Celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Militia and Self-Defense Forces Traditional Day (March 28, 1935

In the current period, the militia and self-defense force continues to be focused on developing strongly and widely, contributing to building an all-people national defense, an all-people national defense posture associated with a solid people's security posture, ready to protect the Fatherland in the new situation right from the grassroots.

Training militia soldiers in Long Bien district.

The mark of the "square star" soldier

On March 28, 1935, at the First National Party Congress (held in Macau, China), our Party issued a "Resolution on Self-Defense Forces". Immediately after the resolution, worker-peasant self-defense forces were established one after another, as the first mass armed organizations... March 28 every year becomes the Traditional Day of the Vietnamese Militia and Self-Defense Forces.

After 90 years of building, fighting and growing, the militia and self-defense force has written heroic pages of the nation's history, with many outstanding feats and achievements. By August 1945, the militia and self-defense force had grown to tens of thousands of people, together with the Liberation Army and the entire people, successfully carried out the General Uprising, contributing decisively to the victory of the August Revolution in 1945, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam). The militia and self-defense force is one of the three forces of the Vietnamese people's armed forces (People's Army, People's Public Security, Militia and Self-Defense Force).

In the early days of independence, the militia and self-defense force was the main force protecting the Party, the young revolutionary government and the achievements of the revolution. Entering the resistance war against the French colonialists, the militia and self-defense force continued to develop in terms of organization and strength, unifying the ranks of the people's armed forces under the leadership of the Party. From several tens of thousands of people in 1945, by early 1947, the militia and self-defense force and guerrillas nationwide had grown to nearly 3 million people. In the capital Hanoi alone, 6,000 militiamen participated in the fight. With the motto "all-people resistance", the militia and self-defense force and guerrillas operated widely from North to South, becoming the fear of the invaders.

During the US imperialists’ war of destruction in the North, the Northern militia and self-defense air defense force organized over 700 units, coordinated with the army, police and people to fight day and night with “one hand plowing, one hand gunning”, “one hand hammering, one hand gunning”. The force shot down 424 aircraft of all types, captured hundreds of enemy pilots and dozens of commando teams; sank and burned many enemy warships. 183 million people were mobilized to participate in ensuring traffic, serving combat, overcoming consequences caused by the enemy, and providing human and material support to the southern battlefield.

On the southern front, the militia and guerrillas clung to the land and people, “each village and commune was a fortress”, operating intelligently and bravely, forcing the enemy in many places to disperse up to 90% of their troops to deal with the local armed forces. In particular, during the General Offensive and Uprising in the spring of 1975, the militia and guerrillas, along with the main force and the entire population, simultaneously attacked and rose up to “fight the Americans out, fight the puppets to the ground”, liberating the South and unifying the country.

During the war on the southwestern and northern borders, the militia and self-defense forces, together with the army, made efforts to build border defense lines and directly fought to protect every inch of the sacred land of the Fatherland...

When the country is at peace, the militia and self-defense forces of the whole country enthusiastically participate in overcoming the consequences of war, clearing bombs and mines, participating in the construction of large projects, and developing the economy and society...

A strong local "steel shield"

Implementing the Party's guidelines and policies on building the people's armed forces and building a national defense, with political determination, the Hanoi Capital Command has advised the City Party Committee, People's Council and People's Committee to take care of building an increasingly strong and widespread militia and self-defense force. The unit has effectively implemented programs and projects, especially Program No. 09-CTr/TU dated March 17, 2021 of the Hanoi Party Committee on "Strengthening national defense and security potential, maintaining political stability and social order and safety in Hanoi for the period 2021-2025".

During the 2020-2025 term, the city has organized 1,594 militia bases with nearly 105,000 soldiers. The rate of party members in the militia force is over 23%, the reserve force is over 10%; 10 platoons and 165 regular militia squads have been established, of which 100% of key defense communes, wards and towns have regular militia squads, exceeding the target set by Program No. 09-CTr/TU. Up to now, the Commanders of the Commune-level Military Commands have basically been standardized, with qualifications from intermediate level or higher, 65.5% have college or university degrees; by the end of 2025, from 75% to 80% of the Commanders of the Commune-level Military Commands will have college or university degrees. The city has built 206 working headquarters for the Commune-level Military Commands.

Colonel Nguyen Quang Dau, Head of the Militia and Self-Defense Force Department, Hanoi Capital Command said: "The officers and soldiers of the Capital Militia and Self-Defense Force have proactively coordinated with other forces to ensure political security and social order and safety in the area; they are the core force in preventing, combating, and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters, epidemics, and searching and rescuing victims." Since 2015 alone, there have been over 10 million officers and soldiers of the Militia and Self-Defense Force participating in combat duty, preventing and combating natural disasters, searching and rescuing victims.

To improve operational efficiency, militia and self-defense training is increasingly innovated in content and methods, closely following local requirements, tasks and practical situations, with increasingly high quality and efficiency...

Major General Dao Van Nhan, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Hanoi Capital Command, added: “The Hanoi Capital Command will focus on improving the overall quality and combat readiness of the militia and self-defense force; building a strong and widespread force in the spirit of the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, meeting the requirements and tasks of protecting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the new period, truly being the core in consolidating national defense and security at the grassroots level, making an important contribution to the cause of national renewal.”

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Through the process of building, fighting and growing up, generations of militia and self-defense officers and soldiers have been loyal to the Fatherland, the people, and the revolutionary cause of the Party, fighting steadfastly, intelligently and bravely; working, studying and working effectively and creatively and have achieved many great feats; 366 groups and 275 individuals of the militia and self-defense force have been awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the State. The Vietnamese militia and self-defense force deserves the praise of President Ho Chi Minh: "The militia and self-defense force and guerrillas are the force of the entire nation, an invincible force, an iron wall of the Fatherland, no matter how brutal the enemy is, if they come into contact with that force, that wall, any enemy will have to disintegrate".
(According to the Ministry of National Defense's Electronic Information Portal)

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/ky-niem-90-nam-ngay-truyen-thong-dan-quan-tu-ve-28-3-1935-28-3-2025-nong-cot-thuc-hien-nhiem-vu-quoc-phong-quan-su-o-co-so-697116.html