Infantry Division 309 under Army Corps 4 is stationed in a key area of the South and in the economic triangle of Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Ba Ria - Vung Tau where the COVID-19 pandemic has been extremely complex recently. Against that backdrop, the Division’s Party Committee and Command have focused their leadership and direction on the party and political work during COVID-19 prevention and control, with a view to fulfilling the “dual goal” of effectively responding to the pandemic and well performing the training and combat readiness mission.

First of all, the Division’s Party Committee has issued a specialised resolution on leadership over pandemic prevention and control. The resolution has clarified advantages, difficulties, targets, measures, and duties of all-level party committees, party organisations, and commanders during COVID-19 prevention and control. At the same time, the Division’s Party Committee has required secretaries of affiliated party committees and commanders of offices and units to well conduct the work of propagation to raise troops’ responsibility. It has directed the Division’s Political Office to give instructions to offices and units on developing plans for the party and political work and designing education documents relating to COVID-19 prevention and control. Emphasis has been placed on rendering troops fully aware of the dangers and infection mechanism of COVID-19 as well as the directions and policies set by the Party, the State, the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, and Army Corps 4 for pandemic prevention and control. Due attention has been paid to heightening troops’ responsibility for complying with regulations on measuring body temperature, wearing face masks, using sanitiser, keeping the compulsory distance during study and work, avoiding contact with people outside their barracks, and ensuring hygiene.

All-level party committees and commands have frequently encouraged troops to overcome difficulties and keep their mind on their task of training, combat readiness, and pandemic prevention and control. They have proactively informed cadres and soldiers’ families and relatives as well as local party committees and authorities about the postponement of visits to offices and units during the pandemic. The Division has closely cooperated with local party committees, authorities, and health offices in grasping and providing information about the pandemic for its cadres and soldiers. It has directed its affiliates, especially its battalions to promote the role of their internal radio system in disseminating offices and units’ effective measures of COVID-19 prevention and control, thereby making contributions to building up the determination of cadres and soldiers, increasing troops’ vigilance against the pandemic, and encouraging staff members to proactively deal with difficulties and successfully fulfil their task. In addition to well carrying out the work of COVID-19 prevention and control within itself, under higher echelons’ direction, the Division has deployed nearly 1,000 cadres and soldiers to the province of Binh Duong and the city of Ho Chi Minh in order to keep the pandemic under control. This is a difficult, dangerous task together with a great deal of pressure on troops in terms of psychology, health, and time. However, with a sense of political responsibility and resolve, the Division has quickly mobilised and engaged its personnel in COVID-19 checkpoints. Its troops have cooperated with the Public Security Force and others in transporting supplies to citizens and providing support for vaccination and testing. It has directed its offices and units to well carry out the political and ideological work so that all troops would build up their political responsibility and resolve and volunteer for pandemic prevention and control in the key areas.

Commander of the Division giving encouragements to the force deployed to assist localities in pandemic prevention and control

Thanks to the serious, responsible participation of the Division’s Party Committee and Command as well as all-level affiliated party committees, commands, and political offices, via creative approaches, the party and political work has contributed to promoting the role of cadres and soldiers in COVID-19 prevention and control. Several lessons have been drawn from the task of pandemic prevention and control as follows.

First, encourage all-level party committees, party organisations, commanders, and political offices’ focalised, resolute, timely leadership and direction. Grasping and strictly executing guiding documents on COVID-19 prevention and control, the Division’s affiliates have enhanced the work of propagation and education relating to the pandemic’s developments and measures of COVID-19 prevention and control. The Division has drastically, proactively implemented measures to prevent the pandemic from penetrating into itself under the spirit of “fighting the pandemic like fighting enemies” so as to effectively curb COVID-19, well perform the task of training and combat readiness, and conduct the mass mobilisation work simultaneously. It has promoted the role of organisations and forces in raising the quality of the party and political work and ensuring cadres, soldiers, and citizens’ health and life. Political commissars and political offices have closely managed troops’ ideology to maintain security and safety of barracks and depots. Offices and units have collaborated with local agencies and sectors in carrying out the work of mass mobilisation and giving assistance to local authorities and citizens during COVID-19 prevention and control.

Second, flexibly, creatively apply the contents, forms, and methods of the party and political work in accordance with each unit’s particularities and pandemic prevention and control. It can’t be denied that the task of COVID-19 prevention and control is very dangerous, difficult, and complex; therefore, cadres and soldiers must have political zeal and great determination, show no fear of hardships, and readily sacrifice themselves to protect the people’s health, life, and happiness. To that end, grounded on each office and unit’s assigned task and practical condition, commanders and political offices have adjusted plans on improving all-level cadres’ knowledge, capacity, method, and skills concerning the party and political work. Key cadres with good qualities, political zeal, great professional competence, and scientific working method and style have been assigned to give assistance to local authorities and citizens in pandemic prevention and control. Due regard has been paid to enhancing the work of propagation via various forms, organising emulation movements, promoting the role of mass organisations and soldiers’ councils at grass-roots level, and encouraging troops to observe resolutions, directives, and orders by party committees, party organisations, and commanders during the performance of their task. Great value has been attached to conducting the work of propagation to raise the awareness and responsibility of locals, encourage staff members and citizens to join pandemic prevention and control, and ensure political security and social order and safety.

Third, proactively maintain close coordination and promote the synergy of organisations and forces to improve the effectiveness of the party and political work during COVID-19 prevention and control. Party committees, commanders, and political offices at all levels have frequently cooperated with local party committees and commands and relevant forces to create the synergy in ensuring the people’s health and safety against the pandemic’s complex developments. Consideration has been given to strictly complying with mass mobilisation regulations, promoting the fine tradition of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers,” and handling the signs of bureaucracy and bossiness. Significance has been attached to conducting reviews, drawing lessons, honestly, objectively evaluating the outcome, clarifying strengths and weaknesses, and proposing measures to carry out the party and political work in the performance of tasks and the settlement of situations. At the same time, great weight has been added to building up cadres and soldiers’ determination, promoting the role and responsibility of forces and organisations during the performance of missions, seeking proper, effective contents, forms, and measures of the party and political work and valuable lessons to adopt across offices and units. Close leadership and direction have been exercised over the commendation and rewarding of individuals and collectives with outstanding achievements as well as over the strict handling of violations. Last but not least, due regard has been paid to ensuring cadres and soldiers’ health and material and mental life.

Those above-mentioned contents, forms, and measures of the party and political work have been carried out in tandem with the ideological work, the organisational work, and the policy work in order to create the synergy for pandemic prevention and control. However, grounded on specific situation, the party and political work should be flexibly, creatively conducted to bring into play the politico-spiritual strength and the function of organisations and forces as an incentive for offices and units’ better task performance.

Sr. Col. LE KHAC HUY, PhD, Commissar of the Division