My Tho is a first-class city and the political, economic, cultural and social hub of Tien Giang province. This is a crucial area of ​​the province, a bridge between the Southwest key economic region and Ho Chi Minh City which has a strategic position in terms of economy, society, defence and security of the Southern region. Given the essential role and position of the area, over the years, the Party Committee, authorities and people of the City have focused on boosting socio-economic development, in association with strengthening defence and security, effectively preventing and fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic. Along with the whole province and the nation, the City has contributed to repelling the pandemic and bringing the lives of the people and the armed forces back to the new normality. However, the security and political situation in the area still potentially risks instability. Hostile forces at home and abroad continue to take advantage of ethnic and religious issues, using cyberspace, etc. to conduct propaganda against the Party, State, party committees and local authorities. There are strikes in industrial zones and claims due to relocation of people to carry out projects, plans, and settlement of compensation; crimes and social evil situations in the area are becoming more and more sophisticated, etc. These factors have had direct impacts on the people's ideology and life as well as the activities of the City's armed forces. To deal with those difficulties and challenges, the Military Command of the City has promptly advised the City Party Committee and People's Committee to implement several measures to lead and direct military and local defence activities in order to build up a strong all-people defence and an all-people defence posture which is associated with the steady people's security posture.

First of all, advise the City Party Committee and People's Committee of the City to lead and direct the armed forces to successfully perform the work of combat readiness and building its defence area. Every year, the City Military Command manages to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement the orders, directives, plans, instructions and regulations of the Provincial Military Command on combat readiness. Strictly maintain combat readiness forces on duty, ensure security on important holidays, Tet holidays and political events of the nation and locality, etc. Regularly rehearse plans for fire fighting, fighting on the spot, and fighting against air raids to protect key agencies and places in the City; carry out patrols and military controls to ensure security of the area before, during and after important local and national events. Based on documents and combat readiness plans of superiors along with schemes and plans for economic development associated with national defence and security, the Military Command actively advise and coordinate with the departments and branches to promptly and fully adjust and supplement its combat readiness documents. At the same time, closely coordinate with the Police, Border Guard forces, etc. to maintain and implement the Government's Decree No. 03/2019/ND-CP dated September 5, 2019 on the coordination between the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security; Decree No. 02/2020/ND-CP dated June 30, 2020 of the Government on the coordination activities of the Militia and self-defence force, contributing to maintaining political security, public orders and safety of the City. Agencies and units carefully prepare and safely conduct training on combat readiness according to the plan approved by the Provincial Military Command. Along with that, advise on strengthening the Steering Committee and Assistant Group; finalise the Work Regulations and promulgate the Program of the Steering Committee of the City's defence area in 2022 and the following years. Continue to advise on promulgating the Decision to strengthen the People's Air Defence Steering Committee, develop the People's Air Defence Work Plan and the efficient operations of the Standing Agency of the City People's Air Defence Steering Committee. As a result, the City's armed forces have always been highly ready to fight and build up an increasingly strong defence area, not to be made passive or surprised in any situation.

Along with that, the Party Committee and the Military Command of the City focus on building a strong armed force in the direction of "elite, compact, strong". Accordingly, the City direct agencies and units to regularly consolidate their organisations and staff, improve their overall quality, combat strength and the ability to complete assigned tasks. Implementing Project 9029/DA-UBND, dated December 21, 2017 of the City People's Committee on "Organisation and operation of the standing militia platoon of My Tho city for the period 2018 - 2020", up to now, the City has built up a force of 84.38% compared to the requirement. In the first 9 months of 2022, the City has completed 100% quota of recruitment and discharge of the militia and self-defence force; the percentage of party members in this force reached 42.48% (militia accounted for 22.13%, self-defence force accounted for 64.28%). Remarkably, 100% of the City's wards and communes own military party cell, party committee and meet the standard of a comprehensively strong "exemplary, typical" unit. 97 agencies and organisations have established self-defence forces with 60 military command boards of agencies and organisations (provincial level: 47, city level: 13), regularly maintain effective operations at the grassroots level which are capable of protecting agencies and enterprises.

