victory," our military, together with people nationwide, unyieldingly fought and won a glorious victory, which was a game changer in southern theater. Additionally, it performed a remarkable feat of "Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu in the air" in late 1972 in the North, forcing American imperialists to sign the Paris Peace Accords on restoring peace in Vietnam and withdrawing all troops of the United States and its allies from South Vietnam. Given their spirits of "fighting to final victory, true independence and unification," our compatriots and soldiers surmounted numerous difficulties, endured extreme hardship and sacrifice, and attacked the enemies at lightning speed in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign so as to win a victory in the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, reunite the country, and complete Uncle Ho's testament, which reads: "American imperialists are sure to get out of our country. Our nation is sure to be reunited." This has ushered in a new era for Vietnamese people, which is characterised by peace, national independence and socialism.

Successfully accomplished the mission of national construction and defense in the new period

After national reunification, the whole country embarked on building socialism, our military participated in socioe-conomic development while fighting to defend the Southwest border, Northern border and sovereignty over seas and islands. During those glorious days, our military overcame many difficulties and hardships and endured a great deal of sacrifice to successfully accomplish its international mission to rescue Cambodians from genocide.

On entering the period of reform and international integration, deeply perceiving "Platform for national construction from the transitional period to socialism"; the Party's resolutions, especially Resolutions of the 8th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (Tenure IX and XII) on "Strategy to safeguard the Fatherland in the new situation"; and the Politburo's Resolution 51/NQ-BCT, dated 20 July 2005, on "Continuing to improve the Party's leading mechanism, adopting the single-commander regime in association with adopting the commissar regime in the VPA," the military has been built in all spheres, but first and foremost it has been made politically strong, thus enhancing its integrated quality and ability to effectively complete missions under any circumstances. Particularly, the military has well fulfilled its leading role and closely collaborated with sectors and other forces in defeating the hostile forces' schemes for "peaceful evolution" and "depoliticising" the VPA. Functioning as an army for combat, the VPA has well advised the Party and State to lead and direct the leverage of integrated strength to build a robust all-people defence and all-people defence posture; effectively performed the mission and function of state management of military and national defence; closely collaborated with the Public Security in firmly preserving political security, social order and safety, especially in strategic areas, contributing to firmly upholding political stability and society, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland. Functioning as an army for production, the VPA has actively participated in economic development, hunger eradication and poverty alleviation; established economic-defence zones; aligned economic development with the building of strong provincial (municipal) defence zones; and strengthened national defence and security to meet the demands of new situations and missions. Functioning as an army for propaganda, military units have undertaken propaganda work well to mobilise people to successfully realise the Party's guidelines and State's policies and law; and served as an excellent example of implementing Resolution of the 4th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (Tenures XI and XII) on Party building and Directive 05 of the Politburo (Tenure XII) on stepping up studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics and style.

In spite of regularly facing difficulties, hardships, dangers, and temptation of the material, particularly those being deployed in border areas, islands and strategic areas, officers and soldiers of the VPA always maintain political steadfastness and dignity of the revolutionary military personnel; are determined to surmount every difficulty and challenge to successfully accomplish every assigned task; strictly comply with the State's law and military discipline; and exercise solidarity with people. In addition, the VPA constantly bring into full play its leading role in disaster prevention and management and search and rescue. Images of the VPA's officers and soldiers which are portrayed in their support for people in natural disasters and as doctors and teachers working in border and mountainous areas, etc., have brought about further confidence of the Party and love and admiration of people for "Uncle Ho's soldiers" in the new era.

Additionally, defence diplomacy is strengthened and gains good results. Vietnam has established defence relations at various levels with over 80 countries, including major powers. Vietnam is an active and responsible member in regional and international forums such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM), ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), and so forth. It has sent the first level-2 field hospital to the United Nations missions in South Sudan. This  is appreciated by the international community, which makes a breakthrough in diplomatic activities of the Party and State in general, defence diplomacy and cooperation in particular; contributes to improving Vietnam's status in the international arena; and intensifies a force buildup and establishment of postures to defend the Fatherland far ahead.

"Uncle Ho's soldiers" continue to carry out the testament of President Ho Chi Minh

Nowadays, national defence faces new requirements, which are increasingly heavy and complex. Given its leading role in national defence, the VPA must exercise constant vigilance and, together with the whole Party and people, resolutely safeguard the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland. To effectively fulfill its assigned missions and deserve to be the vanguard and the army for combat, propaganda and production in the new era according to the testament of President Ho Chi Minh, it is important to take the following measures:

Continuing to innovate and improve the effectiveness of political, ideological education in order to contribute to strengthening the Party's ideological battlefield in the VPA. This is a measure of utmost importance in making the VPA politically strong that lays the foundation for building a comprehensively strong military and truly become a sharp violent tool and faithful political force of the Party, State and people. In the implementation process, it is necessary to promote education quality of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's ideology, and the Party's guidelines and positions; enhance education of the tradition of "Uncle Ho's soldiers" and "A heroic military of a heroic people"; and elevate the Party's nature of working class in the VPA to ensure that every officer and soldier possesses political steadfastness; exercises absolute loyalty towards the Party, State, people, and socialist regime; and is determined to fight and determined to win to safeguard the Fatherland in any situations. To record achievements, it is important to pay regular attention to innovate content; diversify forms and methods of political education; conduct ideological work in association with situations, missions, and learners; and deal with any manifestations of subjectivity, ambiguity, and fluctuation. In addition, it is vital to exercise revolutionary vigilance; resolutely struggle to defeat any schemes for "peaceful evolution" and subversion of the hostile forces; resolutely defend independence, sovereignty, unification, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland.

