The Military Command of Binh Phuoc province and its Party Committee have always set great store by the studying and following of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle. After two years of implementing that work, a positive, comprehensive change has been made in performing the political task, improving the quality of the contingent of cadres and party members, and building pure, strong Party Committee and comprehensively strong unit.

Learning from the lessons on implementing the 11^th Politburo’s Directive 03-CT/TW, in order to make the studying and following of Uncle Ho’s thought, morality and lifestyle spread and achieve the practical effectiveness, the Provincial Military Command and its Party Committee have promoted the role of party committees and organizations and commanders at all levels in leading, directing and performing this work. Right after the inception of the 12^th Politburo’s Directive 05-CT/TW (hereafter the Directive 05), grounded on the guidance of the Provincial Party Committee and the Military Region 7 Party Committee, the Provincial Military Party Committee has formulated the plan 361-KH/ĐU on “studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle for the period of 2017-2021” while directing its units to hold political meetings to raise cadres, party members and masses’ awareness of the importance, objectives and requirements of the Directive 05. Besides, to step up the work of propagation and introduction of special topics, the Provincial Military Command (PMC) has issued the Plan for the propagation of “Uncle Ho’s teachings on this day from previous years” and directed 6 party committees of the units under the PMC, 11 district-level military party committees to hold the talk “Studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle, deserving Uncle Ho’s soldiers in the new era” which has attracted the participation of over 1,300 cadres, troops and representatives.

Rewarding the comprehensively strong units of the PMC

In previous years, the studying and following of Uncle Ho’ thought, ethics and lifestyle in several party cells and committees have yet to really effective. Measures for conducting this movement have been still simple and mainly focused on the studying. A number of units have been confused about developing the plan for the following. The work of education and propagation has still witnessed weaknesses. To overcome those shortcomings, the PMC and its Party Committee have directed party committees and commands at all levels to seriously review the implementation and focus on setting out the guidelines and plans to implement the Directive 05 in accordance with their particularities, function and task. At the same time, offices and units have been asked to elaborate the Directive 05’s contents, supplement and complete moral standards and criteria for studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle in accordance with each group of troops as the basis for their self-improvement. Based on the common criteria set by the Provincial Military Party Committee, party committees and organizations, offices, units, mass organizations and each party members, youth union members and members of other unions have been required to register the criteria for completing their moral standards relevant to their responsibilities and tasks. Offices under the PMC have focused on enhancing the capability to introduce higher echelons’ resolutions and directives, renewing the working style and method, setting store by the capabilities to give advice and develop plans, and directing, giving instructions to, and inspecting the units. District-level military commands have concentrated on improving the quality of training and combat readiness, building regularity, maintaining discipline, preserving and effectively using materiel, ensuring troops’ material and mental life, and building the internal unity and the civilian-military unity. Logistics, technical units have set store by the enhancement of professional competence, the effective use logistic, technical materials, a sense of thrift, diligence, creativity, honesty, self-reliance, and the resolute fight against every sign of corruption, negativity, wastefulness. The Provincial Military School has attached importance to renewing contents, programs and methods of education, improving the quality of education and training, resolutely saying no to negative phenomena and “achievement disease” in education. Moreover, the Provincial Military Party Committee has directed all-level party committees to promote the role of cadres and party members, combine the building of party members with that of cadres, the building of party committees with that of key cadres, and the building of pure, strong party committees with that of comprehensively strong units.

Significance has been attached to the work of managing party members politically, ideologically, morally and their living and working style. During monthly meetings, party committees and organizations and each cadre and party member have been required to report the results of implementation of the registered criteria, with a focus on reviewing qualities, morality and lifestyle in line with the self-review and the results of supervision conducted by party committees and cells and mass organizations, and proposing measures to overcome weaknesses.

