Building a solid "people's heart and mind posture" is a consistent viewpoint in the Party's defence and military policies, aiming to foster the trust and high consensus among the people with the Party's and State's guidelines, policies and strategies, which is the spiritual political potential, the endogenous strength, the base to gather and promote the synergy, and successfully carry out the cause of national construction and defence.

Fully aware of that position, in recent years, thoroughly grasping their assigned functions and tasks, the Party Committee and Command of Defence -Economic Group 799, under Military Region 1, have focused on leading and directing the active, drastic, synchronous and comprehensive implementation of solutions, mobilising its cadres, employees, soldiers and young intellectuals to voluntarily promote the tradition of “Solidarity, discipline, creativity, determination to win”, upholding the responsibility, solidarity, unity, self-reliance, overcoming all difficulties, working with the Party Committee, government and ethnic people in the project area to promote economic development, implement social security, associated with strengthening and consolidating defence and security, creating fundamental changes in the border area of ​​Cao Bang province. As a result, local infrastructure has been upgraded, production has been fostered, the people’s living standards in the project area have constantly been improved, and the rate of poor and near-poor households has gradually been decreased year by year. Many trails which were once narrow and slippery in the rainy season, have now become solid concrete roads, connecting villages, making it easy for the circulation of goods and agricultural products, the schooling of children, and the accessibility to health care services of the local people. The economic projects directly guided and successfully implemented by the Corps have brought about practical results, generating stable incomes for the locals in both the short and long term. National defence potential has been strengthened, political security has become more stable, people's trust in the Party, State and Army has been enhanced, the “people's hearts and minds posture” in the area has been increasingly strengthened.

Leader of the Corps speaks at the foundation of production team 8

Those results are attributed to many factors. First of all, the Corps attaches importance to the effective implementation of economic - defence projects, considering this as the task of top priority, directly improving people's living standards, promoting local socio-economic development - the key issue to "ease the people" and strengthen "people's hearts and mind posture". Accordingly, thoroughly grasping Decree No. 22/2021/ND-CP, dated 19 March 2021 of the Government on Defence - Economic Zones, the Corps closely coordinated with local Party committees and authorities of 02  defence - economic zones, namely: Bao Lac - Bao Lam and Ha Quang to make "Plan for construction and development to 2025, orientation to 2030". At the same time, it builds component projects: civil works, barracks, models for agricultural production and support, etc. to gradually create a solid livelihood for the people, associated with strengthening the defence posture at the border areas. In addition, to ensure synchronisation, solidity, and long-term development, the Corps has conducted review, reported to the Military Region, and proposed to the Ministry of National Defence, and implemented Project 450 according to plan.

From the capital of the national goal programme, the investment capital for construction of Defence - Economic Zones, the Corps has conducted surveys and started the construction of hundreds of works, including traffic roads, schools, cultural houses, medical clinics, irrigation works, domestic water systems in a timely and quality manner, forming a system of convenient traffic and essential infrastructure, meeting the needs of the locals. In just 02 years (2024, 2025), it completed 05 traffic works, with a total length of over 26 km; 03 irrigation works with nearly 10 km of canals to ensure irrigation water for dozens of hectares of land; domestic water works in Duc Hanh commune for nearly 200 households, etc.

Faced with the difficult living conditions of ethnic minorities in the project area, and the popularity of shifting cultivation, the Corps actively deploys livestock and crop models, supports production, helps local people to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty sustainably. At the same time, it deploys working groups to the village to help the locals prevents epidemics, escape poverty and build a stable life. Moreover, it also implements the project to protect and develop border belt forests, i.e. planting more than 1,000 hectares of new forest, conserving more than 2,000 hectares of natural forest; mobilises resources to implement the national goal programmes on building new rural areas, promotes socio-economic development, consolidates and strengthens the potential and defence and security posture in the area.

Conducting propaganda and mobilisation activities well to raise awareness and responsibility of the People for the cause of national construction and defence. Its base is stationed in the far-flung, remote, and especially difficult border area where local people are mainly Hmong, Dao, San Chi ethnic groups, etc., with uneven educational levels; some bad customs still exist; illegal proselytising, smuggling, illegal border crossing, rural security, etc. are potentially complicated; hostile forces step up sabotage activities with increasingly sophisticated and cunning tricks.

Correctly assessing the situation and fully grasping the resolutions, directives, and guiding documents on mass mobilisation and special propaganda work, the Corps coordinates with localities to conduct propaganda and mobilising the People to comply with the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws, especially policies and laws on ethnicity, religion, the Law on Military Service, the Law on Marriage and Family, the Law on Forest Protection and Development, etc. To improve efficiency and overcome difficulties in gathering ethnic people for propaganda, it directs agencies and production teams to flexibly and diversely apply different forms of propaganda through cultural and artistic exchanges, meetings, briefing on agricultural and forestry techniques, medical examinations, free medicine provision, etc. What’s more, they are also required to respond and actively participate in movements, programmes, and campaigns of building new rural areas, joining hands for the poor, etc., thereby strengthening the close relationship and unity between the military and the People, building a solid “people's hearts and mind posture” from the grassroots.

Granting breeding cows for the locals

Actively participating in building strong local political bases is identified by the Corps as a political task and responsibility of all cadres and soldiers. Accordingly, the Party Committee and Command of the Corps strengthen leadership and direct production teams to advise local Party committees and authorities in selecting young people for military service, and elect prestigious village elders and village chiefs in their neighbourhoods. On a yearly basis, it holds meetings with village elders and village chiefs to exchange content and experience in mass mobilisation work, promptly commend and provide propaganda documents and information. Besides, the employment of local youth to work on its projects not only helps them earn stable incomes, but also does good for their political awareness, working style, and lives. The young intellectual volunteers, after being educated and trained at the Corps, have become good additional human sources for the local political systems. Many cadres of the Corps being deployed to the grassroots to conduct propaganda and mobilise people to adopt new lifestyles, eliminate bad customs, and maintain security and order, have become the “nucleus” of connection between the government and the People.

Last but not least, the Corps actively directs agencies, units, and mass organisations to mobilise cadres, soldiers, union members, and youth to closely coordinate with local organisations and sister units to deploy activities of noble humanitarian significance for the community, such as: “Volunteer Saturday”, “Green Sunday”, “Border Spring Warming up Military-Civilian Heart”, “Border March”, “Lighting Up the Border”, etc. At the same time, it proactively makes careful preparation, promptly mobilises forces and means to coordinate with local Party committees and authorities to effectively handle situations of search and rescue, forest-fire fighting, disaster relief, etc. to help People quickly stabilise their lives, contributing to constantly strengthening people's trust in local Party committees and authorities, in the Party, the State, and the Army, consolidating the national unity bloc, creating the foundation for building a strong national defence, a solid “people's heart and mind posture”, and maintaining peace in the border areas of the Fatherland.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN VAN GIANG, Commander of the Corps