Moreover, it is necessary to successfully conduct Party building according to the testament of President Ho Chi Minh, which focuses on building robust military party organisations in terms of politics, ideology, organisation, and morality and ceaselessly enhancing their leading capability and combat strength on a par with demands of building the VPA and safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation. All party organisations, officers and party members always heighten their senses of self-criticism and criticism; preserve solidarity and consensus; strictly uphold order and operating regulations; and firmly maintain the Party's principles of leadership and organisation. Party organisations also attach importance to developing a corps of cadres strong in terms of quantity, quality and structure; bring into play the exemplary role of leading cadres in both words and deeds; closely align the implementation of the Politburo's Directive 05 (Tenure XII) with Resolution of the 4th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (Tenure XII); and resolutely deter and push back the degradation in political ideology, morality and lifestyle as well as manifestations of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" while resolutely fighting the hostile forces' tricks of sabotage to firmly defend the Party's ideological foundation in the military.

Building a revolutionary, regular, elite, and gradually modernised military, which always serves as the leading force in firmly safeguarding the socialist Fatherland. To realise this heavy responsibility requires thorough grasp of the Party's position and guideline on protecting the Fatherland in the new situation put forward in resolutions of the Party; deep understanding of contents, principles, and solutions of Vietnam's Military Strategy, Vietnam's Defence Strategy, Maritime Strategy, National Border Protection Strategy, etc., and close monitoring of practical situations to advise the Party and State on strategies and stratagems, ensuring timely response to military and defence situations. It is also important to continue to seriously grasp Resolution 765-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2012, of the Central Military Commission (CMC) on promoting training quality in the 2013-2020 time frame and beyond; set out solutions to enhance quality of combat training and readiness and ability to conduct combined and joint operations, especially in units advancing straight to modernity; speed up developing and perfecting local and regional defence plans; consolidate military, defence postures nationwide; and bring into play integrated strength of the all-people defence and posture of people's war in both peacetime and wartime to secure victories right at the onset of war. Furthermore, the VPA needs to coordinate and collaborate with the Public Security to ensure unity and effectiveness of building and strengthening the all-people defence and all-people defence posture in association with the people's security posture, firmly preserving political security, social order and safety, particularly in strategic areas. Besides, it needs to actively participate in building strong political bases in localities; proactively implement development programmes and projects in the realms of economics, culture, society, hunger eradication and poverty alleviation, military-civil medicine, etc., contributing to improving people's material and spiritual life to foster a robust hearts-and-minds posture; and continue to step up international integration and enhance the effectiveness of defence diplomacy in both bilateral and multilateral aspects, making contribution to defending the Fatherland far ahead, preserving the peaceful, stable environment, and creating an international environment conducive to national construction and development. At the same time, it is necessary to promote the realisation of three breakthroughs to bring about drastic changes in organisation and staffing in an adept, lean and highly efficient direction; in training; and in promoting good order and discipline among soldiers, administrative reform, and mastery of high technologies.

Continuing to bring into play fine character of "Uncle Ho's soldiers" in the new era. "Uncle Ho's soldiers" is a noble title recognised and honoured by people and acknowledged by the Party and State. Therefore, the continued leverage of fine character of "Uncle Ho's soldiers" in current situation will make direct contribution to cultivating a good, healthy, copious military cultural environment and building a "revolutionary, regular, elite, and gradually modernised People's Army." Consequently, leaders and commanders at all levels need to develop appropriate awareness and lead the education, training, and cultivation of fine character and human values of "Uncle Ho's soldiers" for officers and soldiers, creating favourable environments for the character of "Uncle Ho's soldiers" to constantly thrive and illuminate. Additionally, the VPA has to comprehend President Ho Chi Minh's last teachings regarding their responsibility to "serve classes, serve people, and serve the nation"; strengthen mass mobilisation; assist people in overcoming consequences of natural disasters, building new countryside, hunger eradication and poverty alleviation; protect people's interests; and take the service of people as their objectives and ideals, considering it as a self-aware, regular deed of each officer and soldier. The military should attach importance to instructing, encouraging and creating favourable conditions for soldiers to actively study and follow while addressing shortcomings and weaknesses in each individual, unit, and party cell. There is a need to encourage soldiers to vie to successfully realise the campaign of "Promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving to be Uncle Ho's soldiers," which helps to generate drivers for successfully completing every assigned task.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of implementing Uncle Ho's testament, the VPA's officers and soldiers have an additional spiritual base and momentum to improve their working quality and effectiveness; strongly believe in the leadership of the Party and success of reform; are determined to surmount every difficulty and challenge to successfully realise Resolution of the 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam; and deepen the building of a revolutionary, regular, elite, and gradually modernised military, which is able to meet requirements and missions of national construction and defence in the new situation, contributing to attaining the goal of building Vietnam into a peaceful, united, independent, democratic, and prosperous nation as President Ho Chi Minh once wished.