Born at a difficult time of the Vietnamese revolution, but under the absolute and direct leadership in all aspects of the Party, the help, protection and shelter of the people and the support of international friends, over the past 80 years, our Army has continuously grown and matured, achieved many brilliant feats, embellished the heroic and indomitable tradition of the nation, worthy of the praise of President Ho Chi Minh : "Our Army is loyal to the Party, filial to the people, ready to fight and sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, for socialism. Every task is completed, every difficulty is overcome, every enemy is defeated" (1). Immediately after its establishment, with only 34 cadres and soldiers and rudimentary weapons, but with the courage, intelligence and aspiration for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, the first main force of the revolutionary armed forces consecutively won two battles of Phai Khat and Na Ngan, opening the tradition of "hundred battles, hundred victories" of our Army. Less than a year old, our Army became the core force with the entire people to carry out the General Uprising, making the great August Revolution, taking power into the hands of the people, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam - the first people's democratic state in Southeast Asia. In the two resistance wars against the French colonialists and the invading American imperialists, our Army both built and fought, fought and built, gradually grew stronger, matured, promoted its core role, joined the entire people in the resistance, won victory step by step, and advanced to complete victory. The glorious victories: Dien Bien Phu (1954), "Dien Bien Phu in the air" (1972), the 1975 Spring Strategic General Offensive, culminating in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, are the golden milestones that our Army has continued the indomitable and heroic tradition in the history of the nation. Through two sacred resistance wars lasting 30 years, our Army and our people forced the world's leading colonial and imperialist powers to accept defeat, withdraw their troops from Vietnam, gloriously completing the cause of national liberation, unifying the country, bringing our country into a new era - the era of independence, unification, and socialism. Right after the country's reunification, our Army fought bravely, sacrificed, and together with the entire people defeated the war of aggression on the southwestern border, fulfilling its international obligations to the Cambodian people and firmly protecting the northern border of the Fatherland. In the process of national renewal, our Army continues to promote the nature and fine traditions of Uncle Ho's soldiers, playing the core role in building a national defense for all people, firmly protecting the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam; taking the lead in responding to non-traditional security challenges, preventing and combating natural disasters, catastrophes, epidemics, and searching and rescuing victims. At the same time, actively participating in building and developing the country; proactively fighting to defeat the "peaceful evolution" strategy of hostile forces; promoting international integration and defense diplomacy, participating in United Nations peacekeeping activities, contributing to enhancing Vietnam's position and prestige in the international arena, protecting the Fatherland early and from afar, maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for national construction and development. It can be affirmed that, throughout the 80-year journey of building, fighting, winning and growing up full of hardships and sacrifices, our Army has written a heroic tradition, brilliant feats, engraved in the history of the nation brilliant milestones. The glorious feats that our Army has achieved are also the feats of our people, our nation associated with the great achievements of the Vietnamese revolution in the Ho Chi Minh era. We are proud of the generations of cadres and soldiers who sacrificed their youth so that the country could gain independence and freedom, our nation could step up to the stage of glory, standing shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents. We are grateful to the glorious Party, the great Uncle Ho who founded, led, educated and trained our Army; grateful and grateful to the heroic martyrs who did not spare their blood and bones, sacrificed for the Fatherland. We are even more proud that our nation has produced and nurtured generations of Uncle Ho's soldiers - the unique and exclusive identity of the Army and the Vietnamese nation. Currently, the world and regional situation is undergoing great and unpredictable changes. Peace, cooperation and development are still the major trends, but strategic competition, local conflicts, territorial sovereignty disputes in many regions... continue to increase with the emergence of many new forms of war, methods and tactics of warfare in both traditional and non-traditional fields, threatening global peace, stability and security. The Asia-Pacific region, including Southeast Asia, continues to develop dynamically, but there is a potential risk of instability, which can even lead to conflict. Domestically, the renovation process has brought our country an increasingly high foundation, potential, position and international prestige, but there are still many difficulties, challenges and new complex problems. Reactionary forces and political opportunists at home and abroad continue to promote "peaceful evolution", promote "self-evolution", "self-transformation", "depoliticization" of the Army with increasingly sophisticated and insidious tricks... That situation requires the entire Army to continue to promote its heroic tradition and glorious career over the past 80 years, focusing on building a lean, strong, modern Army that meets the requirements of the task of protecting the Fatherland in all situations, with many drastic and synchronous solutions; in which, focusing on implementing well a number of the following main contents and solutions. First, steadfastly and improving the quality of building a politically strong Army. This is a matter of principle in building the Party's revolutionary armed forces, a great and consistent lesson drawn from the 80-year journey of building, fighting, winning and maturing of our Army. Building a strong political foundation is the solid basis and foundation for our Army to maintain and strengthen its working class nature, people's character and national character; always clearly defining the goals and ideals of fighting for national independence and socialism, for the happiness of the people. Therefore, building a strong political army must be the top and key