Effectively implementing policies regarding military families stands as a vivid manifestation of our State and regime's revolutionary nature, humanity, and superiority. However, with malicious intent, hostile forces have been distorting and misrepresenting the unique characteristics of these policies, aiming to undermine the solidarity between the Military and the people and to gradually erode public trust in the Party, the State, and the Military. This is a highly dangerous tactic that must be opportunely identified and countered.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits Kim Bang Nursing Centre for War Invalids, Ninh Binh province (baochinhphu.vn)

1. Effectively implementing policies regarding military families is part and parcel of our national ethic, embodying our State and regime's revolutionary nature, humanity, and superiority 

In order to undermine public trust in the Party and the State, to sabotage the close-knit bond between the Military and the people, and to weaken the “people’s hearts and minds” posture, hostile forces have falsely claimed that policies regarding military families are a mere formality or a propaganda ploy and devoid of practical effectiveness. Citing several cases of poor implementation or abuse of those policies for personal gain, they generalise that all preferential policies for revolution contributors, discharged soldiers, and martyrs’ families are superficial, bureaucratic, and fail to reach intended beneficiaries. Such claims are not only theoretically flawed but also completely divorced from historical facts and reality.

It must be affirmed that the traditions of “When drinking water, remember its source” and “Paying debt of gratitude” are part and parcel of Vietnamese culture. Throughout our nation’s history, the relationship between those who went to the frontline to fight the enemy and those who stayed in the rear to support the former has never been taken lightly. On the contrary, it has always been a sacred, flesh-and-blood bond serving as both spiritual and material support for soldiers on the front line and their families in the rear.  Our Party and State's policies regarding military families have inherited those precious traditions while at the same time having evolved into a system of public policies imbued with humanity, reflecting our State and regime's good nature. These are not only an expression of gratitude, but also political, ethical, and legal commitments by our Party and State to those who have sacrificed themselves and contributed to the nation’s independence, freedom, and the people's happiness.

Throughout protracted resistance wars and the on-going process of national construction and protection, our Party and State have gradually perfected policies regarding military families in many ways, ranging from preferential treatment for revolution contributors, policies for war invalids and martyrs’ families, policies for discharged and active-duty military personnel and their families to assistance with housing, land, healthcare, education for their children, and post-service employment. These policies have been institutionalised through numerous legal documents, such as the 2020 Ordinance on Preferential Treatment for Revolution Contributors, the Government's Decree 27/2016/ND-CP, dated 6 April 2016, on a number of regimes and policies for  demobilised/active-duty non-commissioned officers and soldiers and their relatives, the Law on Social Insurance, the Law on Military Service, the Law on Officers of the Vietnam People’s Army, and many other decrees and decisions issued by the Government, the Prime Minister, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defence. Those documents establish a solid, transparent, and consistent legal framework for effective policy execution.

Within the overall system of national policies, policies regarding military families are not merely “social security policies” in a technical or administrative sense. They also carry deep ideological and moral value, embodying the essence of a State “of the people, by the people, for the people”, where service members are not forgotten during and after their service and their families are not left behind in the nation’s development. They are a comprehensive and consistent system of mechanisms and measures by which the Party, the State, and the people care for the material, spiritual, and legal well-being of service members, veterans, and their families, embodying the national ethic of “when drinking water, remember its source”. At the same time, they affirm the political responsibility towards those who devoted and are devoting themselves to the cause of national construction and protection, demonstrating our socialist regime’s superiority and good nature.

Notably, instead of losing momentum, in peacetime, policies regarding military families have steadily improved in quality, expanded in scope, and become more practical and effective in their implementation. For example, each year, more than 1.2 million military personnel’s dependents benefit from health insurance; nearly 200,000 retired military officers receive decentralised management and care; over 2,000 military personnel with serious illnesses receive appropriate benefits; and nearly 1,000 discharged soldiers are provided with vocational training and employment opportunities. These figures make it clear that policies regarding military families are not a matter of “temporarily paying debt of gratitude” but rather a reflection of national values, forming a foundation for building trust and strengthening the “people’s hearts and minds” posture.

