Over 75 years of construction, combat, and growth, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, generations of Vietnamese People's Army cadres and soldiers have always been absolutely loyal to the Party, the Fatherland, the People, and the socialist regime. Regardless of sacrifice and hardship, they have bravely and tenaciously fought and successfully fulfilled all the tasks assigned by the Party, the State, and the People and earned the love and trust of the People manifested in the title of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers". This is a noble symbol of the revolutionary soldiers - a unique and typical culture of the Vietnam People's Army that should be promoted in the new period.

The quality of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" is a system of ethical standards and values ​​of the revolutionary soldiers, attained in the praise of President Ho Chi Minh that “Our army is loyal to the Party, pious to the people and ready to fight and sacrifice their lives for independence and freedom of the Homeland and socialism, will fulfil any tasks, overcome any difficulties and defeat any enemies”. Over the past time, the quality of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" has been continuosly promoted and shined through the implementation of the Drive of "Promoting tradition, dedicating talents, deserving to be Uncle Ho's Soldiers" launched by the Central Military Commission Standing Committee. This is the concretization of the learning and following Ho Chi Minh thought, ethics, and style in the Military Party Committee and the whole Army - demonstrating the creativity in the leadership and direction of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of Defense, and the Political General Department and the deep respect and affection of cadres and soldiers to the beloved Uncle Ho that have been expressed with several creative, practical, and effective guidelines and solutions, close to the characteristics, situation, and tasks of agencies and units.

VPA troops join hands in building rural infrastructure

In the coming time, the world and regional situation will have complicated and unpredictable developments. Peace, cooperation, and development are still main trends, but religious, ethnic, separatist conflicts, local wars, political riots, interference, subversion, and terrorism will become fierce. Recently, there have been new forms of force gathering and intervention methods of large countries to undermine internal political security in other ones. At home, besides the basic advantages, there still remain many difficulties and challenges. Bureaucracy, corruption, and wastefulness, although prevented, are still developing very complicatedly. The impact of the market economy reverses, decline in lifestyle and ethics, rich-poor division, and other pressing issues arising in society have affected the perception and thought of cadres and soldiers. Hostile forces are promoting internal "peaceful evolution", "self-evolution", and "self-transformation"; "depoliticization" and "civilization" of the Army; and distortion of the image of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers". The task of construction and protection of the Fatherland in the new period raises high requirements for building, preserving, and promoting the quality of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers", that requires committees, agencies, and units throughout the Army to thoroughly grasp the measures as follows:

Firstly, to promote education and propaganda causes to make cadres and soldiers deeply imbued with in the quality of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period. Committees, commanders, agencies, and units should well organize the thorough grasping and implementation of Directive No.855-CT/QUTW issued on August 12^th, 2019 by the Central Military Commission Standing Committee on promoting the implementation of the Drive entitled “Promoting tradition and dedicating talents to be worthy of the "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period (the Drive) and Plan No.1712/KH-CT issued on September 23^rd, 2019 by the Political General Department on the implementation of Directive No.855-CT/QUTW, making cadres, party members, and the mass recognize the purpose, meaning, and importance of the Drive, thereby improving self-discipline and cultivating ethical qualities and working capacity, methods, and style to meet the requirements. It is necessary to focus on education to raise awareness of the meaning and value of the noble title given to officers and soldiers by the People; on the fine traditions of the nation, the Army, ethical standards, and cultural lifestyles; and on Uncle Ho's compliments to the officers and soldiers of the Army. At the same time, it is necessary to clarify the quality standards of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period, such as having a strong political spirit, pure motivation, high sense of responsibility; having a clear and healthy ethics and lifestyle; having cultural and scientific knowledge, military qualifications, capabilities, methods, working manners, and good health; practicing democracy, self-discipline, and strict discipline; and building good internal solidarity, respect, assistance, and close bonds with the people; pure international spirit, etc.

Secondly, to well organize practical activities and revolutionary action movements, especially continuing to promote the Drive entitled “Promoting tradition, dedicating talents, deserving to be "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period. In order to preserve and promote the quality of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period, it is necessary to implement through practical training and combat readiness of the soldiers. This is both a condition and a measure to evaluate the training and fostering results of each soldier. Party committees and commanders of all levels should pay special attention to organizing practical activities, facilitating, and regularly monitoring, guiding, motivating, reminding, and rectifying the distorted manifestations of the soldiers' perceptions and actions during the performance of tasks.

