The Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) is a new-style army of the working class, organised, led, and trained by the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, sheltered and supported by the people. Over the past 75-plus years, generations of military staff members have always been absolutely loyal to the Homeland, the Party, the State, and the people. They have surmounted difficulties, courageously fought against any enemy, and successfully fulfilled all assigned missions in the previous wars for national liberation and today’s national construction and protection. They have been presented with many noble awards by the Party and the State. The people have honoured them with the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” - a noble symbol of revolutionary soldiers and a unique cultural beauty of the VPA.

The title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” only exists in Vietnam, which is a term of endearment bestowed by the people and a great honour for cadres and soldiers of the VPA. The virtues of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” include a system of ideological, political, moral, and living-style standards and values amongst revolutionary soldiers. Those virtues of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” could be characterised by President Ho Chi Minh’s compliment on the occasion of the VPA’s 20^th founding anniversary (December 22^nd, 1944 - December 22^nd, 1964): “Our VPA is loyal to the Party, pious to the people, and ready to fight and sacrifice for national independence and socialism. It will accomplish any mission, overcome any difficulty, and defeat any enemy.” The image of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” has sufficiently and most fundamentally expressed the outstanding qualities of the VPA, President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology on building a new-style army of the working class, and the people’s faith, affection, acknowledgement, and honour for “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.” It has become a shining example of revolutionary heroism which has been formed and developed throughout the VPA’s process of construction, combat, and maturity.

Typical collectives with outstanding achievements in the Campaign entitled “promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving to be Uncle Ho’s soldiers” (in the period of 2014-2019)

Fully understanding the enormous value and significance of the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers,” over the years, the Central Military Commission (CMC), the Ministry of National Defence (MND), the General Political Department (GPD), and all-level party committees, commissars, and commanders have always placed emphasis on leading and directing the work of propagation and education in order to make their cadres and soldiers train and improve themselves to deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.” They have seriously executed the 12^th Politburo’s Directive 05-CT/TW on “studying and emulating Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics and lifestyle” via the Campaign entitled “promoting tradition, devoting talent, and deserving to be Uncle Ho’s soldiers” launched by the CMC Standing Board. The Campaign represents the studying and following of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics, and lifestyle within the Military Party Organisation and the VPA, proving the flexibility in the leadership process by the CMC, the MND, and the GPD, demonstrating military staff members’ respect and affection for the beloved President Ho Chi Minh.

From realities of training, combat readiness and work, the virtues of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” have increasingly been promoted and spread as the basis for meeting the requirements set by the building of a politically strong VPA, improving the VPA’s combat strength, and fulfilling all assigned tasks. Many cadres and soldiers have sacrificed themselves for the defence of the national border, sea, and island sovereignty, search and rescue, and natural disaster and incident prevention and control. A large number of military staff members have faced difficulties and hardships in the isolated, remote areas to encourage the people to observe and implement the Party’s guidelines, the State’s law and policy as well as local revolutionary movements and political missions.

Military units have always proactively, actively taken part in building political bases, consolidating national defence and security, facilitating socio-economic development, helping locals with hunger eradication, poverty reduction, new-style countryside construction, natural disaster and epidemic prevention and mitigation, search and rescue, while successfully carrying out the ethic and religious work, particularly in the isolated, remote, border, sea, and island areas. It should be noted that in COVID-19 prevention and control, under the spirit of “fighting the epidemic like fighting enemies,” the VPA’s cadres and soldiers have continued to promote the virtues of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” and acted as the core, vanguard force in the fight against this disease, thereby making great contributions to protecting the people’s health and peaceful life. That has proved their absolute loyalty to the Homeland, the Party, the State, and the people, being highly appreciated by leaders of the Party and the State and all Vietnamese people. Military cadres and soldiers have truly become the people’s rock in the COVID-19 prevention and control and bolstered the VPA’s nature and glorious tradition in the new period. Meanwhile, economic-defence corps of the VPA have closely combined economic development with defence-security consolidation and greatly contributed to maintaining political security and social safety and building new cultural life in the strategic areas. Besides, they have proactively conducted the work of propagation to raise the people’s vigilance against the hostile forces’ plots and acts of sabotage, protect local party committees and authorities, and cement the national great unity block.

