The 9th Army Emulation Congress in Hanoi (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Over the past years, the “Determined to win” emulation movement in the whole Army has been implemented at all levels, closely associating regular emulation with other high tides, movements and campaigns, especially on the implementation of the Central Resolution No.4 (11^th tenure) on Party building, the Politburo Directive 03-CT/TW (11^th tenure) on “Continue to study and follow Ho Chi Minh’s moral example” and the Campaign “Promoting traditions, devoting talents, deserving to be Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” launched by the Executive Committee of Central Military Commission. Accordingly, those movements have made practical contributions to building a politically strong Army, heightening its synergy and combat strength, and fulfilling its functions as a fighting, working and producing army . Following are outstanding features:

Under the spirit “Troops and weapons are always ready to be deployed into battle areas and gain victory”, the “Determined to win” emulation movement has encouraged cadres and soldiers in the whole army to study, self-train, and raise their political stance and combat readiness; frequently working with functional forces and people, particularly in borderline, sea and islands areas, to firmly protect national sovereignty; actively engaging in socio-economic development in strategic, isolated and remote areas. The Army has always been the main force in search and rescue, natural disasters mitigation, preserving and further brightening the image of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” in the new period. Regardless of being in favorable or difficult situations, the Army has always deserved to be an absolutely credible political and fighting force of the Party, the State, and the people, being the key force to protect the Homeland.

Under the spirit “All people emulate, all sectors emulate at all times”, the “Determined to win” emulation movement has adhered to political tasks, each sector’s work and been relevant to characteristics of organs and units in the whole army, thus it has obtained practical results. In the “Determined to win” emulation movement, there have appeared many new elements and typical examples, representing virtues, knowledge and courage of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” and Vietnamese revolutionary heroism in the new period. They are prominent examples in protecting seas and islands sovereignty; collectives, cadres and troops who have devoted themselves to bringing the Party’s culture to the people in isolated and remote areas, helping them build a new style of life, fostering social-economy development, hunger iradication and poverty reduction. They are called “Village’s Soldiers”, “Highland Village’s Sons”, “Green Badge Teachers” by the people. They are cadres and troops who, regardless of hardship, their lives and sacrifice, hand in hand with the people to block the flood, harvest rice and save state’s  and the people’s assets. There are a huge number of typical examples, like Captain of vessels of Cat Ba Border Post (Hai Phong Province) saved 12 people from shipwreck in Son-Tinh storm (in 2012); Unit N0.3 of Economic and Defence Corps N0.337 (Military Region 4) adopted and nurtured 3 Van Kieu orphans; Engineers and troops saved workers in collapsed tunnel in Da Dang (Lam Dong Province) in December 2014. Recently, thousands of cadres and troops have saved assets and lives of the people of Quang Ninh during a historical flood. In the movement “The Army joins hands to build new rural area”, the whole military has successfully fulfilled 5 groups of contents and 19 criteria, with more than 2 million working days and a donation of 1.400 billion Vietnam Dongs to build new rural area. It could be said that the Army has successfully fulfilled its responsibility as a leading organization of Central agencies and ministries in this meaningful movement.

Not only being courageous in fighting and exemplary in conducting their missions  a number of units and personnel have become typical examples in working and production; tens of thousands of essential projects in the fields of traffic system, hydroelectric power, health, education and social welfare have been carried out by economic and defence units nationwide and even abroad. Among which typical examples are Vietnam Military Telecommunications Group (Viettel), Corps No.18, Saigon Newport Corporation (under the Navy). Those typical examples, new elements and “good people did good deed” examples in the Army’s “Determined to win” emulation movement over the past 5 years have continued to brighten the image of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”, enrich and make positive contributions to the results of National Patriotic Emulation movement.

It could be affirmed that over the past 5 years, the “Determined to win” emulation in the Army has made a lot of innovation and creativity, generating a strong motivation for cadres and troops to successfully fulfil all assigned tasks. However, a part from results, emulation and reward work and the “Determined to win” emulation movement has had limitations, i.e. in a number of units, the movement has not yet become a regular, deep and strong one; the outcome of each emulation content and target has not yet made basic changes in the implementation of “one focus, three breakthroughs”; not yet removed insecurity in training. Detecting, cultivating and multiplying typical examples have not yet brought about expected outcome, which has lessened effect of the movement. In a number of units, reward work has not yet been done timely, or rewarding spread far and wide, beyond achievements.

In the years to come, the task of building and protecting the Homeland has new developments and poses higher requirements. Thus, organs and units in the whole military should bring into play results of the 9^th Army Determined to Win Emulation Congress, particularly drawn lessons, continue innovation and creativity, and bring the “Determined to win” emulation to a new height, ensuring firmness and extensive development, being a real motivation for building a revolutionary, regular, seasoned, gradually modern Army. So that it could successfully fulfil its functions as an army ready for fight, for work, for produce in the new period. It is necessary to focus on the following measures:

First, it is necessary to frequently enhance leadership of party committees and organizations, heighten responsibility of cadres in charge and functional organs, and promote role of emulation and reward council (team) at levels over emulation and reward work.

Second, it is necessary to further propagate on the position and importance of emulation, and raise consciousness and responsibility of cadres, troops and the people.

Third, emulation, reward work and the “Determined to win” emulation movement should be organized in a close, scientific, frequently innovative and creative manner.

Fourth, it is necessary to proactively and actively detecting, cultivating, building, and multiplying typical examples.

Fifth, there should be a close combination between emulation and rewarding; emulation is the basis and criteria for rewarding; rewarding is the motivation for emulation movement.

To meet the requirements of building the Army and protecting the Homeland in the new situation, the whole military should continue innovation and creativity to bring emulation, reward work and the “Determined to win” emulation movement to a new height. Accordingly, it is necessary to focus on thoroughly grasping and implementing Resolutions of the 10^th Army Party Congress and the 12^th National Party Congress, generating strong motivation for successfully fulfil all assigned tasks, promoting the virtues of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers”, deserving credibility of the Party, the State and the People.

General Ngo Xuan Lich

Member of the  Secretariat

Director of the General Political Department of the VPA

Chairman of Emulation and Reward Council of  MND