Policy work towards the Military and the Military families is one of the important contents of the Party and political work in the Army to contribute to improving the material and spiritual life of cadres, soldiers, and policy objects... and creating great motivation to build a comprehensively strong Army, strengthen national defence, and firmly protect the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam. Being aware of that, thoroughly grasping, and seriously implementing resolutions and directives of the Party, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence on policies towards the Military and Military’s families, over the years, the committees and commanders at all levels of the Army have focused on leading, directing, and comprehensively and synchronously implementing solutions for this important task and achieved multiple practical results.

However, there still remains some limitations and inadequacies in the policy work towards the Military and Military’s families and the “Gratitude repayment” movement in recent years as the work of propagating and disseminating regimes and policies, especially the new ones of the Party, State, Central Military Commission, and Ministry of National Defence, in some agencies, units, and localities are not really intensive, widespread, and effective. Meanwhile, the sense of responsibility of the functional agencies in researching, advising, proposing, and examining the implementation of policies towards the Military and Military’s families has been limited and failed to mobilise different resources in society. Moreover, in taking care of and supporting meritorious persons, resistance participants, disadvantaged people, and families of cadres and soldiers on duty in remote areas, especially difficult areas, borders, seas, and islands... there have been contents which are not really practical and effective, etc.

General Phan Van Giang visits people with meritorious services in Thai Nguyen province (Photo: qdnd.vn)

In the coming time, facing the high requirements of the cause of Fatherland construction and defence, especially the requirements and tasks of restructuring and building the Army lean, compact, and strong to create a solid foundation to build a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern Army, it is required that, in the policy work towards the Military and Military’s families, there must be drastic, synchronous, and effective guidelines and solutions. In particular, it is necessary to focus on some basic content as follows.

Firstly, to continue thoroughly grasping the guidelines of the Party, State, Central Military Commission, and Ministry of National Defence on policy work towards the Military and Military’s families.  This is an important content that decides the orientation, quality, and effectiveness of the implementation of the work in the new situation. Particularly, the regimes and policies are not only of deeply social and human nature but also demonstrate the superiority of the socialist regime. Therefore, the Party committees, organisations, commanders, commissars, and politicians at all levels should continue thoroughly grasping and strictly implementing the Party's views and guidelines, the State's policies and laws, and the resolutions and directives of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence for this important work, thereby, to develop leadership guidelines and measures and plans for implementing the policy work towards the Military and Military’s families and the “Gratitude repayment” movement in a scientific manner and in line with the practice of the country and the Army and the characteristics of the agencies, units, and localities. Imbued with the traditional thought and ethics that “When you eat a fruit, think of the man who planted the tree”, the whole Army should continue strengthening the education and propaganda work to raise awareness and sense of responsibility for cadres and soldiers, especially the committees and commanders at all levels, for the policy work towards the Military and Military’s families and the “Gratitude repayment” movement. Accordingly, it is to promote the role, responsibility, and high unity in leading, directing, and organising the implementation to make the undertakings and policies of the Party, State, and Army fully and properly conducted and achieve practical effects. It is necessary to actively communicate, propagate, and educate cadres, soldiers, and people about the purposes, meanings, and results of implementing the policy work towards the Military and Military’s families; the advantages and difficulties of the country, the Army, units, and localities; and the tradition and ethics that “When you eat a fruit, think of the man who planted the tree” of the nation. 

Secondly, to strengthen the leadership and direction of the Party committees and commanders at all levels in implementing the regimes and policies for the Military and Military’s families.  As the policy work in general, and regimes and policies for the Military and Military’s families in particular, are very important and directly related to life, thoughts, affections... of cadres, soldiers, and military families, it is required to have regular, strict, and timely leadership and direction. Therefore, the Party committees, organisations, and commanders at all levels should consider the work a central task that should be led, directed, and strengthened. To well implement the issue, the Party committees, commanders, commissars, junior commissars, and policy cadres at all levels should thoroughly grasp and well implement Directive No.169-CT/QUTW issued on December 29th, 2020 by the Central Military Commission Standing Committee on strengthening the leadership and direction over the policy work towards the Military and Military’s families in the 2021 - 2025 period; proactively develop implementation solutions suitable with the characteristics of each unit and locality; and associate the policy work with the implementation of the political tasks of the units, mass mobilisation work, and building of political bases in each area. In the current situation, along with the good implementation of the promulgated regimes and policies, it is necessary to attach importance to leading and directing the research and proposal of policies and regimes in line with the practice of each object, especially those for the forces that are newly established or perform specialised tasks. At the same time, it is essential to promote the role of each level of committees, Party organisations, and command organisations in orienting, directing, managing, monitoring, guiding, and implementing the policy work towards the Army rear in the new conditions. In particular, in response to the high requirements of the cause of protecting the Fatherland and by thoroughly grasping and unifying the awareness and action, the Party committees and commanders at all levels should uphold their responsibilities to proactively develop specific and practical programs and plans to create a broad and solid basis for mobilising forces and resources both inside and outside the Army to carry out this work.

