In order to meet the requirements and tasks of a main, strategic and mobile corps in the new situation, in recent years, the 4^th Corps’ logistics sector has implemented measures in a comprehensive and synchronous manner, aiming to innovate and improve the quality of supply and achieved positive results. Notably, the Logistics agencies at all levels, first of all, the Logistics Department, have actively advised the Party Committee, the High Command of the Corps, the Party committees and commanders of the units many appropriate and effective guidelines, solutions for leadership and direction over supply work; the logistic regime is increasingly formalised; aspects of supply have seen a lot of innovation with enhanced quality, ... promptly meeting the logistics needs for combat, regular and irregular tasks, contributing to the Corps’ successful accomplishment of all missions assigned.

First of all, the Logistics Department focuses on directing, guiding and urging the logistics sector of agencies and units to build, review and supplement plans to ensure that supply for combat readiness and irregular tasks is suitable with the mission and the actual situation. At the same time, it strictly maintains the order and regime of supply for combat readiness mission; increases training and drills of logistics supply, improve the mobility and supply of logistics agencies and units at all levels; directs its subordinate branches to ensure uniform equipment and supply for combat readiness, outdoor training, and unexpected tasks, such as natural disaster prevention and fighting, search and rescue; attaches importance to building and upgrading the system of warehouses and the application of information technology to the management and preservation of goods and supplies, to prevent damage and loss. At the same time, it closely coordinates with the military agencies of the provinces and cities in the combat zone to carry out the exploitation of on-the-spot material, enhancing the mobilisation of logistics capacity of the defense area; closely combines the supply of the above levels with in place one, with the emphasis on the strategic direction.

An agro-production model of the 550th Engineering Brigade

Along with the active preparation and thorough supply for combat readiness and irregular tasks, the Corps’ logistics sector focuses on improving the quality of regular supply to maintain stability and ensure good living standards and health for troops. In the conditions of complicated weather and severe epidemic, the prices of food often fluctuate in upward direction while food source is unstable and highly risky of unsafety. The Logistics Department has actively advised the Party Committee and the Corps Command to actively renew the method of supply according to the new financial management mechanism; promote decentralisation and empowerment; to socialise some aspects of supplies; expand bidding in the procurement and sourcing according to regulations. In particular, it enables the units to actively exploit and create food sources at favourable times, promote the positive sides of the market mechanism and the strengths of the stationed areas. At the same time, it promotes and improves the efficiency of thrift, prevention and fight against corruption and waste; promotes the sense of “industrious, thrifty”, the spirit of “self-reliance, self-sufficiency”; synchronously deploys measures to improve quality to logistics supply.

In addition to outside sources, the Corps has strengthened agro-production, and considers this the basic solution for proactively ensuring clean and stable food source to improve the quality of the troops’ meals and create extra revenue for the unit. The Department has advised and strengthened leadership, direction over the annual and long-term agro-production plans. Agencies and units have actively promoted their internal strengths, thoroughly made use of and renovated the existing land and lakes,  and made plan of production in association with the plan to build “regular, green, clean and scenic” barracks; combined agro-production with the management of defence land; carried out the production towards concentrated, sustainable, closed, and environmentally friendly direction. Besides traditional producing models, the corps invests in the construction and replication of many new models with high economic efficiency; directs the units to diversify breeds and crops; conduct specialised farming with application of high technology, etc. As a result, its production outputs have met and exceeded the targets, making an important contribution to maintaining and improving troops’ life, even when the prices of food items increased.

The task of troop nourishment is paid special attention by Corps. Accordingly, logistics agencies at all levels have built quantitative structure, menu, and sample cooking according to the new provision allowance of the Ministry of National Defence. The logistics agencies, the officers on duty, and the economic team at all levels have strengthened the management and inspection of food and drink assurance, especially the meals of troops; closely monitor the quality and price of food before cooking and all stages of supply. In order to improve the working conditions of the logistics force and improve the quality of supply, the sector advised the Corps to invest billions of dong to modernise the kitchen equipment in a synchronous and regular direction, meeting the requirements of nourishment inside and outside the barrack. As a result, the quality of troops’ meals has been maintained high, ensuring food hygiene and safety; nutritious and quantitative standards both exceed the prescribed limits. Every year, 100% of the Corps units are rated as “Good nourishing and supply management unit”.

Moreover, the Corps’ Logistics Department directs the Military Medical Branch to improve the quality of healthcare. The military medical system, from the Corps’ hospital to the clinics of the units, has been consolidated and invested with new equipment, meeting the medical examination and treatment requirements of each level. Military medicine at all levels strictly maintains professional working regimes and practices; regularly carry out propaganda on hygiene, prevention and control of epidemics, food safety and hygiene to form a scientific hygienic lifestyle for troops. The management of troop’s health is conducted strictly from the grassroots level. Currently, the health of 100% of officers and soldiers are monitored and annually checked according to decentralisation. Therefore, for many years, there have been no epidemic seen in the Corps; 100% of its units reached the standard of “5-good military medical unit”. The rate of goo-health-troops is always appropriately 99%. Along with that, the Corps actively participates in the program of military and civilian medicine combination; coordinates with the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces to carry out many health check campaigns for local people. In particular, the Corps has recently done well the prevention and fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic; coordinated with the Ho Chi Minh Municipal Command and localities to receive and quarantine nearly 500 Vietnamese citizens entering through Tan Son Nhat Airport border gate, ensuring absolute safety.

Troop’s accommodation is carefully cared for by the sector. The Department’s Party Committee and commanders actively perform well the function of advising the Corps to improve the quality of the overall planning of the campus; strictly manage and supervise the quality and progress of projects and works. Basic construction has been done in a centralised, unified, fundamental and long-term direction, complying with the planning, investment regulations, and priority order. In which, priority is given to buildings, such as houses, messes, kitchens, sanitation facilities, clean water, etc. Units promote their internal strength and the emulation movements of “Building and managing regular, bright, green, clean and scenic barrack”. Up to now, the Army has completed its goal of eliminating level-4 houses; 100% of its units have access to national grid electricity and hygienic water sources. The barracks of agencies and units all have campuses, flower gardens, ornamental plants which create a spacious, clean, beautiful landscape and environment, contributing to making the Corps more regular.

In the coming time, the logistics supply of the Corps will face very high requirements. But with a high political responsibility and strong determination, the officers, employees and soldiers of the 4^th Corps' logistics sector will continue to try to well implement the logistical work, practically bringing the Resolution of the 11^th Military Party Congress and the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress into practice, contributing to enhancing the combat strength, building an all-strong corps, successfully completing all assigned tasks.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN DUC BINH, Head of Corps’ Logistics