“Only when food is sufficient will troops be strong”; soldiers “can only fight the enemy when their stomachs are full and their bodies are warm”. Guided by these teachings of President Ho Chi Minh and its functions and assigned tasks, over the past 80 years of construction, combat service, combat operations, and development, the Quartermaster Branch has continuously renewed and improved its task performance, greatly contributing to the cause of liberating the nation, building the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), and protecting the Fatherland.

On 25 March 1946, President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree 34/SL on the organisation of agencies under the Ministry of National Defence (MND), including the Quartermaster Department, the predecessor of the present-day Quartermaster Department under the General Department of Logistics and Technology.

Gen. Phan Van Giang reviews K24 uniform models

In the early days of its establishment, despite numerous difficulties and shortages, the Quartermaster Branch quickly took various measures to develop sources of supply for troops. Movements, such as “Soldiers’ Winter”, “Rice Jars for Troops”, and “Warm Clothes for Soldiers”, were notable initiatives carried out in the spirit of self-reliance and wholehearted service to troops. During the two resistance wars against French colonialism and US imperialism, cadres, employees, and soldiers of the Quartermaster Branch demonstrated a high sense of initiative and creativity, staying close to troops’ activities and combat realities across all battlefields, exploiting and creating supply sources, engaging in combat, building solid, extensive quartermaster potential and posture, fully, promptly meeting the needs of all forces.

After national reunification, while consolidating the organisational structure and building a strong Branch, quartermaster units at all levels continued to promote the tradition of “feeding troops to fight the enemy” in the new conditions and successfully fulfilled their functions and assigned tasks. In recent years, the Quartermaster Branch, especially the Quartermaster Department, has proactively  given advice and direction on implementing strategic policies and solutions to renew and improve quartermaster work, thus meeting the requirements of VPA building, national defence consolidation, and Fatherland protection in the new situation. Major breakthroughs have been made in the methods of ensuring quartermaster supplies, together with significant improvements in providing food and clothing for troops and directing production activities to generate additional sources of supply, significantly contributing to protecting troops’ health and enhancing the VPA’s combat strength, laying a foundation for the entire VPA to successfully accomplish all assigned tasks. In recognition of its outstanding achievements in the process of construction, combat service, combat operations, and development, the Quartermaster Branch has been honoured by the Party and State with the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces and many other noble distinctions.

At present, the task of building the VPA, strengthening national defence, and safeguarding the Fatherland has entered a new stage of development, placing increasingly high requirements on the Quartermaster Branch. Alongside favourable conditions, quartermaster work faces a number of difficulties and challenges. Climate change, natural disasters, and epidemics are becoming increasingly complex, while food hygiene and safety encounter many potential risks; budget, equipment, assets, and certain aspects of quartermaster support have yet to keep pace with evolving task requirements. To fulfil its assigned tasks, the Quartermaster Branch will continue to uphold “proactiveness, innovation, creativity, self-reliance, self-strengthening”, while resolutely implementing synchronised measures to raise the quality and effectiveness of quartermaster support, with a focus on several key tasks and solutions as follows.

First, improving the quality of strategic research, forecasting, and advisory work on quartermaster affairs. To that end, the Quartermaster Department and quartermaster agencies at all levels will thoroughly grasp and implement directives and resolutions of higher echelons, particularly the Resolutions of the 14^th National Party Congress and the 12^th Military Party Congress, and Resolution 1658-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2022, by the Central Military Commission, on military logistics work towards 2030 and beyond. They will closely follow military and defence orientations and tasks as the basis for enhancing their research capacity and providing sound specialised advice for leaders and commanders at all levels, especially at strategic level.

Emphasis will be placed on proposing policies and solutions to consolidate the organisational structure of quartermaster agencies at all levels in line with the VPA’s organisational structure in the new situation, renewing and improving methods of supply and mechanisms for generating sources of quartermaster supply, and enhancing production activities; priority will be given to investing in replicating production models suited to different regions and types of units. Due attention will be paid to giving advice on raising the quality of food and clothing provision for troops, modernising quartermaster equipment, assets, and products in accordance with the modernisation of weaponry to meet the requirements of building a modern VPA.

Further research will be conducted to advise the General Department of Logistics and Technology and the MND on building and strengthening quartermaster support potential and posture, as well as developing a strong, extensive quartermaster support network within local defensive zones, in line with the new administrative boundaries and the requirements of modern warfare. Consideration will be given to proposing the formulation and improvement of mechanisms and policies to mobilise quartermaster resources for national defence, in accordance with the State’s laws and the conditions of a market economy.

