As a coastal province in the Mekong Delta, Ben Tre has flat terrain and relatively developed waterway and road transportation; therefore, the Province not only has the advantage for economic, cultural, and social development but also has a crucial position in strengthening national defence and security in Military Region 9 and the Southern region. However, due to the terrain divided by canals, (especially the four branches of Ham Luong river, Co Chien river, Ba Lai river, and Tien river), the building of all-people national defence and all-people national defence posture in general and military posture in defensive areas in particular, especially military and defence constructions in the Province encounters numerous difficulties.

Having been fully aware of that, over the years, the Provincial Military Command has directed departments and branches to advise the Provincial Party Committee, People’s Council, and People’s Committees, the Province’s Steering Committee of defensive areas has implemented multiple measures to build increasingly solid military posture. This manifests in the increasing awareness and responsibility of cadres, party members, and people; the scientific and suitable planning of defensive areas that accords with the task of national defence and security and the planning of local socio-economic development; military and defence constructions that have been built and ensured the quality. This contributes to strengthening the solidity of the military posture in defensive areas. From the above outcomes, the Province has drawn experience as well as the measure for effective implementation in the forthcoming time.

First and foremost, regularly propagating and educating to heighten the awareness and responsibility of cadres, party members, and people toward the task of building military posture. This vital measure aims to establish a consensus within the political system and the whole people about the building of defensive areas in general and military posture in particular. Accordingly, the Provincial Military Command must proactively accelerate the propagation and education so that contingents of cadres, party members, and people can recognise the significance and necessity of building military posture in the current period. As a result, they can heighten their awareness and responsibility to actively support and synchronously and drastically execute projects and plans for building the Provincial defensive areas.

To attain high effectiveness, the Province requires the completeness and conciseness of propagating and educating contents with the focus on Law on National Defence; Resolution No. 28-NQ/TW issued on September 22^nd, 2008 by the Politburo (10^th tenure); Decree No. 21/2019/NĐ-CP issued on February 22^nd, 2019 by the Government; the documents and instructions of Military Region 9 and the Province on building defensive areas. The Province attaches importance to enhancing the quality of defence and security education and the education about the heroic tradition of Dong Khoi. The forms and methods of education and propagation should be diverse and adhere to the tasks and situations of agencies, units, and localities. In addition to conducting propagation and education through learning resolution, meetings, and cultural activities, the Provincial Military Command should coordinate with the Provincial Party Committee’s Board of Propagation and Education, the Central press agencies in the Province, and Ben Tre Radio and Television to formulate specialty magazines, column, documentary, etc on the task of building all-people national defence posture in association with people’s security posture, especially the task of building military posture so that the contingent of cadres, party members, and people can grasp the guidelines of the Province, thereby actively supporting materially and spiritually. Besides, the Provincial Military Command should also take advantage of the direction and experience of senior leaders of the Party, the State, the Army, and revolutionaries in the province on the building of military posture to establish a great consensus within cadres, party members, and people about the mobilisation of resources for the building of defensive areas.

Leaders of Military Region 9 and the province check training equipment

Secondly, ensuring coordination in researching, evaluating, designing, and adjusting the planning and project for the building of military posture. This fundamental measure lays a foundation for the Province to assess and execute the building of military constructions in defensive areas that accords with the planning of lands for national defence and the master plan of socio-economic development associated with the strengthening of national defence and security. Therefore, the Provincial Military Command should coordinate with functional agencies of the Military Region and the Province to conduct field surveys, review and, compare the quantity, size, and location of defence constructions, especially important constructions such as command posts at all levels, combat bases, technical and logistic bases, coastal constructions, etc. The Military Command should advise the Provincial Party Committee, the People's Council, the People's Committee, and the Steering Committee for building the Provincial defence area to adjust the planning and schemes. In particular, focus should be placed on adjusting several contents and categories of Planning of the coastal defence system; Planning of the defence works system, military zones, and ammo depot for the 2022 – 2030 period with a vision to 2050; Project on building combat bases, technical and logistics bases, etc.

