Not afraid of hardship
In the last days of the year, connecting via social networks, I had interesting conversations with the “blue beret” couple, Captain Hoang Huu Cong Thanh (born in 1994) and First Lieutenant Nguyen Thi Nguyet Ha (born in 1996). Ms. Ha is from Quy Duong village, Tan Truong commune (Cam Giang). Mr. Cong is also from Cam Giang district but his family has moved to live in Hai Phong city.
At the end of September, Mr. Thanh and his wife, along with more than 180 teammates from the 3rd Engineer Team, set off on a United Nations peacekeeping mission at the UNISFA Mission in the Abyei region, a conflict zone between Sudan and South Sudan (Africa) for more than 10 years.
According to Ms. Ha, the Abyei region is entering the dry season, the weather is very harsh, the outside temperature is over 40 degrees Celsius, making it very difficult for international forces on duty. This is also an unstable area in terms of both security and politics.
Recalling the first day she set foot on Abyei land to carry out her mission, Ms. Ha still felt nervous and emotional beyond description. Here, Ms. Ha worked as an administrative officer for the 3rd Engineering Team while Mr. Thanh held the position of military-civilian and communications coordinator.
Immediately after arriving here, Ha and her husband quickly grasped the local situation and got to work. During breaks and days off, Ha actively participated in civic and humanitarian activities, helping local people.
They met and became a couple while working in the same unit, what helped them bond was understanding and respect. It was special when they went on duty together after being married for nearly a year.
Captain Hoang Huu Cong Thanh shared that from 2022-2023, he had performed a peacekeeping mission as a military observer in South Sudan. Having just completed his mission away from the country for more than a year, Thanh and his wife continued their journey to perform peacekeeping duties.
"We were the first couple from the 3rd Engineer Team to travel together. We celebrated our wedding anniversary in Africa. This is an unforgettable memory in our lives," Ha confided.
Sharing about her decision, Ms. Ha said that when she worked in the military at the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department, seeing her teammates go on international missions every year inspired her to set off.
"I really wanted to participate to better understand the peacekeeping mission that my teammates carry out. Over the years, my determination has grown," Ha shared.
Mr. Thanh and his wife consider this an honor and pride to contribute their youth to the country and the international community. After completing their mission and returning home, the couple plans to have children.
Continuing the family tradition
The desire of both First Lieutenant Nguyen Thi Nguyet Ha and her husband to go to Africa together to carry out their duties was strongly supported by their family and relatives.
Talking with Ha's parents in Quy Duong village, Tan Truong commune, we felt the pride in their eyes when talking about their daughter.
Ms. Ha is the youngest of two children. According to her family, she has always maintained excellent academic performance at all levels. After graduating from the Faculty of International Law, Hanoi National University, with her excellent knowledge and foreign languages, Ms. Ha was selected to join the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department.
Different from the image of a resilient "green beret" female soldier, in the eyes of her relatives, Ms. Ha is a feminine, gentle girl who loves to cook for the whole family.
The day Ha and her husband left for their mission, her parents came to see their daughter off. Sympathizing and understanding the work and duties their daughter was doing, even though they had to be away from her, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Dung and his wife still supported her decision.
“My family is very happy and proud that the children have continued the family tradition because their grandfather and uncle were both attached to and grew up in the military. This Tet, the children cannot reunite with their families, but we will call them to encourage them to complete their tasks excellently,” Mr. Dung confided.
The mission in Abyei is expected to last 12 months. Talking about their plans for the future, the couple of "blue beret" soldiers Hoang Huu Cong Thanh and Nguyen Thi Nguyet Ha said that they always determined that there would be many hardships and challenges and would try to complete the mission excellently, contributing to leaving a good impression on international colleagues and local people about the country and people of Vietnam.
NGUYEN THAOSource: https://baohaiduong.vn/chat-voi-cap-doi-mu-noi-xanh-que-cam-giang-400501.html
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