Gia Lai Provincial Border Guard, steadfast on the "fence" area

In particular, soldiers in green uniforms not only fulfill their duties of protecting national sovereignty and border security, but also join hands in developing the socio-economy in border areas and building increasingly close military-civilian solidarity.

Officers and soldiers of Ia Chia Border Guard Station patrol on the Se San River. Photo: Anh Huy

Grown from hardship

Many years have passed, but Lieutenant Colonel Tran Minh Chinh still clearly remembers the memories of his time working in the provincial Border Guard force, especially the time he held the position of Political Commissar of Ia Puch Border Guard Station (Chu Prong district).

Lieutenant Colonel Chinh said: Ia Puch Border Guard Station was established at the end of November 1994. Four years later, he was transferred by the Provincial Border Guard Command to Ia Puch Border Guard Station and held the position of Deputy Political Officer (now Political Commissar). The unit was newly established, so the working headquarters and accommodation for officers and soldiers were very makeshift. Meanwhile, the climate conditions where the unit was stationed were very harsh. In the dry season, the leaves of trees were dry and people's skin was dark. In the rainy season, it was freezing cold, and water stagnated in large puddles right in the barracks.

Unable to dig a well, the entire unit had to use water from the nearby river for drinking, bathing, and washing. Because the river water was murky, chemicals had to be used to filter it before it could be used. The main source of food was self-produced food, with occasional fish and meat brought in by locals who crossed the forest on motorbikes to sell.

Officers and soldiers in the unit had to climb mountains and wade through streams, hang hammocks and sleep in the forest when patrolling the border. The steep terrain and dense forest required them to walk all day to reach the furthest border area adjacent to the neighboring country. During patrols, they had to be vigilant against FULRO members hiding in the forest and wild animals such as tigers, leopards, elephants, etc. that could suddenly attack.

Officers and soldiers of Ia Mo Border Guard Station (Chu Prong District) participate in building houses for households in difficult circumstances. Photo: TD

“Every time I went to the Command Headquarters for meetings, I had to walk for a day from the Station to the center of Chu Prong district before catching a bus to Pleiku. I remember promptly detecting and stopping a border crossing with many subjects. In addition, we also actively supported people with leprosy in a village near the unit to repair their houses, build fences, treat illnesses, and grow crops. Thanks to that, the people of this village no longer went hungry during the lean season,” Colonel Chinh recalled.

For Lieutenant Colonel Tran Anh Tuan - Medical Officer of Ia O Border Guard Station (Ia Grai District), over 23 years working in the provincial Border Guard force, he and his teammates have experienced countless difficulties. Lieutenant Colonel Tuan said: What he remembers most is 2002, when Ia O Border Guard Station was newly established. At that time, serious cases that wanted to be transferred to another hospital encountered many difficulties due to the remote terrain.

“There was a person with malaria, the soldiers carried him to the riverbank, planning to take him across the river by stretching a rope to make a pulley, but the flood water was ineffective, so they had to carry him back to the unit to continue treatment. I applied the medicine I had learned before to treat my comrades. In addition to Western medicine, I also used traditional medicine for the patient to drink to increase resistance. Many nights, I stayed up all night to monitor the disease's progress, and during the day I carried out preventive work to prevent the disease from spreading widely.

Fortunately, in such conditions, thanks to the effective use of available medicines, the patient's health improved and the epidemic in the unit was effectively controlled," Lieutenant Colonel Tuan recalled.

Regarding the unit's traditional day, Colonel Tran Tien Hai - Commander of the Provincial Border Guard - said: On April 15, 1965, the People's Armed Police Command (now the Border Guard Command) mobilized a number of experienced officers from the northern provinces to support Gia Lai province. This was an important basis for the Border Guard Command to decide to recognize April 15 every year as the Traditional Day of the Gia Lai Provincial Border Guard.

Over 60 years of construction, fighting and growth, despite many changes in organization and staffing, generations of cadres and soldiers have always been united, strived to overcome difficulties and become the core, specialized force in performing the task of managing, protecting the integrity of territorial sovereignty, and maintaining security and order in the province's border areas.