In addition to taking part in building political bases, consolidating national defence and security, and fostering socio-economic development, the VPA has well performed international missions, participated in the UN peacekeeping, and left host countries’ citizens with good feelings, and actively maintained peace, stability, and development on global and regional scales. In the difficult and unfavourable circumstance, the image of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” continues to shine more brilliantly and make contributions to consolidating the people’s faith in the Party and the socialist regime.

The nature and tradition of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” are not self-formed or unchanging. They are the result of the process of leadership, education, and training, which keeps changing and developing in the building of the VPA. Currently, our country is more widely and deeply integrating into the world and developing a socialist-oriented market economy. In addition to the recorded achievements, opportunities, and advantages, we are confronted with difficulties, challenges, and impacts made by the dark side of the market economy, corruption, wastefulness, and individualism. The hostile forces are stepping up their “peaceful evolution” strategy, encouraging “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” from within, and enhancing their trick of “depoliticising” our VPA in a bid to undermine the VPA’s combat goal and ideal. Hence, the training of military cadres and soldiers to deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the current period is a matter of paramount importance. To that end, the entire VPA should focus on several measures as follows.

First of all, the all-level party committees, commissars, commanders, and political offices should exercise their leadership and direction over the work of propagation and education to render cadres and soldiers fully aware of the requirements and measures for training and improving themselves to deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the new situation. The title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” is a noble symbol that is attractive to all Vietnamese citizens, especially the young ones. Therefore, the work of propagation and education aimed at rendering cadres and soldiers within the VPA acutely aware of the importance of training and improving themselves to deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” is of profound significance. In order to meet the increasingly high requirements set by the Homeland construction and defence in the new situation, the VPA’s cadres and soldiers must further train and improve themselves to deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.” The work of propagation and education within military offices and units must be centred on clarifying our VPA’s nature and tradition and pointing out factors directly impacting on cadres and soldiers’ awareness, ideology, and affection so as to adopt measures for preventing the factors from negatively affecting the VPA’s nature and tradition as well as the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.” This work must be carried out frequently, in various forms, with many measures, particularly via mass media. It is necessary to improve cultural institutions within units and raise the responsibility of party committees, cadres, and party members for training and improving themselves to deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.”

Party committees, party organisations, and political offices at all levels should continue to study, review, and develop the standards and qualities of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the new period in accordance with the development trend of the times, ensuring that they will be sufficient, comprehensive, and easy to remember, understand and follow in line with the building of new socialist culture and citizens and the requirements of sustainable national development. Moreover, they should grasp and strictly execute the CMC Standing Board’s Directive 855-CT/QUTW, dated August 12^th, 2019 on the Campaign entitled “promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving to be Uncle Ho’s soldiers in the new period” and the GPD’s Action Plan 1712/KH-CT, dated September 23^rd, 2019 for the Directive 855-CT/QUTW in order to make cadres and soldiers comprehend the goal, importance, and significance of the Campaign. Each cadre and soldier within the VPA must have political zeal, high responsibility, pure morality, healthy lifestyle, professional competence, good working style to meet their task requirements. They should heighten democracy and strict self-discipline, maintain internal unity, and strengthen a close-knit bond with the people.

Second, promote the role of forces and organisations in studying and emulating Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics and lifestyle as well as in implementing the Campaign entitled “promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving to be Uncle Ho’s soldiers in the new period.” This measure is of utmost importance and aimed at ensuring that the VPA will always be a loyal, reliable political and fighting force of the Party, the State, and the people. To deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers,” all cadres and soldiers must set good examples in executing the 12^th Politburo’s Directive No.5 and the CMC Standing Board’s Directive No.87 on “the studying and following of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics and lifestyle” as well as the Campaign entitled “promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving to be Uncle Ho’s soldiers in the new period.”

Each cadre and soldier must attach importance to studying and emulating Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics and lifestyle as their routine, daily work, enhancing self-examination and self-correction, and heightening their vanguard, exemplary role in performing the tasks. Party committees, party organisations, commissars, commanders and political offices at all levels should strengthen their leadership and direction over execution of the above-mentioned directives via specific, practical measures. Mass organisations within units and offices should step up emulation movements, encourage their members’ creativity and self-awareness, and translate those movements into life in accordance with tasks of each unit and office.

Third, promote the role of cadres, party members, and especially key ones in raising the responsibility to set role models and self-improve to deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.” According to President Ho Chi Minh, “a living example is more valuable than a hundred speeches.” Patterns set by cadres at all levels and their words matched with action will be more convincing to their soldiers. To deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers,” each cadre and party member must heighten their responsibility and actively improve themselves according the preset criteria.