General Department of Logistics and Technology inspects the Quartermaster Department’s Depot 205

Second, continuing to consolidate organisational structures and build a strong Quartermaster Branch capable of successfully accomplishing all assigned tasks. In the coming period, the Department will continue reviewing and proposing measures to streamline organisational structures across the strategic, operational, tactical levels, while building quartermaster agencies and units at all levels into comprehensively strong and exemplary entities. Quartermaster agencies at all levels will focus on advising leaders and commanders to effectively implement personnel planning, training, rotation, and utilisation, thereby developing a contingent of quartermaster cadres and employees that is sufficient in number, balanced in structure and age, and standardised in quality under regulations. Great value will be attached to adhering to regulations and procedures in appraisal, screening, and selection of cadres, ensuring that they will meet political standards, possess comprehensive competence, maintain a practical working style, broad hands-on experience, and sharp thinking, and demonstrate the ability to analyse and give advice and guidance on practical issues, thus meeting the requirements of quartermaster work in the new situation. Refresher courses, competitions, and exercises will be intensified to improve professional expertise and foster a spirit of wholehearted service to troops among staff members of the Branch.

Third, continuing to implement breakthrough measures in a coordinated manner to raise the quality of quartermaster support, especially the living standards of troops. Adhering to the regulations of the State and MND on defence procurement, the Branch will continue coordinating closely with relevant agencies to review and propose unified regulations on decentralised procurement and mechanisms for generating supply sources in accordance with laws and the practical conditions and capabilities of each level, thereby ensuring the full and timely provision of quartermaster supply standards for troops and assigned tasks, raising the efficiency of budget utilisation.

With regard to the provision of food and clothing, the Branch will continue to closely monitor market price fluctuations and promptly propose adjustments in meal allowances and rations for different groups of troops in line with practical requirements and budget capacity. Efforts will be made to renew food processing methods, improve cooking techniques, ensure food hygiene and safety, enhance the quality of catering services, and improve troops’ living standards. The target programme for manufacturing and providing mobile field kitchen and water purification systems for agencies and units will be accelerated. The Branch will continue to propose the provision of washing machines, clothes dryers, and dishwashers for the entire VPA according to the established road map. At the same time, research and improvements will be carried out on military uniforms and other quartermaster equipment to ensure timely provision for different groups of troops; advanced technologies will be applied in production to adapt to harsh weather conditions, provide effective camouflage, reduce weight, and enhance troops’ mobility, thereby gradually meeting the specific operational requirements of each service, branch, and force in modern warfare.

Regarding production activities to supplement supplies, advisory efforts will be intensified to effectively implement the programme for cooperation between the MND and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in the field of agriculture in order to assist military units in expanding production and centralised processing. Guidance will be provided for the implementation of Project QN-21 for the period of 2026 - 2030, in order to ensure coordinated, scientific, and sustainable development with an appropriate scale for different types of units, in line with national agricultural development trends and ecological environment protection. This will help create high-quality, safe on-site food sources, improve troops’ living standards, and proactively maintain reserves for various contingencies. At the same time, great value will be attached to replicating effective production models and developing centralised production areas following a closed-loop process from production to processing and consumption. Regulations on the pricing of products from production and processing for troop meals will be strictly implemented so that prices will remain lower than market prices while the quality of troop meals will be continuously raised.

Fourth, making breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation, and standardising the Branch’s operations. To that end, quartermaster agencies at all levels, especially at strategic and operational levels, will continue to advise all-level leaders and commanders on mobilising resources to modernise equipment and assets, with a focus on information technology equipment and infrastructure, and on developing software applications using artificial intelligence for specialised work. These efforts will create a technical and technological foundation for accelerating digital transformation and enhancing the capacity of the Branch. The “digital literacy” movement will be actively carried out; cadres and employees will be encouraged to pursue self-study to improve their digital knowledge and skills and effectively utilise equipment and technologies in their professional tasks.

The Quartermaster Department will concentrate on implementing the project “Building a data management system for the Quartermaster Branch across the entire VPA” and accelerating the digitalisation of documents, files, and materials so as to build a shared database centre for the Quartermaster Branch. Digital transformation will be promoted in leadership, command, administration, and professional exchange, especially in the receipt and transmission of confidential documents within quartermaster agencies and across the VPA. Quartermaster agencies at all levels will proactively review, supplement, and refine the system of operational regulations and procedures, while properly implementing decentralisation and delegation of authority to enhance autonomy, accountability, and work efficiency. The Branch will also improve the quality of scientific research projects and technical initiatives so that they can be widely applied and bring about practical effectiveness.

Fully aware of its assigned responsibilities, the Quartermaster Branch will always remain united, proactive, creative, self-reliant, and self-strengthening in implementing coordinated solutions to improve its task performance and contribute to building a revolutionary, regular, elite, modern VPA.
Maj. Gen. DO VAN HAU

Director of the Quartermaster Department