Besides, with all love and responsibility, officers and soldiers of the provincial Border Guard through the periods always thoroughly grasp and implement the motto "The station is home, the border is homeland, and the people of all ethnic groups are blood brothers".

The soldiers in green uniforms have overcome all difficulties, together with the people of all ethnic groups in the border area, promoted the great national unity bloc, built an increasingly solid people's position; built an increasingly prosperous and peaceful border area; built a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development.

Border military medics examine and treat people in the border area (photo provided by Border Guard).

“From 2015 to present, the provincial Border Guard has effectively carried out the task of protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security and has been recognized and rewarded by superiors.

Specifically, in 2015, the unit was awarded the Second Class Fatherland Protection Medal for its outstanding achievements in training, combat service, building the People's Army, and strengthening national defense, contributing to the cause of building socialism and defending the Fatherland. In 2022, the Provincial Border Guard was awarded a certificate of merit by the Prime Minister for its achievements in the fight against illegal trading and transportation of firecrackers across the border.

For 4 consecutive years (2020-2023), the Provincial Border Guard was awarded the Emulation Flag by the Ministry of National Defense for its achievements in the emulation movement to win. In addition, the unit was also awarded 4 emulation flags and 8 certificates of merit by the Provincial Border Guard Command, People's Committee and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee for its outstanding achievements in performing its tasks" - Colonel Tran Tien Hai added.

Determined to successfully complete all tasks

The past 60 years have been a long journey full of glory and challenges for generations of officers and soldiers of the provincial Border Guard. That journey has marked the spirit of solidarity and unanimity of officers and soldiers in the entire unit. The provincial Border Guard has become a symbol of dedication, resilience, patriotism, and the spirit of solidarity between the army and the people.

Gia Lai Border Guards start to demolish temporary houses for poor households (photo provided by Border Guards).

Elder Ro Lan Hlek (Klah village, Ia Mo commune, Chu Prong district) always respects the soldiers wearing green uniforms. He commented: “The Border Guard always does good things for our villagers, such as pioneering in growing wet rice and guiding people to learn. From only knowing how to grow low-yield upland rice, the village now has a 70-hectare wet rice field, and every household has enough rice to eat.

The Border Guard also helps people to remove temporary and dilapidated houses; propagates to raise awareness of law compliance and join hands to protect the country's borders. Not only do villagers report to the Border Guard when they discover strangers coming to the locality with bad intentions, they also participate in patrolling to protect the border and landmarks. Therefore, the security and order situation and border security in the locality are increasingly stable.

Gia Lai Border Guards promote border protection work (photo provided by Border Guards).

Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Rah Lan Chung: Since its establishment, generations of officers and soldiers of the Provincial Border Guard have always performed well the central political tasks and contributed to the development of the province; being a reliable and solid support for local Party committees, authorities and ethnic minorities in the border areas of the province. Notably, officers and soldiers of the Provincial Border Guard are brave and resourceful in combat; organize to firmly protect territorial sovereignty; consolidate and strengthen the construction of the all-people border defense, the all-people border defense posture; unite within the unit and properly implement the foreign policies and guidelines of the Party and State.

The outstanding achievements in 60 years of construction and development are the motivation for officers and soldiers of the provincial Border Guard to be determined to effectively carry out assigned tasks in the new situation, worthy of the trust and love of the Party, State and People.

Colonel Ro Mah Tuan - Political Commissar of the Provincial Border Guard - affirmed: Proud of the 60-year tradition of building, fighting and growing, each officer and soldier of the Provincial Border Guard today will continue to promote the achievements, constantly study, practice, strive, and be determined to firmly manage and protect the territorial sovereignty and national border security in the new situation in the spirit of Resolution No. 33-NQ/TW dated September 28, 2018 of the Politburo on "National Border Protection Strategy".

Along with that, focus on building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, and gradually modern provincial Border Guard; together with the Party Committee, government, and people of all ethnic groups in the province, successfully carry out the cause of building and firmly protecting the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland in the new situation, together with the country entering a new era - the era of national growth.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/bo-doi-bien-phong-tinh-gia-lai-vung-vang-tren-vung-phen-giau-post318463.html