Persistently sticking to the sea, firmly combining national defense and economic tasks

In the early days of its establishment, the Party Committee and the Command of the Fleet quickly consolidated its organization and staff, received and exploited well the existing equipment including cement-hulled ships, Thai wooden-hulled ships and 135CV iron-hulled ships. Organized training and practiced combat plans; built technical and logistical facilities, and prepared all aspects to be ready for combat (SSCD) to protect the sovereignty of assigned sea areas. Proactively deployed production, exploitation and fishing activities using trawls and gillnets, combined with support for the Navy on duty in the Southwest sea area and on international missions in Cambodia.

To comply with the new economic management mechanism and tasks, in 1991, the Navy had the civilian name of Company 129. On November 3, 1992, according to Decision No. 45/TTg of the Prime Minister, the Navy had the civilian name of Truong Sa Seafood Company. On July 22, 2010, the Ministry of National Defense decided to change the name to Truong Sa Seafood Company Limited. Although the name has changed over time, the Navy's mission has always been stable and has developed. In particular, since November 2016, in addition to the task of coordinating and cooperating with forces in the Navy to protect the sovereignty of the sea, islands, and southern continental shelf and to do national defense business, the Navy has assigned the Navy to manage and operate the Sinh Ton island lock and two fishing villages on Toc Tan island and Nui Le island; in January 2019, it received, managed and operated the Truong Sa island lock.

Thoroughly grasping the assigned tasks, the Navy has carried out well the work of political education, training, combat readiness, discipline training, building a regular routine; ensuring timely and adequate logistics and technical support for the tasks; actively promoting initiatives, improving techniques to improve the efficiency of work, production and business. Officers and soldiers of the Navy always persevere at sea, raising the spirit of combat readiness, completing sea voyages to protect sovereignty, combined with fishing, rescue, and protecting the safety of marine economic activities. Along with that, the Navy proactively detected, propagated, explained, prevented, chased away, and arrested many foreign ships and boats violating sovereignty, fishing, and illegally conducting seismic surveys in our country's waters and continental shelf.

Over the past 8 years, the 2 ports and 2 fishing villages managed by the Navy in Truong Sa archipelago have disseminated information to thousands of fishermen about the Law of the Sea of Vietnam, the Law on Fisheries, and areas permitted for seafood exploitation in accordance with regulations. They have guided more than 850 fishing boats with more than 4,300 fishermen to safely take shelter from storms; supported the repair of 176 fishing boats, provided more than 1,500m3 ^of fresh water, medicine, food, and provisions for free; and provided more than 600m3 of ^fuel for 215 fishing boats.

Regarding production and business activities, the Navy has always exceeded its targets, each year higher than the previous year, ensuring jobs and improving the lives of workers. From 1998 to present, the Navy has regularly grasped the market, searched for and attracted customers; maintained traditional industries well (security services, oil and gas exploration and exploitation; fishing logistics services, ship repair, marine works...); invested and developed breakthroughs in ship and marine works mechanical repair services, especially underground repair, oil and gas rig bases, creating a positive direction in the development strategy... Accordingly, in recent years, the Navy's revenue has increased by an average of 11.44%/year, profit by 11.02%/year, and average income per capita has increased.

Along with successfully completing the national defense and economic tasks, the Navy always pays attention to social policy and charity activities. Over the past 5 years, the Navy has taken care of many Vietnamese Heroic Mothers and martyrs' mothers; coordinated with local authorities to build 32 gratitude houses, charity houses, union shelters, and comrade houses for families with difficult circumstances; contributed to the construction of funds "Repaying gratitude", "For children", "For the poor"; "Flood prevention and control" of the Navy and localities with an amount of more than 4 billion VND...

With achievements over 45 years of construction, development and growth, generations of officers, soldiers, workers and employees of the Navy have written a glorious tradition of "Solidarity, overcoming difficulties, persevering at sea, successfully completing the task of national defense combined with economy". The Navy was honored to receive many noble awards from the Party, State, Army and Navy: 2 Third-class Feat of Arms Medals, 3 Fatherland Protection Medals (First, Second, Third Class); 3 Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister; 3 Emulation Flags from the Ministry of National Defense; 5 Emulation Flags and won the Cup "The most outstanding unit serving the combat readiness to protect the sea and islands" of the Navy forever. Notably, in August 2022, Navy 129 was honored to receive the Third-class Labor Medal from the President.

In the coming years, the 129th Fleet will continue to thoroughly grasp and seriously implement the directives and resolutions of the higher-level Party organizations, determined to successfully complete the economic tasks associated with national defense. Promote the development of enterprises in line with the inevitable trend of the period of accelerating industrialization, modernization of the country and international integration, contributing to building a comprehensively strong "exemplary, typical" Fleet, building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite and modern Navy.

Lieutenant Colonel BUI QUANG TU - Commander of Squadron 129, Navy

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