After two years of implementation of the Directive 05, cadres, party members and masses’ ideology, morality, lifestyle, attitude, responsibility, and sense of study and self-improvement in the armed forces of Binh Phuoc province have witnessed positive changes. Cadres and troops now have political stuff and absolutely believe in the Party’s leadership. Cadres and party members, particularly the key ones, always promote their exemplary role in study, self-improvement and work, observing the State’s law and the military discipline. Their working method and style have been renewed and directed towards grass-roots units. Relationships among cadres and troops have been handled harmoniously, democratically, openly and amicably. The leadership capacity of party organizations has been valued while the order, regulations and principles of the Party’s leadership have been maintained. The rate of pure, strong party committees, organizations and cells have been on the rise while the number of full-strength companies having a party cell committee and new party members, particularly in the militia and self-defence forces and the reserve forces has basically exceeded the targets. The work of accepting new party members has been ensured both qualitatively and quantitatively in accordance with regulations. Yearly, the rate of party members successfully fulfilling the task has been over 85%. The training quality and the combat readiness level and capability of the province’s armed forces have unceasingly improved. The regularity building and discipline maintenance have witnessed considerable progresses. There has been no serious violation of discipline. Positive changes in other tasks, such as agricultural production, practice of thrift, fight against wastefulness, maintenance of materiel, policies regarding military families, hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and international missions, etc. have also been brought about. 

During the course of implementing the Directive 05, there have appeared creative models and approaches, such as “Providing vocational training for non-commissioned officers and soldiers”, “one question everyday” and “The provincial armed forces join hand for the poor – no one left behind”. In 2017, the PMC recommended the State President to present the Feat-of-Arms Order, the Homeland Protection Order, and the Glorious Soldier Order to 107 comrades; recommended the Ministry of National Defence to award the Certificate of Merit to 7 collectives and 4 individuals; recommended the Military Region 7 Commander to give the Certificate of Merit to 10 collectives and 17 individuals having achievements in implementing the Directive 05.

To make the studying and following of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle more effective, the PMC and its Party Committee will continue to focus on the following points.

First, the PMC and its Party Committee will continue to enhance the work of propagation and education on Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle for all cadres, troops and people in the area. Due attention will be paid to comprehensive, focalized propagation and education, to combining the “studying” with the “following”, to taking the latter as the main. Focuses will be placed on improving morality and lifestyle, renewing working method and style, and overcoming weaknesses. Importance will be attached to building a sense of unity within units and offices, the civilian-military unity, as well as pure, strong party organizations and comprehensively strong units.

Second, the PMC and its Party Committee will actively set out new, creative measures and models; resolutely fight against formalism in leadership and direction, particularly by party committee members and key cadres. Consideration will be given to intensifying inspection and supervision of realization of the preset criteria and closely combining inspection and supervision by party organizations and inspection by commanders with supervision by mass organizations.

Third, due regard will be paid to focusing leadership and direction on building and strictly implementing moral and living standards intended for cadres, employees and troops; to setting up examples by party committee members and key cadres. At the same time, significance will be attached to regularly combining the implementation of criteria for realizing the Directive 05 with that of the targets set by the Determined to win emulation movement and other emulation movements and campaigns.

Fourth, the PMC and its Party Committee will closely direct the work of reviewing the implementation of the Directive 05 in units of all types. The self-improvement in morality and lifestyle and the task performance by collectives and individuals will be used to assess the results of studying and following Uncle Ho’s thought, morality and lifestyle. Due attention will be paid to opportunely detecting and multiplying new models and typical examples; to applauding and rewarding collectives and individuals with great achievements; to building the faith and motivations for cadres, party members and masses’ striving.

With the deep affection for Uncle Ho and high political responsibility, in the upcoming time, cadres and troops of the armed forces of Binh Phuoc province will continue to accelerate the studying and following of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle via practical contents and measures, contributing to building pure, strong Party Committee and comprehensively strong provincial armed forces, successfully fulfilling the military and defence missions in the area.

Sr. Col. Vu Tien Dien, Commissar of the PMC