Additionally, the Provincial Military Command should coordinate with agencies and local authorities to research and accurately assess the topography, climate, weather, hydrology, and socio-economic situation to advise the Steering Committee to identify the size and quantity of military constructions in each year and period. Accordingly, the Military Command proposes the adjustment and allocation of budget for the building defensive areas and directs the building of military constructions in accordance with the intention and determination of defence. Simultaneously, the Military Command also advises the Province to choose Binh Dai District as the location to build military posture, which is the foundation for evaluation and after-action review in the whole Province.

Thirdly,  building solid and in-depth military constructions in accordance with the characteristics and tasks of socio-economic development. Ben Tre is located in Mekong Delta with numerous canals and weak ground; therefore, the building of military constructions must be stable, practical, and suitable to the local characteristics. To overcome this situation, the Provincial Military Command must closely coordinate with Public Security forces and the Border Guard forces to advise the Province to direct the construction of solid and in-depth military constructions; in particular, priority should be given to imperative and dual-use constructions. Constructions in the coastal districts should serve defence-military tasks, and contribute to accelerating socio-economic development, especially the maritime economy, such as planning and renovating seaport systems; consolidating the construction of coastal roads as well as investing, upgrading the system of coastal battlefields to be ready for possible situations. As for districts and cities with large river branches running through, renovation of river wharves, banks, embankments, etc., in the immediate future, is to serve the people and to ensure the combat for defence areas. During the implementation, it is important to learn from the experience in building the all-people war posture of our forefathers in the resistance war against the U.S. for national salvation. At the same time, the Military Command should consult and learn from the experience of other provinces and the pilot model of the Military Region and the Ministry. In addition, researching and developing plans is to ensure human and reserve material resources to be ready for national defence in the first year of war.

Fourthly, bring into play the core role of the armed forces in the building of military posture. Building a military posture is an important, regular and typical task in defensive areas. This is also the responsibility of the entire political system, all levels, sectors, and the entire people; meanwhile, the armed forces play a core role. On the foundation of the Master Plan to build defensive constructions for the 2021 - 2030 period and the following years and Project on building provincial defence areas for the 2020-2025 period, with a vision to 2030 that has been approved by authorised level, the Military Command must actively advise the Province to well perform the state management on national defence and concentrate on managing and using defence and military constructions and land for national defence; strictly implementing Circular No. 175/2013/TT-BQP issued on September 5^th, 2013 by the Minister of Defence on stipulating the management and protection of defence constructions and military zones. Additionally, coordination with the Province’s functional agencies and branches is required to draft and issue documents on managing and using defence constructions effectively, safely, and secretly. The Military Command should also participate in evaluating and supervising programmes and projects on socio-economic development in the area; promptly propose solutions to the assignment of tasks in accordance with functions, tasks, and regulations of the Law on National Defence, Decree No. 21.

In addition, the Military Command should also coordinate with the Department of Transport and the authorities of districts and cities to review and guide the construction of transport infrastructure to ensure appropriateness without affecting military works. The Border Guard, the Department of Construction, and the functional branches of the Military Region, together with Public Security forces, should guide agencies and units to build urban areas, industrial zones, public constructions, etc. to ensure uniformity and suitability and facilitate the coordination with the armed forces to handle fire and explosion, natural disasters, and epidemics. In particular, the Military Command should also coordinate with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to identify and propose guidelines and solutions for land clearance to create land for national defence to soon deploy the construction of military works as planned.

Thanks to the advice and proposal of the Military Command, Ben Tre has gradually built a solid, continuous, in-depth, and dual-use military posture in defence areas. The solutions that the Province has been executing are an important foundation to perfect the military posture in the coming time. This contributes to safeguarding the Province, effectively serving the socio-economic development, and making Ben Tre a hub that connects Ho Chi Minh City to the Southwestern provinces.

Senior Colonel VO VAN HOI, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Commander of the Provincial Military Command