Under the spirit of “fighting the pandemic like fighting enemies” and “serving the people,” cadres and soldiers of the Military Region 9 have surmounted all difficulties and hardships in the fight against COVID-19 to bolster the virtues of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the new period.

The title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” is associated with the foundation, construction, combat, and development of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and has become a typical military cultural value of the new era - the Ho Chi Minh era. For their faith in the VPA - an army by the people and for the people, they call military staff members “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.” Hence, it is the political responsibility of all cadres and soldiers of the VPA in general, and the Military Region 9’s armed forces in particular to keep preserving and bringing into play the noble virtues of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.” Under that spirit, since their inception, in any circumstance, the Military Region 9’s armed forces have always well performed the function as “an army ready for work,” maintained a close-knit bond with the people, overcome all difficulties, and fulfilled all assigned missions to deserve the trust and sentiment of party committees, authorities, and citizens of the Mekong Delta.

It is worth noting that since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the region, with the spirit of “fighting the pandemic like fighting enemies,” the Military Region 9’s armed forces have promoted their core, vanguard role in the fight against this dangerous pandemic, thus being acknowledged and highly appreciated by local party committees, authorities, and citizens. Grounded on directions by the Government, the Ministry of National Defence, and the Ministry of Health, the Military Region’s Party Committee and Command have established steering boards, issued directives and guiding documents, developed and practised plans/projects and exercises on COVID-19 prevention and control at all levels according to each office and unit’s function and task. All affiliates of the Military Region have opportunely consolidated their mobile anti-pandemic and medical teams, adopted hygienic measures under the guidance of the Military Region’s Logistics Department, closely managed the strength and troops’ health, cooperated with localities in monitoring the pandemic, well implemented the “four on-the-spot” motto, and sufficiently prepared personnel, vehicles, equipment, and materials to curb the pandemic and readily deal with different scenarios in a higher degree. The Military Region’s Party Committee Standing Board and Command have required offices and units to employ the on-the-spot force within quarantine zones and checkpoints and assist the people flexibly so as to ensure the safety during pandemic prevention and control. They have paid attention to resolutely preventing cross-infections within offices and units and helping beneficiaries and staff members’ families affected by COVID-19. At the same time, offices and units have been asked to enhance the work of propagation and education to render all soldiers fully aware of the causes and negative impacts of COVID-19 and raise their vigilance against the pandemic. Besides, great value has been attached to encouraging cadres and soldiers to actively take part in COVID-19 prevention and control and considered it as “a combat mission in peacetime.”

Leaders of the Military Region 9 inspecting the “zero dong market” for the people during the pandemic (photo: baocantho.com.vn)

Amidst the complex developments of the 4th wave of COVID-19, to strictly implement social distancing and ensure security and social order, the Military Region has deployed more staff members to border checkpoints in cooperation with the Border Guard Force to closely control border gates and trails and prevent the pandemic from penetrating into Vietnam. At the same time, it has proactively collaborated with forces in stepping up the work of propagation to involve the people in pandemic combat and closely control immigration via the border. Up to now, it has cooperated with forces and localities in organising 5,920 checkpoints (269 ones in rivers, 567 ones along the border, and 4,050 inland ones). Besides, significance has been attached to promoting the core role of military cadres and members of the militia and self-defence force within anti-COVID-19 teams in propagating, monitoring, and supervising localities’ pandemic prevention and control, thereby making contributions to raising the awareness of COVID-19 combat of local party committees, authorities, and citizens in the region and workers at industrial zones as well.

Bringing into play the tradition of “sacrificing for the people,” cadres and soldiers across the Military Region have all accepted and overcome any hardship and difficulty to protect the people’s life and health. Regardless of day or night, thousands of cadres and soldiers of the Military Region have actively prepared facilities, equipment, and accommodations to establish quarantine zones. The Military Region has directed the organisation of 34 COVID-19 prevention and control mobile teams, 178 sampling teams, and 6 testing teams at the Military Hospital 120, the Military Hospital 121, and the Preventive Medicine Group. Moreover, 12 regimental-level infirmaries have prepared 208 beds, while the number of beds at 14 divisional-level infirmaries has been increased up to 358. The Military Hospital 120 and the Military Hospital 121 have prepared nearly 160 beds, while organising a system of infectious disease treatment to readily receive and treat COVID-19 patients. The Military Region has established 2 field contagious hospitals within the province of Tien Giang and the city of Can Tho. Those are 600-bed hospitals but capable of treating 1,000 patients, tasked with receiving and treating moderate and mild COVID-19 cases, online connected with the Military Hospital 175 for diagnosis and treatment from afar during emergencies. The Military Region’s Command has deployed cadres, soldiers, and militiamen to quarantine zones, field hospitals, and lockdown areas to ensure security and safety for medical examination and treatment, serve meals and drinks, and provide supplies for patients. When receiving, transporting, and quarantining citizens, the Military Region has grasped and strictly implemented measures of COVID-19 prevention and control to avoid cross-infections. Since March 2020, the Military Region has employed more than 1,000 vehicles to transport over 26,000 Vietnamese citizens from airports and borders to large-scale quarantine zones, while cooperating with local centres for disease control (CDC) in testing those people for COVID-19 and handing over citizens who had accomplished the quarantine period under regulations with the absolute safety.

The virtues of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” during the task of COVID-19 prevention and control performed by the Military Region’s armed forces have been evidenced by their opportune support for the people. Offices and units have encouraged donation amongst their cadres and soldiers, enterprises, and sponsors, while promoting their internal resources to step up animal/crop husbandry to give assistance to citizens in difficulty within quarantine zones and lockdown areas. The Military Region’s armed forces have simultaneously organised the charitable work, such as “market of close-knit bond between the Military and the people” and “zero dong market” during which they have given nearly 63,000 gifts worth about 65 billion VND to checkpoints, quarantine zones, lockdown areas, field hospitals, families in difficulty, Khmer and Cham ethnic groups, and poor households in the provinces of Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Tien Giang, An Giang, and Dong Thap. In addition, the Military Region has signed an agreement with those provinces on employing cadres, soldiers, and vehicles to help thousands of households harvest nearly 75 tons of agricultural produce, transport more than 238 tons of food, vegetables, and fruits, and purchase hundreds of tons of farm products. It has also deployed hundreds of vehicles to assist peasants in transporting goods. Moreover, the Military Regions’ Command and provincial-level military commands have donated money, food, vegetables, and fruits worth over 47 billion VND to the city of Ho Chi Minh, which has expressed the national tradition of compassion and proved the close-knit bond between the Military and the people. At the same time, it is the sentiment and responsibility of cadres and soldiers of the Military Region’s armed forces to encourage all people to surmount difficulties and win against the pandemic together.

Those above-mentioned activities by the Military Region 9’s armed forces have contributed to bolstering the VPA’s fine nature and tradition during COVID-19 prevention and control. In the upcoming time, the COVID-19 pandemic will be still complex. Therefore, to better promote the virtues of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the new period, each cadre and soldier of the Military Region 9’s armed forces shall build up their political zeal and determination, consider COVID-19 prevention and control as “a combat mission in peacetime,” and play a vanguard role in the fight against this pandemic to bring peace to the people and create a favourable condition for socio-economic development.

Maj. Gen. NGUYEN VAN GAU

Member of the Party Central Committee

Member of the Central Military Commission

Commissar of the Military Region 9