On the basis of the implementation of comprehensive and synchronous solutions in tune with their mission requirements, the Vietnamese Coast Guard (hereafter the VCG) Party Committee and High Command have always concentrated their leadership and direction on building “seasoned, compact, strong, and highly professional” Vietnamese Coast Guard with a view to becoming a “revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern” force.

Experiencing 20 years of building and maturity (28-8-1998 - 28-8-2018), generations of the VCG cadres and soldiers have always united to surpass all difficulties; proactively, creatively and single-mindedly carried out their missions to forge their tradition of “bravery, hardship endurance, unity, and law observance”; and have been awarded numerous prestigious accolades by the State and Ministry of National Defence.

Maj. Gen. Nguyen Van Son presents the Determined to Win Military Flag to units

Amidst increasingly unpredictable and complicated global and regional situations and fierce opposition via malicious and complex artifices by hostile forces, the promotion of those traditions necessitates building “seasoned, compact, strong, and highly professional” Vietnamese Coast Guard through fundamental solutions as follows.

First, enhancing the quality of political and ideological education for the VCG’s cadres and soldiers. Accordingly, it is necessary to concentrate on briefing the Party and Central Military Commission’s guidelines on military-defence missions and Homeland protection as well as the building of the Army and the VCG. To this end, it is essential to well carry out the project on “Reforming the work of political education at military units”; to promote synergy amongst organizations, forces, and cultural institutions in the VCG’s units; and to attach great value to oral propagation via political, cultural, and legal Days, etc. in line with every subject and the VCG units’ peculiarities. In addition, it is vital to tightly grasp cadres and soldiers’ ideological developments and aspirations; to proactively predict ideological issues and attendant solutions in order to maintain high unity and consensus amongst the VCG’s offices and units, thereby creating a complete transformation in cadres and soldiers’ awareness of targets, criteria and solutions to build the “seasoned, compact, strong, and highly professional” Vietnamese Coast Guard.

Second, gradually perfecting organizational structure in line with the VCG’s functions, missions, and force development. Grounded in higher echelons’ resolutions, directions, and decisions, and the VCG special Resolution, the VCG High Command has concretized Decision No. 1357/QĐ-BQP by the Minister of National Defence on “Reorganizing the VCG” into its master plan. Accordingly, with priorities given to the units on regular sea mission, offices and units within the VCG are organizationally “seasoned and compact” and capable of matching their assigned missions with a view to basically finalizing organizational structure by 2020. At the same time, it is essential to build highly professional organizational structure between a contingent of officers, professional servicemen and non-commissioned officers and soldiers.

Third, focusing on investing in ship building and purchasing synchronous and modern technical equipment and vehicles. The VCG Party Committee and High Command have proactively advised the higher echelons to properly execute a Project on “building the VCG force towards 2020 and beyond” in tune with their mission requirements and particularities. Technically, the VCG is expected to be equipped with assorted vessels and equipment by 2020, namely DN-2000 and DN-4000 vessels, reconnaissance and logistic ones, and reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters. In addition, the VCG High Command has closely cooperated with relevant ministries, sectors, competent agencies in seeking preferential loans for modern and seaworthy Coast Guard shipbuilding projects whilst directing its affiliates to promote scientific and technological research and application, and build technical maintenance facilities in Coast Guard Region High Commands.

Fourth, well carrying out the work of manpower training and cultivation. Under the motto “practicality, basics, and thorough grasp”, the VCG Party Committee and High Command have actively reformed training contents, curricula, and methods with great value attached to practical training and drills; tightly combined basis training with discipline management and physical training. Furthermore, the VCG’s units have also performed “focalized, uniform, and synchronous” training management and administration; regularly streamlined a quantitative and qualitative contingent of training cadres and offices with adequate advisory, directive and managerial capacity; promoted self-reliance in training facilities; and resolutely combated “achievement diseases” and formalism in training work. Simultaneously, the VCG also has continued to invest its budget and effort in upgrading the Centre for Coast Guard Professional Training to an educational establishment by 2020, which will be tasked with training technical specialists and cultivating cadres on a par with their mission requirements. To this end, the VCG Party Committee and High Command have proactively collaborated with military and non-military academies and schools as well as their foreign partners in personnel training; concentrated on enhancing the quality of refresher courses and adopted a policy of meritocracy for leading cadres and specialists while giving recommendations to the higher echelons on increasing recruitment quota and adopting a policy of encouraging talented people and university students with adequate moral dignity and strong aspirations to serve in the VCG. By 2020, over 98% of the VCG’s total cadres are expected to undergo graduate and postgraduate education (the proportion of its total number of officers with graduate and postgraduate education alone will stand at 100%, and 6% to 8%, respectively.

Fifth, perfecting a system of Coast Guard legal and professional standards; properly performing administrative reforms and technical and logistic maintenance and diplomatic missions. At present, the VCG concentrates on perfecting Coast Guard Draft Law (slated for approval at the 6^th session of the 14^th National Assembly in October, 2018). Once the Law takes effect, the VCG will closely and seriously enforce it; advise competent agencies to issue relevant statuary documents so that the Law will be applied synchronously and effectively in line with international norms, creating a legal corridor for the  proper implementation of the VCG’s assigned functions and missions such as maritime operational regulations; countermeasures to safeguard national sea sovereignty; solutions to patrol and enforce the laws on combating maritime law violations, etc.

In parallel with speeding up the progress of ongoing projects, the VCG Party Committee and High Command have given recommendations to the higher echelons on developing new projects and focusing on building a system of green, clean, beautiful barracks and wharves for their naval squadrons whilst swiftly and opportunely performing on-the-spot technical and logistical maintenance; striving to build a concentration area of horticultural activities and animal husbandry at grassroots units. At the same time, it is necessary to proactively expand their international cooperation relationships with regional and global nations’ maritime law enforcement forces; to enlist their support and sponsor to enhance the VCG’s comprehensive capability; and to continue to carry out administrative reforms in a modern and professional fashion.

Sixth, building the politically, ideologically, organizationally, morally strong VCG Party Organization. The VCG Party Committee and High Command have directed its affiliates to seriously adhere to the principle of democratic centralism, collective leadership and individual accountability and self-criticism and criticism; to regularly maintain party meetings; and to formulate clear and concise leadership resolutions at grassroots level, etc in close association with the implementation of Resolution of the 4^th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (12^th tenure) on Party building and rectification; Directive No. 05-CT/TW by the Politburo (12^th tenure) on studying and following Uncle Ho’s thought, morality and lifestyle and the Campaigns “Promoting traditions, devoting talents, deserving to be Uncle Ho’s soldiers” via specific standards and criteria. Party committees, and the contingent of cadres, particularly key ones must firmly grasp the Party, Military and units’ rules and regulations; actively modify working style; and promote collective democracy and unity.

Upholding the tradition of a heroic unit of the people’s armed forces in the renewal period, party committees and commandants at all levels within the VCG will proactively surpass all difficulties; concentrate on enhancing part organizations’ leadership ability and fighting strength; and building the “seasoned, compact, strong, and highly professional” Vietnamese Coast Guard; successfully accomplishing its function and missions of enforcing the laws and firmly safeguarding sovereignty and security and order in the Homeland’s sea and island regions.

Maj. General, Dr Nguyen Van Son, Commander of the VCG