Deeply imbued with Ho Chi Minh’s thought: “emulation requires correct leadership, ideological unity, practical and well-defined plans, and constant support for improvement”, cadres and soldiers of the Engineer Corps have been steadfastly striving to implement these principles. This serves as a driving force in every individual and organisation’s effort to excel in their assigned tasks, contributing to building “exemplarily, typically” comprehensively strong units within the Corps.

Engineer troops build a temporary bridge to replace the collapsed Phong Chau one in Phu Tho province (photo: qdnd.vn)

Over the years, inspired by President Ho Chi Minh’s “Patriotic emulation” thought and based on resolutions and directives from the higher echelons, the Corps’ Party Committee and Command  have focused on leading and directing emulation and commendation work and the “Determined to Win” emulation movement in a thorough, and synchronised manner. With a spirit of proactivity, flexibility, innovation, and creativity, the movement has aroused enthusiasm, creativity, and a sense of responsibility among all collectives and individuals, which motivates them to overcome challenges and successfully complete their assigned tasks. Notably, the Corps has opportunely and effectively advised the Ministry of National Defence (MND) and directed the entire engineer force across the Army to successfully execute their tasks. Cadres and soldiers participating in Vietnam’s Engineering Unit Rotations 1, 2, and 3 as well as the ASEAN Rescue Team excellently carried out the United Nations peacekeeping missions in Abyei and South Sudan, and provided humanitarian aid and disaster relief for earthquake-hit Turkey (February 2023). These efforts have bolstered the positive image of the Vietnam People’s Army internationally and demonstrated our Party, State, Army, and people’s foreign policy and strong sense of responsibility towards the international community. As Typhoon Yagi caused extensive damage in northern Vietnam (September 2024), the Corps had a troop deployment of 1,418 and a military hardware deployment of 232 for disaster relief efforts. They successfully completed the mission of building temporary bridges and military ferries to replace the collapsed Phong Chau bridge, thus earning high praise from local authorities and citizens, and receiving the Third-Class Fatherland Protection Order from the President. At the same time, the “Determined to Win” emulation movement has focused on building strong Party Committees and organisations in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organisation, and personnel, connected with establishing “exemplarily, typically” comprehensively strong units, which lays a solid foundation for strengthening the Corps politically, continuously improving its overall quality and combat strength to accomplish all assigned tasks. Thanks to this emulation movement, many exemplary figures have emerged, embodying the qualities of “Uncle Ho's Soldiers” in the new era. Between 2019 and 2024, the Corps achieved outstanding accomplishments, including: 16 collectives awarded the Fatherland Protection Order, five collectives awarded the Government’s Emulation Flag, 10 collectives awarded the MND’s Emulation Flag, and 17 collectives and 11 individuals awarded the Government’s Certificate of Merit. The Corps led the emulation bloc of military corps and was proposed for the Government’s Emulation Flag in 2024. These achievements have given added impetus to cadres and soldiers’ efforts to strive for new heights of accomplishment.

With new and higher demands for national building and defence, the Corps has been adjusting its organisational structure according to the Central Military Commission’s Resolution 230-NQ/QUTW, dated 2 April 2022, and preparing for Party congresses at all levels. In this context, the Corps’ Party Committee and Command are determined to comprehensively lead and direct all work aspects, focusing on promoting the “Determined to Win” emulation movement in line with Ho Chi Minh’s thought. This aims to give a new impetus to cadres and soldiers’ efforts to excel in their duties. Several key solutions are as follows:

First, enhancing the leadership and direction of Party committees and commanders at all levels over the “Determined to Win” emulation movement. Embracing Ho Chi Minh’s teaching that: "Emulation must be led correctly”, the Corps requires all agencies and units to thoroughly grasp the higher echelons’ directives, resolutions, and guidelines, forging consensus among Party committees and key cadres on the importance of emulation and commendation work and the “Determined to Win” emulation movement in the new situation. A strong sense of responsibility in leading and directing the emulation movement must be emphasised. When organising and conducting emulation movements, Party committees and key cadres at all levels should set exemplary models for the masses to follow under the motto “superiors set inspiring examples, subordinates actively follow”. Additionally, the quality and effectiveness of political bodies’ advisory roles must be improved. The advisory roles of emulation councils, bloc, and groups should also be effectively fulfilled, while the vanguard role of the Youth Union in organising emulation activities should be further promoted. Political commissars, in their capacities as emulation and commendation councils’ presidents, must uphold their responsibilities and play a crucial role in directing and organising emulation movements. Simultaneously, it is essential to closely link the emulation movement with the acceleration of studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, ethics, and lifestyle, as well as the campaign “Promoting traditions and devoting talents to deserve to be Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the new era. Strict action should be taken against cadres and Party members who show signs of political, moral, and lifestyle degeneration, “self-evolution,” and “self-transformation”. Doing so is conducive to developing the emulation movement intensively and extensively within units across the Corps.