In order to create a solid reserve of military personnel, every year, the City actively coordinates with units to welcome the demobilised soldiers to their localities by thoughtful, respectful activities, combined with appropriate registration in local reserve force. In order to create the unity in operations and to improve the ability to deal with situations, the Military Command closely coordinates with the departments and branches of the City to advise the City People's Committee to build a system mobilisation plan under the guidance of the Provincial Military Command. On that basis, the Military Command directs and guides the communes and wards to master and rehearse the steps in mobilising activities; successfully carry out the meetings and pay responsibility allowances for reserve soldiers (B-framework officers) and mobilise the resources to hand over to the Province for training according to the plan and in accordance with the law.

Along with building a strong armed force in terms of politics and ideology, improving order, regular behaviour, managing and training discipline, the Military Party Committee and Military Command of the City focus on improving the quality of training. Deeply grasp the Conclusion No. 60-KL/QUTW dated January 18, 2019 of the Central Military Commission on continuing to implement Resolution No. 765-NQ/QUTW; Resolution No. 791-NQ/DUQS of the Provincial Military Party Committee on improving the quality of training in the period of 2013 - 2020 and the following years; Combat training plan for the period and 2022 of the Provincial Military Command; The Military Command promptly advises and assists the City People's Committee in making decisions on assigning goals for training militia and self-defence officers and soldiers, fostering knowledge of defence and security; training reserve soldiers for agencies, units, wards and communes. Establish the Combat Training Plan, the Plan to build a strong, comprehensive "exemplary and typical" unit which is properly approved by the Provincial Military Command. Prepare materials, models, learning tools and equipment to ensure training tasks. Conduct training based on the plan and the number of participants in the training of in-service non-commissioned officers and soldiers reached 100%; training militia and self-defence force reached 94.83%. Safely carry out shooting tests for mobile militia of wards and communes; local militia; first-year militia and self-defence force, standing militia, self-defence force of agencies with good quality. In the condition that weapons and equipment have been used for years, some equipment has been degraded, the City actively has held initiative contests to innovate, improve facilities and training equipment meeting the plans and expected goals and requirements. Along with that, successfully prepared and safely conducted mobile militia platoon contest, thereby selecting units and athletes with excellent achievements to participate in the Provincial Contest, resulting in the first prize in this contest. The Military Command also actively advised the Party Committee and People's Committee of the City to issue directives, plans and instructions for combat drills in the defence area of wards and communes and for struggling against natural disasters as well as search and rescue activities; directed 04 units to well implement this content, which was highly appreciated by the Provincial Military Command and the Command of Military Region 9.

In order to deepen the military and defence work, the Party Committee and Military Command advise the City Party Committee and People's Committee to lead and direct the work of improving the quality of defence and security training for the subjects and the entire population. Accordingly, the content of the training was included in resolutions and directives on military, defence and security work in the new situation, in which focus is placed on the Law on National Defence and Security Education. For high achievements, the Military Command advises the City People's Committee to direct the consolidation and maintenance of the operational order of the National Defence and Security Education Council at all levels. At the same time, focus on researching and renovating the content, forms and methods of training, suitable to each subject and local characteristics; the focus is on training leaders at all levels, heads of hamlets, respected people in their clans or residential/ religious communities, business household owners and high school students. Along with that, the City Military Command closely coordinated with the Provincial Radio and Television Station, Tien Giang Newspaper to maintain a column and/or page on national defence, promoting the propagation of the Law on National Defence, the Law on Military Service, the Law on Militia and Self-Defence, and local defence and military activities. Through periodic and final conferences, training courses, political theory for new party members etc., to integrate propaganda knowledge of defence and security to the subjects. Therefore, raise awareness, ideological orientation and responsibility of cadres, party members and people of all strata for military, national defence tasks and national protection contributing to the struggle to defeat the plots and tricks of "peaceful evolution" of hostile forces, maintaining political security, social order and safety in the area.

The results achieved in the implementation of military and defence work in the past time will be an important basis and premise for the City's armed forces to continue to successfully complete the assigned tasks; contributing to maintaining political security, social order and safety, creating favourable conditions for My Tho to boost socio-economic development quickly and sustainably, commensurate with the potential and position of the City.

Colonel VO VAN NANG, Commander of the City Military Command