Patterns set by cadres, party members, particularly party committee members and commanders have great effects on creating each party organisation’s combativeness and adding incentives to revolutionary movements. Hence, commanders of offices and units should set patterns for party members and the masses to follow. Cadres, party members, and commanders at all levels play a role of paramount importance to the quality of self-training and self-improvement to deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the new period. They must develop and effectively execute plans for self-improving and concretising the Regulation 101-QĐ/TW, dated June 7^th, 2012 by the Party Central Secretariat on “the role model-setting responsibility of cadres and party members, particularly the key ones at all levels,” the Regulation 08-QĐ/TW, dated October 25^th, 2018 by the Party Central Committee on the role model-setting responsibility of cadres and party members, first and foremost members of the Politburo, the Party Central Secretariat and the Party Central Committee, and the Regulation 646-QĐ/QUTW, dated November 6^th, 2012 by the CMC Standing Board on the role model-setting responsibility of cadres and party members, especially leaders and commanders within the VPA. According to those regulations, the higher positions of cadres and party member are, the more responsible for setting patterns for their inferiors to follow they will have to be. Superior cadres must keep their mind on their units, maintain a close relationship with their inferiors and the masses, and remain impartial in handling their work. They should be “industrious, thrifty, honest, righteous, public-spirited and selfless” in all activities, harmoniously manage relations, maintain unity and unification within their units, and ensure their inferiors’ material and mental life. In the process, due regard should be paid to exercising self-criticism, criticism, “self-examination,” and “self-correction,” fighting against individualism and the signs of degradation in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle, and preventing “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” from within. In addition, it is important to proactively provide sufficient information, opportunely orientate cadres and soldiers’ ideology against complex, sensitive issues, disseminate and multiply typical examples.

Fourth, create a favourable condition for cadres and soldiers to train and improve themselves to deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.” The title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” is formed and perfected when soldiers perform their task in the military environment. Hence, offices and units within the VPA should train their cadres and soldiers via the training and combat readiness work, the defence of the country’s territory, airspace, seas and islands, the building of military standard order, the management of military discipline, and field training activities. Great value should be attached to the mass mobilisation work, renewing the method of propagation for the masses, and helping the people with hunger eradication, poverty reduction, economic development, and natural disaster, epidemic, incident prevention and control in order to better the people’s mental and material life in the stationed areas. Mass mobilisation operations must be placed under close, scientific leadership and direction in accordance with each office and unit’s task and the Determination to Win Emulation Movement and campaigns. Besides, due attention should be paid to opportunely praising and rewarding collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in the mass mobilisation work as an spiritual incentive for cadres and soldiers to train and improve themselves to deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.”

Fifth, actively, proactively combat distortions of nature and tradition of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” by the hostile forces. Currently, the hostile forces are doing their best to distort, overshadow, and remove the image of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the people’s hearts and minds. Hence, party committees, commissars, and political offices at all levels must always remain vigilant and proactively combat wrong, hostile viewpoints and distortions of the VPA’s nature and tradition. Greater importance should be attached to well conducting the work of political education and ideological orientation to render our troops fully aware of the hostile forces’ “peaceful evolution” strategy and their trick of “depoliticising” our VPA. Military press agencies should actively, proactively publish articles and programmes on typical examples in self-improvement to deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.” At the same time, they must fight against wrong viewpoints and unhealthy lifestyle that negatively impact on the image and nature of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.” Military units of culture and arts must have more works of great artistic value honouring and spreading the image of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the previous wars for national liberation and today’s national construction and protection so as to prevent evil cultural products from penetrating into military units and improve the cultural and spiritual life within the VPA under the Party’s guidelines and viewpoints.

It is an honour and responsibility for cadres and soldiers of the VPA to train and improve themselves to deserve the title of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers.” The qualities of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” always develop in accordance with social realities and the VPA’s task requirements in each revolutionary period. Therefore, today’s generations of military cadres and soldiers should heighten their responsibility for the Homeland, the Party and the people, express their deep affection for the beloved President Ho Chi Minh, and further train and improve themselves to bolster the image of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the new period, thereby making contributions to building a politically strong VPA, improving its synergy and combat strength, constructing and defending the Homeland of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Gen. LUONG CUONG, Member of the Party Central Secretariat, Member of the CMC Standing Board, Head of the GPD, the VPA