Units and agencies should continue to promote the Drive in association with the Politburo's Directive No.05 (the 12^th Tenure), the 4^th Central Resolution (the 12^th Tenure). It should be considered as an important solution to successfully implement the direction of building the revolutionary, regular, elite, and gradually modern People's Army to meet the increasing requirements of the task of protecting the Fatherland.

Thirdly, to promote the role of self-discipline and self-training of cadres and soldiers, first of all the presiding officers at all levels in preserving and promoting the quality of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period. During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh taught that "A living example is worth more than a hundred propaganda speeches." The exemplary actions of officers at all levels are non-verbal, highly persuasive orders to the soldiers, making them believe in the commanders, and enthusiast in their work and units. In order to preserve and promote the quality of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period, officers, especially the presiding ones at all levels, should simultaneously uphold their exemplary role in promoting ethical values of a democratic and scientific working method, a clean and healthy lifestyle, industry, thrift, honesty, integrity, and public-mindedness to set bright examples for subordinates and the masses to follow.

Annually, presiding officers at all levels should develop plans for striving, cultivating, and training. In particular, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp and concretize the provisions on responsibility of the cadres and party members, especially Regulation No.08-QĐ/TW issued on October 25^th, 2018 by the Central Executive Committee (the 12^th Tenure) on the responsibility of example setting of officials and party members, first of all Politburo members, Secretariat members, Central Executive Committee members; Regulation No.646-QĐ/QUTW issued on November 6^th, 2018 by the Central Military Commission Standing Committee on the responsibility of example setting of cadres and party members, especially leading, commanding and managing officers at all levels in the Army; and Five Criteria of deserving to be "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" under Directive No.855-CT/QUTW issued on August 12^th, 1919 by the Central Military Commission Standing Committee in association with the implementation of Directive No.05, the 4^th Central Resolution (the 12^th Tenure) and assigned positions and responsibilities. During the implementation process, it is essential to promote the sense of combat, self-criticism and criticism, self-reflection, and self-correction to resolutely fight against individualism and manifestations of political, ideological, ethical, and lifestyle degradation, "self-evolution", and "self-transformation", etc.

Fourthly, to promote the role and responsibility of organizations and forces in preserving and promoting the quality of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period. Political agencies and officials at all levels need to do well in studying, advising, and proposing guidelines and measures for leadership, direction, guiding, organization of implementation, inspection, and organization of preliminary reviews, summarizing, praising, rewarding, assessment, commenting, and analysis of the quality of party organizations, officers, party members, mass organizations, union members in a serious, objective, substantial and synchronous manner in order to encourage cadres and soldiers to raise their responsibilities and strive to maintain and promote the quality of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period. Mass organizations should guide their members to register and commit to strive to carry out the contents of being worthy of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in association with the Determined To Win Emulation movements of agencies and units, movements and drives of all levels and branches, and responsibilities and tasks of the soldiers. It is required to actively study, innovate the forms and contents of activities, and improve the efficiency of gathering, education, training, fostering of personality, ethical qualities, lifestyle, goals, and ideals ... for the members.

Finally, to build a clean and healthy cultural environment and create favorable conditions for soldiers to strive, train, and devote their strength and intellect to build strong agencies and units and preserving and promoting the quality of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period. The Party committees, agencies, and units at all levels should promote the building of a nice, healthy, and abundant cultural environment and well performing the civil service culture and the movement entitled "The whole people unite to build a cultural life"; emulation movements and drives of all levels and branches with creative, effective and practical contents, forms, and measures to stimulate the self-cultivation and self-training, and create a favorable environment for cadres and soldiers.

 The quality of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" is a system of standards and values ​​of revolutionary soldiers formed and developed during the process of construction and combat of our Army. Today's generations of cadres and soldiers should uphold their sense of responsibility to the Party, the Fatherland, the People, and the socialist regime and deep affection for the beloved President Ho Chi Minh to promote the image of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new period, contributing to building a strong Army in term of politics as a basis to improve the overall quality and combat strength to successfully fulfill the tasks assigned by the Party and the People.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia, Member of the Party Central Committee, Vice Chairman of the General Political Department of Vietnam People's Army