Combining economy and defence, defence and economy is one of the major policies of our Party and State. However, there are specific issues in grasping and implementing this policy in each office and unit, and on each field. For Corps 12, the improvement of the producing and trading effectiveness together with carrying out the military and defence tasks has been comprehensively implemented in all work aspects with many suitable and synchronous solutions.

In recent years, Truong Son Construction Corporation, also known as Corps 12, has well accomplished its assigned political tasks, such as: participating in socio-economic development together with enhancing the defence and security in all areas of the country. During its task execution, the Corps has both enhanced the production and trading in accordance with the State’s law, regulations of the Ministry of National Defence, and well carried out the military and defence tasks, contributing to the implementation of the two strategic tasks of building and safeguarding the Homeland. In fact, the Corps has built thousands of buildings and projects throughout the country, mainly in difficult areas, strategic areas, remote areas and borders; many of which are the national key projects. This has affirmed the Army’s roles in implementing the functions of “an army  for combat, work and production”. The prestige and trademark of Truong Son Construction Corporation have been continually raised, especially in building the infrastructure of traffic, hydroelectricity and irrigation systems. Besides, as a strategic reserved civil engineering unit of the Ministry of National Defence, the Corps has attentively accomplished the military and defence tasks; strictly maintained the training and combat readiness; attentively taken part in building the potentials, the all-people national defence posture and the solid “people’s hearts and minds posture”, which has been recognised and highly appreciated by the Ministry of National Defence, the local party committees, governments and the people.

Commander of the Corps checks the construction of the North-South Highway

With these excellent achievements, in 2022, the Corps was recognised as the defence and security enterprise by the Prime Minister; its three reserve brigades were decided to reestablish by the Ministry of National Defence. These were the milestones marking the growth, strength and new development of the Corps, at the same time, expressing the trust of the Party, State, Central Military Commission (CMC) and the Ministry of National Defence for a key enterprise.

In the following time, impacted by many factors, the Corps is supposed to face many difficulties and challenges while doing its tasks because of the changes in the working mechanism, the competition of the market economy, effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the military conflicts which have disrupted the supply chains for production and trade. Meanwhile, in each area and locality, the main strategic ones in particular, the hostile forces have enhanced their sabotage activities in order to make the political instability and insecurity, social unsafety, excuse for interference, etc. For this situation, the Corps has decided to continually enhance and improve the effectiveness of producing and trading together with well carrying out the military and defence tasks with many synchronous and suitable solutions.

At first, the Corps strengthens the leadership and direction by the party committees and commanders at all levels in doing the tasks. On the basis of grasping and concretising the seniors’ directions and resolutions into the reality of the Corps, especially Resolution No. 425-NQ/QUTW, dated 18^th May, 2017 by the CMC on rearranging, reforming and improving the working efficiency of the military enterprises to 2020 and the following years, Resolution No. 820-NQ/QUTW, dated 17^th December, 2021 by the CMC on “Leading the task of production, building the economy together with defence by the Army to 2030”, the Corps has attentively led and directed the main tasks, new and complex issues with the focuses paid to researching solutions for arranging and reforming the Corporation; completely building the 5-year Development Strategy (2021-2025) and directions to 2030 which are suitable with the scale and development of the Corps. In its implementation, the Corps’ Party committee has required the party committees and commands of offices and units to strengthen their leadership and direction on enhancing the production and trade together with doing their military and defence tasks; pay attention to the political and ideological education, especially the traditions of heroic Truong Son Soldiers and military enterprises so that all cadres, workers, soldiers and labourers are fully aware of the advantages and disadvantages in order to stay united, motivated and determined to carry out their tasks.

