Being imbued with Uncle Ho’s teachings: “mass mobilisation is very important, poor mass mobilisation will lead to poor task performance, whereas clever mass mobilisation will enable us to successfully fulfil all tasks,” the Infantry Officer College No.2 has frequently cooperated with local party committees and authorities in carrying out the mass mobilisation work via creative measures. It should be noted that the College has focused on raising the effectiveness of mass mobilisation during field training marches, thereby contributing to cementing the close-knit bond between the Military and the people and improving revolutionary soldiers’ manners.

Providing free medical examination and medicine for locals

Under the Guidance 303/HD-CT, dated February 28^th, 2018 by the General Department of Politics on “field training marches associated with mass mobilisation within the Vietnam People’s Army and the Militia and Self-Defence Force,” the College’s Party Committee Standing Board has issued a specialised Resolution on “continuing to renew and enhance mass mobilisation during field training marches.” At the same time, it has directed all-level party committees and commands to release their resolutions and plans for mass mobilisation in accordance with the characteristics of field training marches. Mass mobilisation has been combined with the study and following of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics and lifestyle, and especially his motto of “clever mass mobilisation.” As the College is stationed in the two provinces of Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau, many field training courses, particularly live-firing general tactical exercises are organised in a large space, in a long time, and across various types of terrain. Thus, the College’s Party Committee and Board have placed special emphasis on rendering cadres, instructors, cadets, employees and soldiers fully aware of the importance and requirements of mass mobilisation, while promoting the role of party committees, commands, commissars, and political offices in directing and guiding this work. At the same time, they have directed competent offices to closely collaborate with local authorities, sectors, unions, and military agencies in conducting surveys, developing and signing action programmes for mass mobilisation with specific targets, tasks and measures, thereby attracting the participation of many forces.

Offices, faculties and units within the College have always concentrated on raising all staff members’ awareness, responsibility and capacity to conduct the mass mobilisation work. The College has established criteria for the qualities of its cadres, cadets, and soldiers as “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.” More specifically, they shall keep their mind on their work, show self-reliance, diligence and creativity, overcome all difficulties and challenges, observe military discipline, and maintain a close-knit bond with the people. Such criteria would provide a foundation for every person’s self-improvement according to their position and assigned task. Prior to each field training march combined with mass mobilisation, the College has required its cadres and cadets to study and grasp Ho Chi Minh’s ideology on mass mobilisation, the qualities of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers,” resolutions and directives by the Party, the State, the Military and the College on mass mobilisation in the new situation as well as regulations during field training marches associated with mass mobilisation. The work of education has been combined with activities of the party and political work, particularly during meetings of mass organisations. In the field training process, cadres, instructors and cadets have to live with the people; therefore, they have been asked to strictly abide by 12 disciplines of relationship with the people and policies on ethnicity and religion by the Party and the State. Notably, each cadet team and group being assigned to live with households have been required to always heighten solidarity between the Military and the people as well as between religious and non-religious people, help the people with specific deeds, and bring into play the image and virtues of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.” As a result, the awareness of cadres, instructors, and cadets towards the importance of mass mobilisation and their capability in mass mobilisation have been enhanced, while this work during the field training courses has produced practical, positive results.

Under the motto of “respecting the people, maintaining a close-knit bond with the people, understand the people, learning from the people, and being responsible for the people,” cadres, cadets, and soldiers of the College have stepped up the work of propagation to encourage the people to conform to the Party’s guidelines, the State’s law, and localities’ regulations. Over the years, in the College’s stationed areas, there have been some disputes over land and complex incidents relating to site clearance. Meanwhile, a section of people have still been in difficulty, the people’s educational level has not been equal, and the gap between rich and poor has been large. Taking advantage of those drawbacks, the hostile forces have been enhancing their sabotage strategy with a view to causing conflicts between the people and local authorities. Therefore, the College’s Party Committee and Board have directed forces to frequently grasp the people’s thoughts and aspirations during their field training marches and render locals fully aware of the hostile forces’ plots and artifices. At the same time, the College’s offices and units have actively taken part in building cultural communes and hamlets, helped the people with economic development, prevented illegal missionary work, and combated social evils. They have also placed emphasis on improving the people’s knowledge of COVID-19 prevention and control and carrying out the work of propagation relating to the Election of Deputies to the National Assembly and all-level People’s Councils. They have cooperated with youth unions and women’s union from localities, schools, and other units in their stationed areas in organising art performances, sports programmes, and knowledge contests about the Party, Uncle Ho, the country, the Military, and localities. They have held news briefings for cadres, party members, and war veterans in their stationed areas. On important occasions, such as Christmas, Vesak, and Lunar New Year, the College has visited and congratulated religious dignitaries and families with great contributions to their hometown and country, while encouraging religious people to practise their religion and belief under law and the motto of “living the Gospel within the nation.” In the 2020-2021 school year, the College has organised field training marches and exercises combined with mass mobilisation for its cadres and cadets, while engaging them in the “Green Summer” campaign launched by the Provincial Youth Union of Dong Nai in 8 isolated, remote communes and the areas mainly inhabited by ethnic minority people within the two provinces of Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau. Its forces have cooperated with local party committees, authorities, Fatherland Fronts, and unions in holding 75 sessions of propagation and news briefings for over 9.730 citizens, teachers, and students. They have also collaborated with the Newspaper of Dong Nai Province in making 7 reports, deploying 84 vehicles for mobile propagation relating to the election work and COVID-19 prevention and control, providing 15,000 free face masks for students and locals, organising 82 art performances and sports events with localities and their twinning units, thereby bolstering the tradition of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” within the people’s hearts and minds.

Taking part in new-style countryside building

During field training marches associated with mass mobilisation, the College’s cadres, cadets, and soldiers have actively helped the people with socio-economic development, hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and new-style countryside construction. Grasping their socio-economic and cultural conditions, the College’s Party Committee and Board have directed offices and units to cooperate with localities in encouraging the people to build a new cultural lifestyle, ensure traffic, labour, and food safety as well as conform to regulations on fire and explosion prevention and control. Besides, field training marches and mass mobilisation have been aligned with the implementation of movements, namely “the Military joins hands for the poor, no one will be left behind,” “the Military joins hands in building new-style countryside,” “all people unite in building new-style countryside and civilised urban areas” and other campaigned in the stationed areas. The College has also assisted localities in constructing facilities, traffic infrastructures, Houses of Great Unity, and Houses of Comradeship, dredging canals, and repairing schools and health stations. It has taken part in blood donation, supplied free learning equipment to good students in difficulty, given financial assistance to families under the preferential treatment policy, and provided free medical examination and treatment for the people, thus making contributions to improving locals’ material and mental life.

Thanks to those practical deeds, cadres, cadets, employees and soldiers of the Infantry Officer College No.2 have heightened the noble virtues of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” and cemented the people’s faith in the Party, the State, the Military and all-level authorities. Via field training marches combined with mass mobilisation, troops have had a chance to learn from the people, understand locals’ life, improve their own work method and style, while building up a sense of discipline in their relationship with the people. At the same time, those activities have enabled the people to more understand, encourage and share with troops. Doing so has greatly contributed to consolidating the people’s faith in the Party, the State, and the Military, maintaining political security and social order and safety, and bolstering the image of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the people’s hearts and minds.

Maj. Gen. NGUYEN XUAN SON, MA

Commissar of the College