issue in building a lean, compact, strong, and modern army, focusing on maintaining, strengthening and ensuring the principle of the Party's absolute and direct leadership in all aspects of the Army. Accordingly, Party committees and Party organizations at all levels in the entire army need to continue to thoroughly grasp and seriously implement Resolution No. 51-NQ/TW, dated July 20, 2005 of the Politburo (9th tenure), Resolution No. 513-NQ/ĐUQSTW, dated November 17, 2005 of the Central Military Party Committee (now the Central Military Commission) on continuing to perfect the Party's leadership mechanism, implementing the one-person commander regime in conjunction with implementing the political commissar and political officer regime in the Vietnam People's Army. Regularly take care of and perform well the work of Party building and rectification, building a truly clean and strong Army Party organization that is exemplary in politics, ideology, ethics, organization and cadres; constantly improve leadership capacity and combat strength. Continue to thoroughly grasp, fully, creatively and effectively implement the guidelines and policies of the Party, State, Central Military Commission, Ministry of National Defense on military, national defense, building and protecting the Fatherland in the new development stage of the country. Along with that, agencies and units must actively innovate, improve the quality and effectiveness of propaganda and education work on Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, patriotic traditions, revolutionary struggle, and the spirit of national self-reliance. Continue to implement Conclusion No. 01-KL/TW, dated May 18, 2021 of the Politburo (13th tenure) on implementing Directive No. 05-CT/TW, dated May 15, 2016 of the Politburo (12th tenure) "On promoting the study and following of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and lifestyle"; Resolution No. 847-NQ/QUTW, dated December 28, 2021 of the Central Military Commission on promoting the qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers, resolutely fighting against individualism in the new situation; promoting the spirit of self-cultivation, training, and striving to rise up of the contingent of cadres and party members according to the spirit of "7 dares" (2) and revolutionary ethical standards in the new period according to Regulation No. 144-QD/TW, dated May 9, 2024 of the Politburo (13th tenure). Promoting the role and effectiveness of Party and political work, maintaining solidarity, fighting against signs of degradation in political ideology, ethics, lifestyle, "self-evolution", "self-transformation"; proactively fighting to firmly protect the Party's ideological and cultural position in the Army, fighting against plots and tricks of "depoliticization" of the Army by hostile forces. Second, focus on building human resources, especially high-quality human resources to build a lean, strong, and elite army. The strength of a revolutionary army is the result of a synthesis of many factors: people, organization, weapons, equipment, art of warfare..., in which people are the decisive factor, weapons and technical equipment are very important factors. People are the subject, the center, with will, intelligence, and skills that will decide the maximum development of the material strength of weapons and technical equipment; weapons and technical equipment, no matter how modern, are still created and controlled by people to create real strength. To build a lean, strong, and modern Army, it is necessary to focus on building human resources, especially high-quality human resources, taking care to build a contingent of cadres at all levels, especially at the campaign and strategic levels with reasonable quantity, structure, and high quality, playing a core role, setting an example, and taking the lead in military and defense activities. Military schools continue to thoroughly grasp and seriously implement Resolution No. 1657-NQ/QUTW, dated December 20, 2022 of the Central Military Commission on innovating education and training to meet the requirements and tasks of building the Army in the new situation; innovating education and training in the direction of standardization and modernization; building a system of smart schools and research institutes, approaching the Fourth Industrial Revolution, linking school training with training and practice at units, linking schools with training grounds and battlefields. Actively apply scientific and technological achievements and proactively integrate internationally to serve the innovation and development of education and training in the Army, especially the training of leading cadres, scientists and experts. Promote the summary and research of military science, supplement and develop Vietnamese military theory and art. In particular, focus on researching and applying modern scientific and military theoretical achievements of the world to the actual conditions of the country, on the basis of all-people national defense and people's war posture; research and compile a system of textbooks and documents suitable for the goals and requirements of training high-quality human resources in the new situation. Agencies and units focus on improving the quality of training according to Resolution No. 1659-NQ/QUTW, dated December 20, 2022 of the Central Military Commission; promote the implementation of training according to the motto "basic, practical, solid", close to the tasks, objects, areas, combat environment, and combat reality; Strengthen night training, training in complex, high-intensity conditions, focusing on practice; organize training, competitions, sports, drills at all levels, etc. to ensure strictness and safety; improve practical capacity, master weapons, equipment, and equipment in the establishment, especially new weapons and equipment; actively apply information technology, simulation technology, and technical means to training. Along with training, education, and training, agencies, units, and schools need to promote the building of discipline and strictly enforce discipline. In particular, the building of discipline must ensure comprehensiveness, focusing on improving discipline in training, combat readiness, and management of people, weapons, and technical equipment; ensuring unity from will to action; At the same time, regularly take care of and ensure good material and spiritual life for soldiers, pay attention to building a military cultural environment, and proactively fight against deviant and uncultured manifestations and behaviors. In addition, strengthen education work, build self-awareness in implementing regular regimes and routines, in complying with laws, discipline, and order in each agency, unit, school, and the entire army.