Together, the Corps continues to comprehensively reform corporate management to improves the quality and effectiveness of production and trade in the new conditions. Currently, the Corps has been assigned with 12 deals of constructing highways, 09 of which are vertical-axis North-South highway (excluding 02 completed and used) and 03 horizontal-axis highways (Chau Doc – Can Tho – Soc Trang); building projects of Noi Bai, Phan Thiet, Long Thanh, Tan Son Nhat airports, and expanding the hydroelectric plants of Hoa Binh, Ialy, etc., which are the national key projects having important meanings for the socio-economic development, defence and security reinforcement. As a result, in order to overcome difficulties and improve the production and trade effectiveness, the Corps renovates the ways of thinking and working, decreases the in-between steps and highlights the roles of the leaders; firmly carries out the “progressive, quality, safe and effective” motto, taking the quality as the prime target; continuously follows the model of the parent company directly producing, enhances the consolidation of leading and operating mechanism in all levels; brings into play the roles of the project managing boards in doing the “dual” tasks, i.e. directing the construction while producing. Concurrently, it enhances the inspection of the situation to timely solve the raising problems; has plans and solutions of construction which are flexible and suitable with the real conditions of weather, terrain, human resources and existing equipment; promotes the association in boosting the construction capability; selects and cooperates with prestigious suppliers to be proactive with material sources to avoid risks and save costs; uses the deposited funds and speeds up the acceptance and payment of the completed works to add more funds, making sure the progress and quality of the projects, maintaining the prestige and trademark of the Corporation.

Corps 12 participates in the widening of Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant

With the viewpoint of humans as the centre of the development, the Corps attentively builds the high-quality human resources, meeting the demands presently and in the long run. Accordingly, together with the planning, training and appointing cadres due to the working effectiveness, ability and strong points, etc., the Corps pays attention to training cadres with the comprehensive knowledge on both economy and defence; gives more priority to carders who have grown from the grassroots with experience in managing the key projects in order to meet the development of the Corps; continuously directs all-level party committees to create favourable conditions for all workers, technicians and engineers to improve their knowledge and skills; ensures the jobs and accommodation, reforms the policies on salary to make its employees stay committed to the unit, at the same time, implements the approval and proposal of officers’ promotion, non-commissioned officers’ policies, the recruitment of workers and defence workers; has policies to encourage, attracts and recruits the high-quality sources of workers; actively build the harmonious working environment, spread the “civilised, friendly and disciplinary” culture of Truong Son enterprise.

With the awareness of improving the competition and the production and trading capability as the vital issue of each enterprise, the Corps enhances the application of advanced science and technology, the investment and modernisation of vehicles and equipment for production and trade. To make it, together with coordinating with specialists and consultation units to research and apply new technological advances, the Corps supplements and completes the structures and remuneration policies, invests in the scientific research, applies technological advances and technical initiatives into production in order to increase the productivity, improve the quality and prevent risks and accidents. At the same time, the Corps purchases new facilities, modern technologies to meet the demands for domestic and international production. Especially, the Corps attentively invests in purchasing systems of dual-purposed vehicles and facilities so as to both enhance the enterprises’ production and trade, and support the military and defence tasks; route and road openings, search and rescue, etc.

Together with implementing drastically and synchronously solutions to improve the production and trading effectiveness, and develop the economy, the Corps attaches importance to well executing its military and defence duties. Accordingly, the Corps directs its units to regularly check to complement and complete the systems of combat documents, plans of receiving the reserved forces, making them practical with the statuses of combat readiness and defence; strictly maintains the military training for all participants, improves the quality of regularity building, discipline training and management, at the same time, proactively builds plans on providing logistic materials, technical facilities, etc. for units doing their military and defence tasks if necessary. Presently, on following the seniors’ directions, the Corps requires offices and units to combine the adjustment of organisation and production forces with the staff arrangement, building the reserved engineer brigades, units of search and rescue, collapsed buildings to meet the demands for military and defence tasks in the event of incidents. The Corps continuously coordinates with functional units and offices from the Ministry to build and complete the permanent staff in all reserved brigades; actively prepares the materials and training grounds, trains the staff of cadres and teachers, etc. to be ready for training the reserved forces when having the seniors’ plans.

Besides, the Corps focuses on combining the production and trade with building the areas; taking part in repairing the natural consequences, storms, floods; doing the public relations, helping the people eradicate hunger and alleviate poverty, building the local political institutions in the positioned locations, the remote areas and borders in particular, to contribute to building the all-people national defence, the strong posture of all-people defence in all strategic locations, meeting the demands for safeguarding the Homeland in the new situation.

Major General NGUYEN HUU NGOC, Commander of the Corps