Situated along the coast of the Gulf of Tonkin, Thai Binh is an integral part of the Red River Delta triangle and a key economic region in the North. With numerous potentials and strengths, the Province holds significant importance in political, economic, cultural, social, and defence and security aspects. Moreover, Thai Binh boasts a rich history and culture, with a revolutionary tradition and outstanding achievements, contributing significantly to the struggle for national liberation, construction, and defence.

In recent years, in sync with the overall development of the country, the Province’s socio-economic sector has seen continuous growth with positive structural shifts and an average annual growth rate of 10.53%, among others. Nevertheless, despite the achievements, Thai Binh still faces many difficulties and challenges, particularly those emerging during the development process. These challenges include rural security situations, natural disasters, and disease outbreaks, as well as intense resistance from hostile forces and political opportunists that affect the local political security, order, social safety, socio-economic development, and military and defence tasks.

Fully aware of these issues, the Provincial Military Party Committee and Military Command have proactively led and directed the comprehensive implementation of military and defence tasks. Accordingly, military agencies at all levels have provided counsel to the local Party committees and governments on issuing a coherent system of leadership and guidance documents for military and defence work and organising the implementation to ensure quality and effectiveness. Particular attention has been given to fostering national defence and security knowledge among various groups, and the military recruitment process has been carried out strictly, transparently, democratically, and in accordance with the law. Comprehensive defence areas have been built at all levels to become increasingly solid, and the overall quality and combat capabilities of the Province’s armed forces continue to improve. Consequently, the achievements have actively contributed to building the people’s national defence and the all-people defence posture in association with the “people’s heart-and-mind posture”, maintaining political stability, order, social safety, and creating a favourable environment for rapid and sustainable economic development.

To achieve these results, the Provincial Military Party Committee and Military Command have focused on consulting to enhance the effectiveness of leadership and direction in military and defence tasks. Adhering closely to the Party’s military and defence standpoint and policies, as well as the superiors’ resolutions and directives, especially the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress, Resolution No.28-NQ/TW, dated October 25^th 2013 by of the Party Central Committee, on the Strategy for Safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation, and Decree No. 168/2018/NĐ-CP, dated December 28^th, 2018 by the Government, on the defence work of central and local agencies, the Provincial Military Party Committee and Military Command have actively coordinated with relevant agencies in providing counsel to the Provincial Party Committee, People’s Council, and People’s Committee on issuing numerous resolutions, directives, and plans to strengthen the leadership of the Party Committees and the direction and management of authorities at all levels concerning military and defence tasks to ensure their suitability to local characteristics and realities. Based on the military agencies’ counsel, the Province has directed the development and implementation of defence plans, projects, and initiatives in accordance with the law. Examples include the plans for organising provincial and district-level defensive area exercises, exercises to ensure defence in various sectors and combat defence exercises in communes, wards, and towns of Thai Binh Province for the period of 2020-2025, and plan to promote the role of the People’s Army in popularising legal education and mobilising people to comply with the law at the grassroots level from 2021 to 2027, etc.

Leaders of the Provincial Armed Forces meet with and encourage new recruit with difficult circumstance

To strengthen the connection between economic development and enhanced national defence and security, the Provincial Military Command has collaborated closely with functional agencies such as the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Construction, etc. in providing counsel to the Provincial People’s Committee on implementing the defence land-use plan, defining military areas and prioritised terrain for defence and security tasks, and planning the system of defence works, military zones, warehouses, and defence industry spaces in the national maritime space in the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, to integrate them into the provincial planning. Additionally, based on the approved defence posture plan, military agencies at all levels have advised the local Party committees and governments to mobilise financial resources to gradually invest in building defence works in the defence areas to form a solid and deep defence posture.

In order to enhance the comprehensive capabilities of the various levels, sectors, and forces in performing military and defence tasks, the Province has attached great importance to effectively implementing education and training on national defence and security for all subjects and the whole population. As the permanent agency of the Provincial National Defence and Security Education Council, the Provincial Military Command has collaborated closely with departments, offices, and sectors in providing counsel to the Provincial People’s Committee on consolidating and improving the efficiency of activities of the National Defence and Security Education Council at all levels. It has also actively coordinated with relevant agencies in reviewing, consolidating, and completing the plans for organisation of the national defence and security knowledge education and training in a serious and scientific manner, without any omission of objects. In the process of implementation, the Province has focused on innovating the content and methods of education and training, updating the realities, and aligning with the national defence and security tasks and the specific characteristics and conditions of each locality. In 2022, the Province provided national defence and security education and training to 1,524 learners, monitored the implementation of national defence and security education in 47 high schools, colleges, and universities to provide defence and security education to over 57,000 students and train 187 teachers in national defence and security education. The Provincial National Defence and Security Education Council advised the Provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee to lead and direct press agencies, radios, and television stations of the Province and districts in building 140 columns and sections on mass media to disseminate information and raise awareness for Party members, officials, and the people regarding the implementation of military and defence tasks and the protection of the Fatherland.