Thirdly, to regularly coordinate with all levels, branches, agencies, units, and localities in paying attention to, taking care of, and better implementing the policy work towards the Military and Military’s families. Based on the assigned functions and tasks, agencies and units need to raise their political responsibilities and actively coordinate with agencies, departments, and branches within the political system in constantly taking care of and better assuring the material and spiritual life of beneficiaries to create an important motivation for building and protecting the Fatherland. In the short term, it is necessary to focus on promoting the synergy and mobilising and effectively using social resources in implementing the policy words towards the Military’s families and the “Gratitude repayment” movement; taking care of the meritorious persons and Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, etc; and regularly adhering to the practical situation of the country and the Army and the ability and conditions of each agency and unit to coordinate with organisations, forces, and localities in determining contents and flexibly, creatively applying measures and models or in organising the implementation of the work. In the long run, it is necessary to actively coordinate with central committees, ministries, and branches in advising and proposing to the Party and State to promulgate appropriate coordination mechanisms to fully promote the roles, responsibilities, initiatives, and positivity of all levels, branches, forces, and localities and the consensus of the whole society in implementing the policy work towards the Military and Military’s families; continue performing well the drives of the whole people to participate in taking care of the families of war invalids and martyrs, policy families and the “Gratitude repayment” movement in each area and the whole country; and proactively coordinating in effectively implementing programs and drives at the central and local levels on poverty alleviation, social welfare, joining hands for public health, or the Army joins hands to build new rural areas... to create the spread and positive effect in implementing the policy work in each locality and establishment.

Fourthly, to focus on addressing backlogs concerning the postwar policies.  The functional agencies, especially the Department of Policy/ General Political Department, need to strengthen the coordination and direct the verification, conclusion, review, and settlement of policies for cases of requesting martyrs' death notices and documentation of requests for certification of war invalids to be strict and in line with the current regulations of law; continue implementing Decision No.1515/QĐ-TTg issued on September 14th, 2021 by the Prime Minister promulgating “The plan on searching and identifying the martyrs’ remains by 2030 and beyond”; direct the good implementation of the search and collection of martyrs' remains in the localities in the country; focus on reviewing and completing documents and lists of martyrs; building the national database on martyrs; conclude the areas and mapping of the search and collection of the martyrs’ remains nationwide; strengthen the propagation and mobilisation of domestic and foreign organisations and individuals to provide information on martyrs and martyrs' graves; expand international cooperation in exchanging and providing information and documents related to the Vietnamese soldiers who died and missed in the wars to serve the search and collection of martyrs' remains; and continue reviewing, appraising, and resolving regimes and policies for participants in the resistance and wars to protect the Fatherland and international tasks and those settling abroad, etc.

Finally, to actively research, perfect, and promulgate policies in association with building agencies and the contingent of Military Policy cadres and staff to meet requirements and tasks.  Currently, in the face of the high requirements of the cause of protecting the Fatherland, as the task of building the Army has new developments, it is necessary to actively research and promulgate new policies to meet the practical development. Accordingly, the functional agencies of the Ministry should continue to research and develop regimes and policies in accordance with Military restructuring under Resolution No.05-CT/TW issued on January 17th, 2022 by the Politburo and Resolution No.230-NQ/QUTW issued on April 2nd, 2022 by the Central Military Commission on organising the Vietnam People's Army in the 2021 - 2030 period and beyond.

At the same time, it is necessary to regularly consolidate and perfect the policy agencies at all levels; take care of building a contingent of the Military Policy cadres and staff with sufficient qualities, capacity, and professional qualifications to meet the requirements and tasks; promote the administrative reform, standardisation of working process, and improvement of the effectiveness of information technology application in directing, managing, monitoring, and implementing; and performing well the inspection, preliminary, summation and review to timely grasp and solve problems and strictly handle negative phenomena in the work.

The 75^th anniversary of the War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day is an opportunity for the whole Party, Army, and people to honour and appreciate the great contributions and sacrifices of heroes, martyrs, and people with meritorious services in the cause of national liberation and building and protecting the Fatherland. On that basis, it is required to continue promoting the implementation of the policy work towards the Military and Military’s families in the new situation practically and effectively to create a great socio-spiritual motivation, encourage all cadres, soldiers, and people of all strata to actively participate in revolutionary action movements, and contribute to creating synergies and successfully implementing two strategic tasks of building and protecting the Fatherland in the new era. 

Senior Lieutenant General VO MINH LUONG, Member of the Party Central Committee, member of the Central Military Commission Standing Committee, Deputy Minister of National Defence