Chemical troops play a core role in responding to toxic chemical, radioactive and biological incidents, as well as protecting the environment under hazardous conditions. This specialised task requires cadres and soldiers not only to have professional expertise and skills but also to possess steadfast political will, which will be discussed below.

Responding to toxic chemical, biological, radioactive, nuclear, and environmental incidents (collectively referred to as incident response) is chemical troops’ regular and direct task and “combat mission in peacetime”, which is particularly significant given that Vietnam faces a high risk of the above-mentioned incidents. This risk is due to the country’s geographical location (that makes it subject to global security issues), hostile and extremist forces’ intensified sabotage activities, and bombs, mines, and unexploded ordnance containing toxic chemicals left over from the war, along with the increasing complexity of socio-economic activities. Moreover, the complexity and danger of the task can significantly affect chemical troops’ morale, health, and lives. Therefore, personnel directly involved must possess adequate professional expertise, master modern technologies and techniques, and have strong political will and courage to fulfil their responsibilities effectively.

Training courses for chemical troops

Against this backdrop, in recent years, chemical units’ leaders have focused on educating and training cadres and soldiers to develop comprehensive capabilities and strong political will, and to avoid flinching from facing up to difficulties and hardships to complete their chemical defence tasks and incident responses. This contributes significantly to socio-economic development and ensures the well-being of the people. However, some cadres and soldiers remain reluctant in the face of challenges and dangers, and even work-shy. Additionally, troops’ morale and awareness have been adversely affected by degradation in political awareness, morality, and lifestyle, manifestations of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” among some cadres and party members, along with the negative aspects of the market economy and hostile forces’ sabotage activities. Therefore, building political willpower among chemical troops regarding incident responses is a matter of importance and urgency, setting more demanding requirements. The following measures should be adopted.

First, enhancing political and ideological education in order to build willpower and determination among cadres and soldiers. This serves as a top priority, significantly contributing to soldiers’ strong political willpower and single-minded determination to overcome challenges and hardships. Leaders and commanders at all levels must actively innovate educational content and methods to improve the quality of political education in line with Directive 2423-CT/QUTW, dated 9 November 2023, by the Standing Board of the Central Military Commission (CMC) on “Renewing and improving political education in the new period”. Chemical cadres and soldiers should be equipped with the fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought, the Party’s line, as well as the State’s policies and laws, together with revolutionary tasks. At the same time, fostering soldiers’ political awareness and their loyalty to the country and people is essential, ensuring that they have strong determination and willpower in the face of challenges. Emphasis should also be placed on instilling the Army’s goals, ideals, and revolutionary nature, alongside the Chemical Corps’ core functions and fine traditions into chemical troops. It is important for chemical troops to fully understand their military and national defence responsibilities, the nature of warfare involving weapons of mass destruction, as well as the role of chemical assurance in incident responses in peacetime. In practice, political education should be closely linked with legal dissemination and education, the “Democratic Regulations at grass-roots level” and the Campaign of “Promoting traditions and devoting talent to deserve to be Uncle Ho’s soldiers in the new era”. Effectively executing these measures will not only fortify chemical troops’ political willpower and their absolute trust in the Party’s leadership, but also deepen their understanding of the task of organising an elite, compact, and strong specialised chemical force. Furthermore, it will motivate all soldiers to proactively master their weapons and equipment and to continually enhance their sense of responsibility and creativity in fulfilling their assigned tasks.

Second, strengthening political willpower through practical activities. Soldiers’ political willpower, which goes beyond their awareness and ideology, must be manifested in their expertise and scientific working methods. Building political willpower among chemical troops requires a close connection with practical activities, such as training, exercises, and incident response operations when the need arises. These activities play a crucial role in continuously enhancing soldiers’ technical expertise and skills in chemical defence, as well as modern scientific methods for incident responses. Due regard should be paid to combining military training with political education. It is equally important to effectively conduct party and political work during training and task performance, making soldiers mindful of potential challenges and dangers they may face in hazardous environments. This process aims to build a solid political foundation for chemical personnel, instilling into them a willingness to endure hardships and to fulfil their responsibilities. Leaders and commanders must prioritise practical training that prepares cadres and soldiers for potential chemical, radioactive, and biological incidents, under the motto “the more sweat on the training field the less blood on the battlefield”. By presenting challenging, complex, and hazardous scenarios that reflect real-life situations, military training can test and develop soldiers’ mental fortitude, physical strength, and psychological resilience. All of these help foster an independent and creative mindset, ensuring that all cadres and soldiers are well prepared and confident concerning chemical, radioactive, and biological incident responses and environmental protection in today’s evolving context.

Third, building politically, ideologically, ethically, and organisationally strong party organisations. This is a decisive solution for building politically strong chemical troops, laying a solid foundation for developing their political willpower. To this end, party committees and organisations at all levels must thoroughly implement resolutions, directives, and conclusions set forth by the Party and the CMC on Party building and rectification, especially the Resolution of the 13^th Party Central Committee's 4^th Plenum on Party building and rectification, as well as Conclusion 111-KL/QUTW, dated 12 February 2019, by the CMC Standing Board on continuing to enhance the leadership capacity and combativeness of grass-roots Party organisations and the quality of cadres and party members within the Army in the new period. Efforts must be made to innovate and improve party meetings, especially at Party cell level, with a focus on effective implementation of resolutions, self-criticism and criticism, internal solidarity, key cadres’ exemplary role and responsibility, as well as cadres and Party members’ pioneering spirit in cultivating their qualities, working methods, and political willpower. Concurrently, it is necessary to strengthen Party discipline, inspection, and supervision, focusing on monitoring party committees and organisations’ leadership over the execution of political tasks, Party building, and duty fulfilment among cadres and party members. Proactively identifying and strictly addressing violations by collectives or individuals ensures continuous improvement in the leadership capacity and combativeness of party organisations at all levels, making them exemplary, pure, strong, and capable of fulfilling all assigned tasks.

Fourth, combining ideological, organisational, policy work, and other activities. This is a fundamental principle and a practical lesson for building strong political willpower among chemical cadres and soldiers, especially as the Chemical Corps undergoes organisational adjustments toward an “elite, compact, and strong” model, which significantly impacts soldiers’ mindset and morale. Therefore, agencies and units must strengthen ideological work and opportunely address emerging issues at grass-roots level. Meanwhile, it is important to thoroughly implement the 13^th Politburo’s Conclusion 89-KL/TW, dated 25 July 2024 on continuing to carry out the 12^th Politburo’s Resolution 35-NQ/TW on “Further safeguarding the Party’s ideological foundation and combating  wrong and hostile viewpoints in the new situation”. This must be closely linked to organisational restructuring and the building of strong organisations and “exemplarily, typically” comprehensively strong units. Additionally, proper implementation of policies is needed to motivate cadres and soldiers, particularly those working in hazardous environments and directly handling toxic chemicals under difficult and harsh conditions.

Political willpower does not come naturally but is the product of a process of learning, rigorous and persistent training, and self-discipline by each cadre and soldier throughout the Army in general, and the Chemical Corps in particular. Therefore, the aforementioned solutions are crucially important and interrelated. However, there is still room for further discussion.

Sr. Col. NGUYEN VAN BIEN, PhD

Political Commissar of the Chemical Officer College