The task of selection and conscription of citizens for military service is consistently regarded as a paramount focus within the Province. This process plays a critical role in determining the quality of the human resources supplemented for the Armed Forces. Consequently, military agencies at all levels have actively advised the local Party committees and authorities at the same levels in enhancing the leadership and direction and maximising the comprehensive strength of the political system in the synchronised and unified implementation of various stages and procedures, thereby enhancing the quality of military recruitment. In this regard, particular emphasis has been placed on reviewing, reinforcing, and completing the Councils of Military Service Duty at all levels in accordance with the prescribed regulations. Proactive efforts have also been made to develop programs and plans and organise the training, aiming to unify the orientation and guide the content and procedures of military recruitment for agencies, units, and localities under the guiding principles of “seriousness, transparency, democracy, and compliance with the law”. Annually, based on the assigned targets, the military agencies at district and commune levels have dutifully carried out the registration and management of eligible citizens of conscription age and rigorously organised preliminary screenings and medical examinations in strict adherence to the prescribed procedures and regulations. Simultaneously, the Party committees and commanding officers of relevant agencies and units have closely collaborated with local departments, sectors, and organisations in intensifying propaganda and education to elevate awareness, consciousness, and responsibilities among the populace, especially the youth of conscription age for implementation of the Military Duty Service Law to be fully aware of their obligations and rights as citizens in safeguarding the Fatherland; providing policies for visitation and gifts for willing conscripts and fostering of the development of Party members among outstanding young individuals before induction; and coordinating with private enterprises in consulting and signing commitments to provide vocational training and job opportunities after completing military service,…to encourage the youth to enter military service with peace of mind. Thanks to these efforts, year after year, the Province continues to uphold the tradition of “Not lacking a single kilogram of rice or a single soldier”, ensuring the fulfillment of 100% of the assigned targets, with assured quality, safety, and compliance with the law.

As the core force in carrying out military and defence tasks, the local armed forces have received constant attention and care from Province, with efforts focused on building strong forces in all aspects. Based on Resolution No.05-NQ/TW, dated January 17^th, 2022, by the Politburo and Resolution No.230-NQ/QUTW, dated April 2, 2022, by the Central Military Party Commission on leading the organisation of the Vietnam People’s Army in the period of 2021-2030 and beyond, the Provincial Military Party Committee and Military Command have provided counsel and deployed the building of comprehensively strong, “exemplary and typical” armed forces with an integrated quality, level, and high combat readiness, fully capable of accomplishing all assigned tasks and genuinely becoming a political force and a loyal and reliable combat force of the local Party committees, governments, and people; concentrated on improving the organisation and staffing of military agencies according to the direction of “compactness, power, and effectiveness”, ensuring a balance between regular forces, reserve forces, and self-defence forces, with particular attention paid to developing the regular forces in a direction of “revolutionary, disciplined, skilled, and gradually modernised”, prioritising the number of troops for units with combat readiness tasks, and emphasising innovation in training content and methods to improve the quality of training and exercises to ensure readiness for real situations, military and defence tasks, and disaster prevention, and relief of each force and area; and maintained the combat readiness order, forces, and equipment to fulfill the tasks of protecting local events and securing vital targets in any situation. For reserve forces, the Province has built them based on the principle of “abundance and high quality” by effectively implementing the registration, management, review, and addition of plans to arrange reserve soldiers into reserve units according to the Reserve Force Law and being ready to supplement regular units when needed. The people’s self-defence forces have also been built as “strong and widespread” with a rational structure and composition, suitable for the characteristics of each locality, in line with the Plan on organising the force, training, activities, and ensuring policies for the people’s self-defence force in the period of 2020-2025 of the Province. So far, the Province has arranged over 28,000 reserve soldiers into units, achieving over 99.6% of the assigned targets, and built over 400 self-defence bases, accounting for 1.4% of the population.

The above results and experiences are the essential basis and premise for Thai Binh Province to continue effectively implementing military and defence tasks in the future, contributing to accelerating socio-economic development and successfully achieving two strategic tasks of building and defending the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN NGOC TUE, Member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Commission, Commander of the Provincial Military Command