Cadres and cadets of the 1st Army College at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (source: qdnd.vn)

Standards of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” are principles and regulations on political ideology, morality, way of life, manner, capability of a revolutionary soldier, manifested in the following points: complete loyalty to the Party, the Homeland, and the people; lofty combat ideal, love for the country and the regime; determination to fight, determination to win; strong will to overcome difficulties, hardships and danger; resilience, courage, ingenuity in combat and work; close comradeship and a sense of solidarity between the military and the people; strict discipline. Studying and training in accordance with the standards of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” mean the process of self-improvement and training in all aspects, including both consciousness and action, satisfying the requirements and regulations on the virtues of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” socially acknowledged and honoured. As for the 1^st Army College, that is an important measure and an indispensable requirement for education and training work, making contributions to cultivating and perfecting personality of cadres and officers to meet the requirements in the new situation.

This content has been combined with other regulations concerning political education, political topics, Spiritual and Political Day. Departments of the college have proactively put the standards of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” into lectures in accordance with subjects, tasks, and methodology. Organizations of the college like Youth Union, Labour Union, and Women’s Union have held political meetings, seminars, forums to help their members better understand the formation of the virtues of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” and requirements for preserving and bringing into play those virtues. In its process of education, the college has resolutely fought against negativity within itself, clearly uncovering the hostile forces’ plot of “peaceful evolution” and “depoliticalized army”. Party committees and party cells at grass-roots level have heightened leadership and direction over organization and implementation; particularly linking with elimination of shortcomings in light of the Central Resolution No.4 (11^th tenure) on party building. They have also successfully performed inspection, partial review, review, rewarding, multiplication of outstanding and “good people did good deeds” examples, making the task of studying and training a frequent activity of each individual and organization.

To educate cadres and cadets on solidarity, close connection, and good behaviour with the people, the college  has attached great importance to well carrying out mass mobilization work, putting this work into training, field trips, exercises. Responding to the campaign “The military joins hands to build new rural area”, units have done many significant and practical activities, closely worked with local party committees,  authorities, and mass organizations to communicate the Party’s guideline, the State’s policy and law, the locality’s regulations to the people, which has helped maintain political security, social order and safety in the area, to further brighten the image of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” and also the image of the “Army Soldiers”.

The college has required each cadre and instructor to raise their responsibility, to proactively and self-consciously train according to the identified criteria, and to really dedicate themselves to the unit. Party committees and commanders at levels strictly abide by the Secretariat’s Regulation No.101-QĐ/TW on “Cadres and party members’ responsibility to set good examples, particularly top ones at levels”, the Regulation No.646-QĐ/QUTW made by the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission on “Cadres and party members’ responsibility to set good examples, particularly top cadres and commanders at levels”. They have also been required to proactively and self-consciously overcome shortcomings after review and self-criticism in spirit of the Central Resolution No.4 (11^th tenure); determining that words must be realized by actions, daring to do, daring to take responsibility, being “diligent, thrift, honest, straightforward, public-spirited and selfless”; maintaining solidarity; paying enough attention to spiritual and material life of soldiers.

As a result, studying and training in accordance with the standards of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” at the college have brought out practical outcome. All cadres, instructors, cadets, staff and soldiers of the college remain steadfast in political stance, Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought, and the Party’s guideline; absolutely loyal to the Party, the Homeland and the people, ready to sacrifice their life for national independence and socialism, for the cause of building and protecting the Homeland of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.  There are no manifestations of “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” within the unit. Notably, in spite of impacts made by market economy, social evils and hostile forces’ sabotage, cadres and party members of the college have preserved pure morality and lifestyle. They also have competence, good working method and manner to meet the requirements of tasks; strictly abiding by the military’s discipline, the State’s law; promoting internal and international solidarity as well as a close bond with the people. Accordingly, the quality of party members and party organizations has been increased; in 2015, there were 98.81% of the party members who completed their task, of which there were 91.65% successfully and very successfully completed their task. The Party Committee was graded a pure, strong organization. Graduates are ready to undertake every task, even difficult ones, initially meeting the requirements of assigned post and task.

With affection and political responsibility for the Party and Uncle Ho, the 1^st Army College would continue to make every effort to train and study according to the identified criteria, ensuring that the standards of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” in the new situation be promoted in its pedagogic environment to make contributions to raising the quality of education and training, building the cadres staff both “red” and “expert” for the cause of building the military and protecting the Homeland.

Major General Le Viet Anh, MA

Deputy Political Commissar of the 1^st Army College