Promoting heroic traditions and glorious careers, building a strong Vietnam People's Army, firmly protecting the socialist Vietnam Fatherland
General Phan Van Giang encouraged soldiers to participate in the Hanoi defense area exercise in 2024. Photo: VIET TRUNG
Third, promote the adjustment of force organization, modernization of weapons and equipment for each army, service branch, force and the entire army. Thoroughly implementing the Party's guidelines and policies, especially Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW, dated October 25, 2017, the 6th Conference of the Party Central Committee (12th tenure) on "Some issues on continuing to innovate and reorganize the apparatus of the political system to be streamlined and operate effectively and efficiently", Resolution No. 05-NQ/TW, dated January 17, 2022 of the Politburo, Resolution No. 230-NQ/QUTW, dated April 2, 2022 of the Central Military Commission on leading the implementation of the organization of the Vietnam People's Army in the period of 2021-2030 and the following years, in recent years, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense have focused on leading and directing the synchronous implementation of solutions to build a lean, compact, and strong Army, which has basically created a balance and synchronization between the military services and arms, between agencies and units, between the standing force and the reserve force. mobilized. At the same time, focus on investing and developing the defense industry in a proactive, self-reliant, self-reliant, dual-use, and modern direction; expand international cooperation; research, develop, master manufacturing technology and successfully produce a number of strategic weapons necessary for national defense and ensure a step forward in quantity, improve the quality of weapons and technical equipment. To complete the goals set out in the roadmap for building a lean, compact, and strong Army, it is required to adjust the organization of the entire army's forces decisively, with high concentration, closely following the progress; ensure synchronization and balance between the forces, ensure policy work, cadres, in accordance with the national defense policy, people's war, the ability to ensure equipment, logistics supply and combat level of the troops. Adjusting the organization of the forces must be associated with consolidating and perfecting newly organized units, merging with consolidating and perfecting the grassroots party organization; associated with promoting administrative reform, applying information technology to management, digital transformation, and developing e-Government in the Ministry of National Defense. Continue to strengthen new, modern, highly mobile, high-quality equipment, ensuring synchronization, suitable for the country's economic conditions, meeting the requirements of tasks in the new situation; at the same time, actively preserve, exploit, and effectively use existing weapons and equipment; research and combine the effective use of old and new weapons and equipment in modern warfare conditions, in line with the people's war policy. Proactively ensure weapons and equipment, especially modern weapons and equipment; continue to invest in building a modern, self-sufficient, dual-use defense industry, meeting the requirements for weapons and technical equipment, especially strategic and modern weapons, and actively expand international cooperation and transfer of defense technology. Fourth, continue to promote the combined strength of the entire political system and the core role of the People's Army in building a strong national defense. Over the past 80 years, implementing the Party's line of people's war and the line of all-people national defense, we have highly promoted the strength of the entire nation combined with the strength of the times, taking the people's armed forces, directly the People's Army as the core, creating a combined strength to defeat the enemy (in the national liberation revolution) as well as maintain and strengthen national defense, security, and firmly protect the Fatherland during the period of national construction and development. Promoting that tradition and experience, in the coming time, the building of a lean, strong, and modern Army must be associated with consolidating and enhancing the core role of the Army in building a strong national defense, associated with people's security. This is the principle and condition to ensure the success of the goal of building a modern Army as determined by the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. Accordingly, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp and synchronously and effectively implement the Party's guidelines, policies and the State's laws on military, national defense and national protection, focusing on the Resolution of the 8th Central Conference (13th tenure) on the National Defense Strategy in the new situation, Vietnam's National Defense Strategy, Vietnam's Military Strategy, National Security Protection Strategy, National Border Protection Strategy, National Cyberspace Protection Strategy, etc. Agencies and units in the entire army need to coordinate with central and local ministries, branches and sectors to synchronously and effectively deploy the task of building and consolidating the all-people national defense, people's security, the all-people national defense posture associated with the people's security posture, especially building an increasingly strong "people's hearts posture" in each locality and the whole country. Promote education and training on national defense and security knowledge to continuously raise awareness for all subjects and the entire population. Continue to mobilize all resources and potentials in building solid defense for military regions and