In the Guard Command, there is a force on special duty; silently, silently, with a dense and continuous work schedule and intensity. These are the security officers who approach the Party and State leaders of the Party and State Leaders Protection Department - a unit with the duty of absolutely protecting the safety of the Party and State leaders.
The story of the approaching security officer force.
Access security officers must perform the task of ensuring security and safety for the guarded subjects 24/7, both domestically and when on business trips abroad.
Special mission in a special unit
Up to now, Colonel Nguyen Quoc Hoan - Deputy Head of the Department of Protection of Party and State leaders has worked as an access protection officer for 26 years.
“I am very honored and proud to be in the ranks of a special force, in a special unit, carrying out a special mission. The honor always goes hand in hand with the heavy responsibility of an absolutely loyal guard. That is the responsibility towards the Party, the industry and the people; we must absolutely ensure the safety of Party and State leaders in all circumstances, both domestically and when on business trips abroad…” – Colonel Hoan shared.
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| Protecting President Vo Van Thuong at the Hung Kings' Commemoration Ceremony in 2023. |
To meet the requirements of many cases, security officers must be trained in basic skills and have professional qualifications. In addition to strict standards on political qualities, ethics, physical strength, and appearance, they must also possess intelligence, courage, proficiency in martial arts, shooting, and swimming; have foreign language skills and be knowledgeable about the foreign policies of the Party and State, culture, and customs of Vietnam and other countries in the world. On that basis, they must apply flexibly and effectively in the process of performing their duties; promptly detect threats and propose solutions to ensure absolute safety for Party and State leaders in all situations, and properly perform diplomatic protocol.
In addition, the approach security officer must also be fully equipped with soft skills: meticulousness, carefulness, thoughtfulness; subtlety, depth in communication and behavior. This is one of the important factors that helps the approach security officer always gain the trust of the Chief (the approach officer's intimate way of calling the guarded subject). Because with just a glance, a small gesture of the guarded subject, the approach security officer can understand the message that the Chief wants to tell him.
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| Practice shooting on the range. |
Each guard is responsible for different areas. Therefore, the approaching officer must also research, learn, improve knowledge, and regularly update information, especially in the areas that the Chief is responsible for, so that he can talk and share to better serve the guard work.
Before each mission, the officer directly participates in the advance team; identifies and forecasts risks and bad situations that may occur and endanger the safety of the guarded subjects.
Proactively advise the leaders of the Command, unit commanders, coordinate with relevant agencies and units to develop a protection plan that is close to reality, with the most optimal solution to handle situations; at the same time, directly participate in accompanying the guarded subject on that business trip.
“When the Chief goes on a business trip locally or abroad, especially to areas with complicated security and order, it requires the security officer to maximize his professional capacity, be proactive, agile, flexible, and creative, but still follow the professional work process, strictly follow the approved protection plan and plan, and the direct instructions of the leaders of the Command and the unit commander accompanying the business trip. Coordinate closely and meticulously with the officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, local police, and the security forces of the host country during the performance of the task and always be on high alert…” – Colonel Hoan said.
Behind the glory
Always elegant, polite, and dashing, accompanying Party and State leaders on local or foreign business trips, but few people know that behind that glory are the silent sacrifices of the families and the officers themselves.
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| Protecting Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to attend the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week and work in the United States (September 17-23, 2023). |
With a busy schedule, constantly traveling to many localities in the country and long business trips abroad, security guards and approach officers rarely have a full vacation with their families.
In fact, some officers are on single duty. In this case, they will have to work continuously for 365 days, without holidays or Tet; without compensatory leave or leave.
“Due to the nature of the task, the approaching officer is the person who is close to, understands the personality, working style, and work schedule of the guarded subject, so in some cases, even though there is family matter, the unit cannot arrange for another approaching officer to temporarily replace without the consent of the guarded subject” – Colonel Nguyen Van Dong, Head of the Department of Protection of Party and State Leaders shared.
“In some cases, with the consent of the guard, the approaching officer is allowed to return home after completing the day’s mission. However, with the intensity and busy schedule of the guard, the approaching officer finishes a day’s work and returns home very late, and leaves home early the next morning while his loved ones are still sleeping,” said Lieutenant Colonel Dang The Viet, Deputy Head of the Department.
There have been many stories that seem to only happen in movies but actually happened to the approaching officers and their loved ones.
The security officer who approached Hoang Dai Nghia said that his own father had often been angry with him because he was always absent during family events and holidays. He was also suspected of having an affair with his own wife because the neighbors rarely saw him at home, and if he did come home, it was late at night and he left for work early the next morning.
Lieutenant Colonel Dang The Viet humorously said that the security guard did not let him into the school to pick up his daughter because he had never seen him. His daughter once confided: "At school, the friends thought that her parents were divorced because they never saw her father pick her up" - Mr. Viet sadly said.
Behind the glorious mission and heavy responsibility are the efforts and silent sacrifices of each security officer. However, they have always received sympathy, sharing, and deep understanding from their loved ones. That is the motivation and solid support for them to wholeheartedly devote themselves to their work and work with peace of mind.
Tet away from home
With the task of ensuring absolute security and safety for the guarded subjects 24/7, celebrating Tet away from home is no longer strange to the approaching security officers.
Without the concept of Tet holiday, the approach officers can only feel the Tet atmosphere through the more and more busy schedule of the guard subjects. During the last days of the year, Party and State leaders will work in many localities across the country to promptly direct and manage work; take care of, visit and wish the people a happy new year. Therefore, the work intensity of the approach security officers will be higher.
On the 30th of Tet, after visiting and encouraging the people and officers and soldiers of the armed forces on duty, the guard returned home at 2-3 am on the 1st day of Tet.
“That was when I was able to return home to my family. I was able to stay home with my parents, wife and children on the first morning of Tet and start work at 12 o’clock the same day. From then on, my work schedule returned to normal,” said Lieutenant Colonel Viet.
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| One of the criteria for selecting an Access Protection Officer is proficiency in shooting, swimming, and martial arts. |
During Tet, some guards return to their hometowns to celebrate Tet with their families. Accordingly, the approach security officer will also celebrate Tet in the hometown of the guard. Not only the difference in regional culture, the difference in culinary tastes is also one of the interesting challenges for the approach security officer.
Due to the nature of their duties, on Tet holiday as well as on normal days, the work always requires security guards to be highly focused. Therefore, it is not wrong to say that security guards do not have much time to be sad or homesick. They happily celebrate Tet “with their families” through photos and short phone calls from their loved ones.
Every time Tet comes, all Vietnamese people turn to their families with the desire to reunite and gather. However, for security officers who approach Party and State leaders, this seemingly simple wish is difficult to fulfill. Deeply aware of the glorious mission and heavy responsibility entrusted to them by the Party, State and People, they are willing to sacrifice personal happiness for the sake of their mission.
“The encouragement and trust of the guard subjects; the sympathy and sharing of the families are the motivation for us to always strive, try, and excellently complete our tasks” – Colonel Hoan shared.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/chuyen-ve-nhung-si-quan-lam-nhiem-vu-dac-biet-post794109.html
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