On the morning of August 8, the Ministry of National Defense held a farewell ceremony for the 2nd Engineering Team to depart for the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Abyei region (UNISFA).

On the airport runway of the Noi Bai base battalion military parking area, hundreds of officers and soldiers were excited and ready to leave Vietnam to carry out their noble international mission.

They are 184 officers and employees, including 19 female soldiers of the Engineering Team No. 2, Vietnam Peacekeeping Department. The force was selected and mobilized from Military Regions 1, 2, 3, 4; Army Corps 1, 2; Engineering, Special Forces, and Communications Corps; Vietnam Peacekeeping Department (GGHB) and other agencies and units.

Colonel Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department.

Colonel Pham Manh Thang, Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department, said that the Engineering Team No. 2 has been trained in professional skills, military skills, foreign languages, and is fully equipped with knowledge... to ensure that all officers and employees in the team have the capacity to perform their tasks.

The Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense have directed the purchase of adequate equipment, materials, and goods to ensure that Engineering Team No. 2 can carry out its tasks.

In order to facilitate the deployment of the 2nd Engineering Team to the mission area, the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department negotiated with the United Nations to allow all officers and staff to carry 100kg/person on the plane, with a total weight of 17.6 tons of cargo.

Assigning tasks to Engineering Team No. 2 before departure, Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, asked the team members to unite, overcome all difficulties, and successfully complete all tasks assigned by the United Nations and the Ministry of National Defense.

Senior Lieutenant General Phung Sy Tan and female soldiers of the Vietnam Engineer Corps.

Soldiers need to uphold and promote the tradition and image of Uncle Ho's soldiers in the eyes of international friends and local people in the area where they are stationed. In particular, the 2nd Engineering Team needs to thoroughly understand and strictly implement the regulations of the United Nations, the mission, and the laws of the host country; strictly abide by the laws of the State and the discipline of the Army, ensuring safety during the mission.

Before leaving, Colonel Nguyen Viet Hung, Captain of the 2nd Engineering Team, on behalf of more than 180 soldiers, expressed 6 determined promises. That is to always be absolutely loyal to the Party, the Fatherland and the people. Regularly grasp and strictly implement all policies and guidelines on foreign affairs and defense tasks, international integration and firmly protect the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam in the new situation.

Colonel Nguyen Viet Hung also affirmed that the soldiers will strive to study and train to improve their qualifications in all aspects; inherit and promote the experiences of previous generations; promote the spirit of internal solidarity and international solidarity...

Coordinate with friendly units in the mission, the local government and people in the Abyei region to organize many exchange activities, help the people... Strictly comply with the laws of the State, the discipline of the Army; the code of conduct of the United Nations, the regulations of the mission and the laws of the host country. The final promise is to actively do a good job of propaganda work to strongly spread the noble qualities of "Uncle Ho's soldiers" to international friends.

The green beret soldiers and their luggage set off.

Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Hao, Deputy Captain of the 2nd Engineering Team, said that according to the plan, the flight route arranged by the United Nations, from Vietnam to Abyei, the team will have to go through 5 difficult stages. However, the officers and soldiers have been trained, determined and highly determined.

This is the third time Lieutenant Colonel Pham Van Hao has gone on international duty. The first time he was a military observer at the UNMISS mission in South Sudan. The second time he was Deputy Director of Level 2.3 Field Hospital in Bentiu, South Sudan.

"On the third time, I was ready to carry out any task assigned by the organization and the Army. As a soldier, I was ready to carry out. Each time I set out, I had certain accumulations," Lieutenant Colonel Hao shared.

After the 2nd Engineering Team arrives at Abyei, the 1st Engineering Team will hand over and complete the mission. It is expected that the 1st Engineering Team will return to Vietnam in the early morning of August 15.

Farewell ceremony for the 2nd Engineering Team at the military airport.
The female soldiers were emotional when they called home to say goodbye to their families.
Vietnam's 2nd Engineering Team set out for duty.
With the spirit of "helping friends is helping yourself", Vietnamese soldiers contribute to beautifying the image of the country and people of Vietnam, who love peace, in the eyes of international friends.
The soldiers are determined to be worthy of the flag embroidered with the four golden words "Opening the way to victory" that President Ho Chi Minh presented to the Heroic Vietnamese Engineer Corps.
Female soldier drops heart and smiles on airport runway, before departure.
Warm hugs from those leaving to those staying behind.
Abyei - the area where the soldiers carry out their mission - is one of the most difficult and challenging regions in the world.
Leaders of the Ministry of National Defense and the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department saw off Vietnamese peacekeepers onto the plane.
The 2nd Engineering Team took a souvenir photo before departure.

Abyei is a disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan. In 2011, the two countries signed an agreement pledging to withdraw troops from the demilitarized zone in Abyei and establish a joint mechanism to resolve the issue. However, so far, the two countries have not made much substantive progress.

UNISFA was established in 2011 under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1990 with a mandate to protect civilians and promote demilitarization in Abyei.

Vietnamnet.vn