In recent years, due to climate change, weather situation has become much more complicated and extreme, especially in the Central region. Storms, floods, and landslides are happening continuously with increasingly high levels of danger, inflicting damages on both property and people. Being properly aware of their functions and duties and the tradition of resilience, solidarity, mutual support, and mutual love of local troops and people, the Military Region 4 Armed Forces did not mind hardship and sacrifice to actively help the people prevent, fight against, and overcome consequences of natural and environmental disasters, that have earned local authority and people’s trust and affection.

Imbued with Uncle Ho's teachings: “As storms and floods are dangerous “enemies” which not only destroy the environment but also seriously threaten people's lives and property and cause terrible disasters, the prevention and fight against storms and floods “must be closely organised and firmly led with adequate tools. The Youth and Farmer Associations must volunteer, while army units must save every minute to help the people”, the MR4 have always educated and thoroughly briefed its soldiers to determine helping people to prevent, fight against, and overcome consequences of natural and environmental disasters as a political responsibility and a fighting task in peacetime which requires strong will and high determination, tight organisation, careful preparation, and readiness to overcome dangers and hardships to fulfill the task. The Military Region Party Committee Standing Commission and High Command have focused on leading and directing the development and practice of plans based on scenarios. Accordingly, in the event of small and medium-scale natural disasters or incidents such as storms, floods, landslides, etc., the Military Region Armed Forces will coordinate with local authorities and people in preventing, fighting against, and overcoming consequences under the motto of “Four on-spots”. At the same time, they have consolidated the Steering Committees for natural disaster prevention and fighting and search and rescue, strictly maintained the combat readiness and rescue duty regimes, and taken initiative in forces and means to be ready to fulfill tasks. They will also closely coordinate and cooperate with forces stationed in the area in handling incidents and natural disasters, well-performing the work of propagation and mobilisation, calling for ships to enter safe shelters, evacuating people and facilities, and mobilising forces and means to participate in search and rescue and overcoming consequences.

Thua Thien - Hue border guards evacuate people distressed in flood

Thanks to good preparation in all aspects, when incidents occurred, the Military Region Armed Forces were not confused or passive, but ready to receive the assigned tasks with a high sense of responsibility. Immediately after the landslides in several places, the Military Region High Command quickly assessed the situation, worked out options and plans, and mobilised the search and rescue forces. Cadres and soldiers of the Military Region Armed Forces didn’t hesitate to arrive in time to help distressed people in floods and landslides. Many cadres and soldiers even sacrificed themselves for the people while on duty. With the noble deed of “Uncle Ho's soldiers”, during the last storm and flood season, the Military Region Armed Forces cooperated with the localities to relocate 98,380 households out of the dangerous areas, brought 22 crew members who had accidents in Cua Viet, Quang Tri to shore, and called on ships and boats to return to safe shelters. At the same time, they also coordinated with other forces and means in overcoming landslides and damages to the transport systems, such as Road 71 to Rao Trang 3 Hydropower Plant and Ho Chi Minh Road West Branch to Economic - Defence Unit 337 for search and rescue services, and organising aids of materials, means, and necessities to help the local armed forces and people overcome difficult times in the spirit that helping people is “a non-verbal order”, etc.

In the coming time, weather condition will continue to evolve complicatedly and unpredictably so the disaster recovery work will face several difficulties. Meanwhile, the regional infrastructure is underdeveloped, especially inter-commune and inter-district transportation systems, and the assurance of materials and means for rescue operations is still limited, with only raw tools and materials that can’t meet requirements in cases of complicated natural disasters or incidents. Moreover, the rescue forces are mainly part-time ones; the equipment and means for natural disaster prevention and control, search, and rescue activities are still limited and inappropriate to self-handle if divided or isolated, etc. Facing that fact, the Military Region Party Committee Standing Commission and High Command have determined that the Armed Forces should promote the tradition of “loyalty and resilience” to overcome difficulties and take the lead in natural and environmental disaster prevention and fighting to further promote the image of “Uncle Ho's soldiers”.

First of all, to focus on thoroughly grasping and seriously implementing the superiors’ directives on preventing, fighting, responding, and recovering natural disasters. It is necessary to effectively conduct education, propagation, warning, and awareness-raising for the entire political system, people, and cadres and soldiers of the Military Region Armed Forces about the role and the need to conduct incident and natural disaster response, search and rescue, which should be considered the regular important task and the peacetime combat mission. Thereby, the feelings, responsibilities, and noble deeds should be appreciated to create great mental motivation for cadres and soldiers to overcome difficulties and challenges towards fulfilling their tasks. The local Party committees and authorities should be advised to propagate and guide people to improve their capacity for responding to incidents and natural disasters, search and rescue and enhance the sense of self-protection and self-rescue when incidents occur in the spirit of mutual love within the communities.

Secondly, to well implement the motto of “Four on-spots” in handling situations. Accordingly, the on-spot command should be focused and unified. It is necessary to well perform the central role in coordination with relevant branches and organisations in inspecting the implementation of options and plans and timely handling problems. At the same time, they should direct the mobilisation of on-spot resources to respond and directly lead the implementation and overcoming of consequences. With on-spot forces, local forces should proactively coordinate in responding to emergencies, protecting key areas and works, and participating in search and rescue. It is also necessary to regularly grasp the situations and handling plans, maintain round-the-clock duty guard at all levels, and organise in-depth training and fostering to raise the spirit of combat readiness, search, and rescue. On-spot means and materials should be well-prepared and trained for proficient in using and ready to mobilise and respond quickly and promptly to situations. The on-spot logistics work should be prepared in advance in terms of food and medicine and stored for immediate mobilisation upon incidents.

Thirdly, the organisation, command, and assurance should be strict and unified and strictly comply with the principles and regulations in performing tasks. The Military Region High Command has required subordinate agencies and units to regularly monitor and grasp the situations, closely forecast, and proactively develop options and plans to respond to the developments of natural disasters in the area, especially complicated situations. Annually, options and plans should be adjusted and supplemented to closely match the climate and weather developments and projects affecting the environment. The headquarter duty regimes at all levels should be strengthened to strictly grasp and manage soldiers, inspect warehouses, stations, and workshops, and implement measures to ensure absolute safety. The combat readiness duty units should prepare forces and vehicles to be mobilised for tasks and closely cooperate with units stationed in the area to handle incidents and natural disasters when necessary. During the process of performing tasks, principles and regulations should be strictly observed, especially in guarding, coordinating, and ensuring safety for people, facilities, and equipment.

Finally, to conduct practice review and commendation of good people with good deeds in participating in natural disaster prevention and fighting, search and rescue. After helping people overcome the consequences of natural disasters, valuable lessons should be timely drawn concerning commanding, preparation of forces, means, and logistics, and sense of responsibility in performing tasks. Outstanding collective and individuals should be commended to create a strong spillover effect of the image and qualities of “Uncle Ho's soldiers” of the Military Region Armed Forces.

Promoting the good qualities of the Heroic Vietnam People's Army and the tradition of heroic, resilient, indomitable land and people of the Military Region 4 that, in any circumstances, whether in peacetime or wartime or difficulties, cadres and soldiers of the Military Region 4 Armed Forces always uphold the spirit of self-reliance, heroism, and creativity to fulfill the task of fighting in peacetime, that have been highly appreciated by the local Party committees, authorities, and people, to be worthy of the title of “Uncle Ho's soldiers” - the people's soldiers in the new period.

Lieutenant General NGUYEN DOAN ANH, Member of the Party Central Committee, Commander of the Military Region