defense areas at all levels; build and improve the quality of operations of reserve forces, militia and self-defense forces, especially regular militia and regular combat posts participating in protecting sovereignty over borders, seas and islands. Regularly coordinate closely with the police force and relevant forces to promptly and effectively handle defense and security situations, maintain political security, order and social safety in each locality and the whole country. Actively participate in building the grassroots political system, propagating, mobilizing, and helping people in their daily life, labor, production, prevention and control of natural disasters and epidemics, etc., in order to continuously foster the flesh-and-blood relationship between the military and the people, contributing to building a solid "people's heart position". Military agencies at all levels and economic-defense groups must uphold their responsibilities, promote their core role, and coordinate with departments, branches, and organizations in advising local Party committees and authorities in leading and directing the combination of economy with defense, and defense with economy; focusing all resources on defense, especially the system of combat works and defense works, prioritizing defense works on border lines, seas, islands, and strategic and key areas; having plans to protect the Fatherland early and from afar, avoiding being passive or surprised by strategy. Fifth, actively and proactively expand and improve the effectiveness of international cooperation and defense diplomacy in the new situation. International integration and defense diplomacy are important pillars of the Party's foreign affairs, State diplomacy, and people's diplomacy, contributing to increasing resources to build the Army, consolidating increasingly strong defense, meeting the requirements and revolutionary tasks in each period. During the resistance war against the French colonialists, defense diplomacy actively mobilized the sympathy, aid and assistance of socialist brother countries and international friends, contributing to gradually building our Army to become stronger and stronger, becoming an army with high mobility and strong firepower, launching large, continuous, long-term campaigns, gaining and maintaining strategic initiative, and moving towards crushing the highest military effort of the French colonialists at Dien Bien Phu (in 1954). During the resistance war against the US to save the country, once again, defense diplomacy made an important contribution to building our Army into a relatively modern army with full military branches and services, together with the people to defeat the professional army, with economic potential, equipped with modern weapons and means of war on land, at sea and in the air, regaining independence and unifying the country. Today, building a lean, strong, modern Army, along with promoting internal strength and relying mainly on one's own strength, needs to actively and proactively expand and improve the effectiveness of international cooperation and defense diplomacy. Accordingly, Party committees and commanders of agencies and units need to focus on thoroughly disseminating and educating cadres and soldiers, especially those working in foreign affairs, to firmly grasp the Party and State's foreign policies and guidelines as defined in the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, the Resolution of the 11th Military Party Congress; Resolution of the 8th Central Committee, 13th tenure on the Strategy for protecting the Fatherland in the new situation; especially Conclusion No. 53-KL/TW dated April 28, 2023 of the Politburo, Resolution No. 2662-NQ/QUTW dated February 26, 2024 of the Central Military Commission on international integration and defense diplomacy until 2030 and the following years and conclusions and directives of the Politburo, the Secretariat, the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense, as well as viewpoints, principles, goals, requirements, and tasks of international integration and defense diplomacy; creatively applying the "bamboo diplomacy" policy, under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense, agencies and units in the entire army need to synchronously, creatively, substantially, with a focus on bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation. Proactively and effectively resolve defense cooperation relations with neighboring countries, major countries, strategic partners, ASEAN countries, and traditional friendly countries; firmly adhere to the "four no's" defense policy; ensure the highest national interests on the basis of international law; strengthen research, proactively grasp, accurately and promptly forecast trends in international relations, especially relations between countries and organizations that directly affect Vietnam's national security interests. Under the leadership of the Party and the light of Ho Chi Minh's thought, over the past 80 years, the Vietnam People's Army has continuously grown and developed, excellently completing all assigned tasks. Promoting the heroic tradition and glorious career, the entire army continues to strive to successfully complete military and defense tasks, determined to successfully achieve the goal of basically building a lean, strong, modern army by 2025, contributing with the entire Party and people to bring the country into a new era, an era of national development, building and firmly defending the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland. General, Dr. PHAN VAN GIANG, Member of the Politburo, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/phat-huy-truyen-thong-anh-hung-su-nghiep-ve-vang-xay-dung-quan-doi-nhan-dan-viet-nam-vung-manh-bao-ve-vung-chac-to-quoc-viet-nam-xa-hoi-chu-nghia-808165