Over the past years, the Party, authorities, troops and people of Tra Vinh province have always strived to overcome difficulties in the implementation of two strategic tasks and achieved important results. Its socio-economic development has seen great progress; poverty rate has decreased rapidly; people's living standards have been improved; national defence and security have been firmly consolidated. Since 2016 to date, the province's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) has increased by an average of 11.22%/year. In 2020, despite general difficult conditions, the province’s economy still grew by 3.32%, which was a quite high rate compared to other provinces in the country. However, Tra Vinh still remains a poor province with over 30% of the population are Khmers and nearly 60% of the population follow religion. The people's intellectual level is not equal; they are prone to the tricks, incitement and manipulation of bad guys. Political, security, social order and safety situations are still potentially instable. Facing that reality, the province's armed forces have played the key role in the implementation of local defence work; attached importance to defence and security education, thereby creating a unity of awareness and action, building up the political – mental potential of the defensive area, the firm “people’s heart and mind” posture, contributing to maintaining political stability, social order and security in the locality, creating a favourable environment for the province’s fast and sustainable economic development.

To well perform its functions, the Provincial Military Command has thoroughly grasped the resolutions, directives and instructions of the superior levels on defence and security education, with a focus on the Law on National Defence and Security Education; Military and Security Education Plan of the Military Region 9; chaired and coordinated with other departments and branches to advise the Provincial Party Committee, People's Committee, the Provincial Defence and Security Education Council to promulgate many resolutions, directives, and instructions for the implementation of this work in line with local characteristics. As the standing offices, military agencies at all levels have done well the work of advising and consolidating the National Defence and Security Education Council at their level, ensuring sufficient numbers and appropriate components according to the Law and operational routine; promoted the responsibility of each member in direction and inspection. Recently, the Provincial Military Command has instructed local military agencies to actively advise the party committees and authorities to consolidate the National Defence and Security Education Council after the Party Congress at all levels and continue this work by the end of May 2021 until the election of the People's Council for the 2021 – 2026 term to ensure regular and continuous leadership and direction for this work. Along with that, military agencies at all levels have strengthened the guidance, inspection and review of the implementation of this work of localities, agencies and units, thereby properly assessing the achieved results, promptly detecting and replicating the role model and rectifying and overcoming the limitations in order to better the work and make it more practical and effective.

In response to the requirement and task of Fatherland protection in the new situation, the Provincial Military Command has implemented many synchronous solutions, aiming to renovate and improve the quality of education, fostering defence and security knowledge for all subjects, especially the key staff. The review and classification of subjects, building annual training plans have been carried out in a serious manner at all 3 levels and on time according to the Law. Immediately after the 13^th Congress of the Party, the Provincial Military Party Committee and Command have actively planned and advised the province to foster a contingent of reporters and disseminators at all levels, so that this team master the basic contents, new issues in the documents of the Congress and update the Party's new thinking on national defence and security into topics relevant to each subject. They have also actively expanded and fostered defence and security knowledge for specific subjects, such as: religious dignitaries, business owners, boat owners, workers in industrial zones, etc. In 2020, despite the complications of the Covid-19 pandemic and the dissolution of the Provincial Military School, the province still completed training for more than 200 key cadres; nearly 3,000 officers of level 4 and equivalent; 321 dignitaries,  monks and business owners with practical results.

With regard to pupils and students, the Provincial Military Command coordinates with the Department of Education and Training to advise the Provincial People's Committee to implement many measures to consolidate defence and security teachers in schools. Over the past time, the Provincial Military Command has held many training classes for administrators and teachers of this subject at schools in the area; at the same time, advised the Provincial People's Committee to invest billions of VND from the local budget to purchase and upgrade facilities for teaching the subject. Military offices have also coordinated with schools in the area to hold field trips to historical relics, defense and security sport festivals, "Military Term", etc. These have equipped the young generations with necessary military knowledge and skills, and directly nurtured their personality and fostered their patriotism and citizen’s responsibility so that they are ready to perform Military service and Fatherland protection duties. By 2020, the province has completed defence and security courses for as many as 26,000 pupils and students. Every year, the province hands over 100% of the number of troops required for the units; quite many students in the province are accepted to military schools; military enrollment reached 100%.

The provincial armed forces also advise the province to promote propaganda and dissemination of defense and security knowledge to people of all classes. The Provincial Military Command has actively coordinated with the Provincial Propagation Commission, the Department of Information and Communications, the provincial press agencies and media to develop plans, run special pages, columns and diversify content of propagation; combine and promote the strengths of the mass media, social networks and the contingent of reporters to propagate and disseminate defence and security knowledge to people of all strata, thereby, promptly propagating the Party’s undertakings and lines, and the policies and laws of the State, especially in the field of defence and security; activities of the local armed forces; and lay bare the conspiracy and tricks of hostile forces, reactionaries, and political opportunists. Dissemination of defence and security knowledge is also combined with activities of mass organisations; cultural, artistic, physical and sports activities; integrated into enlistment calls, political events of the country, Tet, local festivals, etc.

As the locality has a large number of ethnic and religious people, the Provincial Military Command has advised the party committee, local authorities to found working groups who directly approach the grassroots to coordinate with the local forces to conduct propaganda and mobilisation in accordance with the motto "listening to the people, making the people understand and believe". Officers and soldiers of the provincial armed forces have done well the mass mobilisation work to make people grasp local tasks, socio-economic development in association with defense and security consolidation in the area; strictly comply with the Party's directives and resolutions, the State's policies and laws; stay vigilant with the intrigues and tricks of the hostile forces. For the Khmers in remote areas, cadres and soldiers of the provincial armed forces have combined field training with mass mobilisation, implementing the motto “eating together, staying together, working together, and talking the ethnic language”; guide ethnic people to develop production, get rid of bad customs, and build new cultural life. In addition, the military offices have actively advised and proposed to the party committees and authorities at all levels to promptly and effectively settle many complaints related to ethnic and religious issues; to create favourable conditions for religious practices in accordance with law. At the same time, to build close relationship with dignitaries and reputable people in the religious community, and build solidarity among the Kinh, Khmer and Chinese communities in the area.

The achieved experience and results are the basis for the armed forces of Tra Vinh province to continue to well perform their assigned functions and tasks, contributing to improving the quality and effectiveness of defence and security education serving for the socio-economic development and defence and security consolidation of the Province.

Senior Colonel TRUONG THANH PHONG, Commander of the Provincial Military Command and Vice Chairman of the Provincial Council for Defence and Security Education