2. Claims that “service members enjoy exclusive privileges” or that policies regarding military families “create social injustice” are blatant distortions aimed at provoking social division and conflicts

Such rhetoric is an extremely dangerous ploy designed to sow discrimination and incite conflict between the people and the Military. By spreading distorted narratives, such as “service members enjoy exclusive privileges compared to civilians”, “policies regarding military families create social injustice” , or “the Military only cares for its own interests while neglecting people in remote areas affected by military activities”, hostile forces have deliberately plotted to exploit human tendencies to compare benefits, thereby inciting social conflict, undermining great national unity, and sabotaging the “people’s hearts and minds” posture.

In reality, all policies for war invalids, martyrs, veterans, active-duty service members, and their families are based on the principles of contribution, service, and fair recognition. There is no such thing as “exclusive privilege”. These are legitimate acknowledgments of sacrifices made by those who have shed blood, and even laid down their lives, for the sake of the nation’s peace and independence, and the people’s safety. Moreover, within the broader framework of our Party and State’s social security policies, policies regarding military families do not take away anyone’s rights and benefits but rather serve to complement and complete the overall social security system in a fair, reasonable, and humane manner, based on individuals’ contributions and specific circumstances. Therefore, the claim that those policies cause “social injustice” is entirely unfounded.

Furthermore, our Military originates from the people and fights for the people. Its cadres and soldiers are sons and daughters of the people. Our Party and State’s policies regarding military families reflects the traditions of “When drinking water, remember its source” and “Paying debt of gratitude”. Doing so is, in essence, part of the broader care for the well-being of the people, not the creation of class-based privileges, as falsely distorted by hostile, reactionary, and politically opportunistic forces.

3. Isolated incidents must not be exploited to distort or deny the legitimate, humane, and superior nature of our Party and State’s policies regarding military families

A common tactic employed by hostile and reactionary forces is to exaggerate isolated mistakes or individual incidents and generalise them as indicative of systemic failure. By exploiting rare cases where certain individuals abused policies regarding military families for personal gain - cases that have been strictly handled in accordance with the law - they falsely assert that “policies regarding military families are loopholes for corruption”, and go so far as to claim that “the Military is becoming increasingly commercialised and benefit-oriented”. These forces deliberately find fault with the implementation of those policies and amplifying shortcomings. With their inherently deceitful nature, they baselessly blame such shortcomings on the authorities’ negligence or lack of goodwill. Abetted by unverified media sources and social media amplification, hostile forces have deliberately exploited delays in resolving specific cases or minor violations by certain individuals and organisations in an attempt to misrepresent the nature of those policies and provoke public outrage.

It is undeniable that our Party, State, and Military have always attached importance to the formulation and enforcement of policies regarding military families while strictly dealing with violations. However, it is necessary to frankly acknowledge that in certain cases and localities, policy implementation still faces limitations. The primary obstacles lie in verifying documents and original records of policy beneficiaries, particularly those who participated in resistance wars for many years, transferred through multiple units, or no longer possess complete documents due to loss or damage during wartime. Many records were created decades ago using manual methods and lack clear legal foundations, making it difficult for competent agencies to verify and process them under current regulations. Furthermore, the rapid aging of policy beneficiaries places increasing pressure on specialised healthcare systems, which remain underdeveloped in terms of infrastructure and qualified personnel, thereby directly affecting the quality of care and treatment for this cohort. Additionally, recent administrative streamlining and restructuring have altered local boundaries, organisational structures, and management authority, complicating the updating and adjustment of policy beneficiary records and data. As a result, some localities have struggled to re-verify records of revolution contributors, leading to delays in policy implementation in certain cases. These issues are being actively addressed through collaborative efforts from all levels and sectors to ensure better policy implementation.

Realities affirm that policies regarding military families embody our State and regime's good nature, humanity, and superiority. They forms a moral and legal foundation for reinforcing great national unity, nurturing patriotism, and cultivating civic responsibility while transforming the spirit of “the Military and the people as one” into a powerful societal force in national construction and protection. All attempts to distort the humane and people-centred nature of those policies are reactionary in nature and must be opportunely identified and resolutely refuted.

CAO DUY DONG, PhD