Second, fostering a sense of heightened awareness among troops and promoting the role of all organisations and forces in the emulation movement. Imbued with President Ho Chi Minh’s teaching that “To bring emulation movements to wider public, it is important to achieve ideological unity”, leaders and commanders at all levels must focus on propagation and education work to build determination and correct motivations for emulation. This will encourage organisations, cadres, and soldiers to contribute passionately, embodying the spirit of “seven dares” as advocated by late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, striving to achieve outstanding results in emulation. Educational content should emphasise the position, role, and importance of emulation and commendation work, and the “Determined to Win” emulation movement, the Emulation and Commendation Law, the Government’s Decree 98/2023/ND-CP, and the MND’s Circular 118/2023/TT-BQP. Attention should be paid to heroic engineer troops’ tradition of “Charting the path to victory” and Ho Chi Minh’s teaching that “Your tasks are very heavy but very honourable. You should try harder and do better. Each day, you should seek to shorten the length of time needed and you will build bridges better and better. By doing so, we will quickly defeat the US invaders”. Methods and approaches should be tailored to specific groups, and conducted regularly and continuously, thereby instilling strong determination for emulation into cadres and soldiers.

Third, actively renovating the content, forms, and methods of organising the "Determined to Win” emulation movement. Following Ho Chi Minh’s guidance that “Plans must be practical, clear, and correct”, the Corp’s Party Committee and Command require all agencies and units to focus on key points in training, combat readiness, building pure and strong Party organisations, and comprehensively strong, exemplary units. With the spirit: “The emulation challenge must be practical. Once accepted, it must be fought off”, units must set realistic, specific, memorable, and implementable emulation targets that everyone supports and willingly commits themselves to. For effectiveness, the Corps' Command requests functional agencies to concentrate on grass-roots units. Agencies and units must actively innovate, ensuring diverse and appropriate methods. Regular emulation activities should be closely integrated with high-intensity ones during unit anniversaries and national celebrations. These activities should be effectively combined with campaigns and movements across various levels and sectors, creating synergistic strength to achieve emulation goals and targets.

Fourth, closely integrating emulation with commendation, effectively carrying out review, and multiplying exemplars. The Corps requires all Party committees and commanders to thoroughly grasp Ho Chi Minh’s teaching that “During emulation, there must be practical supervision and assistance. After emulation, there must be practical inspection, review, dissemination of experiences, and commendation of exemplary individuals”. This proactive approach should begin in earnest, with plans to build, nurture, and replicate exemplary models. To achieve effectiveness, units must tightly link emulation with commendation as the former serves as the foundation for the latter. Commendation should be accurate and reflect the actual achievements of collectives and individuals, especially those working in difficult, hazardous conditions, ensuring democracy and transparency, while "the achievement disease" should be combated. Additionally, it is important to effectively carry out the four key steps: discovering, nurturing, developing, and replicating exemplary models and good people, good deeds. This will lay the groundwork for a sustainable and expansive emulation movement. Strengthening inspection and supervision of implementation is essential to promptly identifying and correcting any misconceptions or inappropriate actions that could negatively affect the overall movement. The results from the emulation activities should serve as a basis for evaluating the capabilities and responsibilities of party committees, organisations, and key cadres at all levels.

By upholding the tradition of “Charting the path to victory” and the qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” in the new era, the Corps’ cadres and soldiers will continue to demonstrate their self-reliance, self-resilience, dynamism, creativity, and dedication. Through their tireless efforts, ingenuity, and talent, they aim to achieve remarkable new accomplishments. These contributions are instrumental in making the Corps “exemplarily, typically” comprehensively strong and capable of excelling in all assigned tasks.

Maj. Gen. DINH NGOC TUONG

Engineer Corps' Political Commissar