These days, the barracks of the 19th Chemical Defense Company seem to have taken on a new look. Everywhere is filled with bright flags, flowers, banners, and slogans; the laughter of the officers and soldiers resounds loudly, everyone is eager and excited with the competitive spirit towards celebrating the 60th anniversary of the 5th Division's Traditional Day. Further motivating the officers and soldiers of the unit is the high achievement just achieved at the 2025 Company-Batman Level Chemical and Radioactive Incident Response Sports Festival in the Southern region - where the bravery of chemical defense soldiers is tempered and shines.

5th Division Chemical Defense Soldiers with hard training days.

Captain Do Dai Phi, the Company Commander, while chatting with us, showed us the certificates of merit and the award flags that the unit had just won at the Sports Festival: “With the spirit of competition, effort and determination, our team has excellently achieved the second prize for the whole group; a second prize in shooting; a first prize in overcoming consequences and cleaning up the environment. That is the result of the whole team's days of hard training, enthusiasm, perseverance, overcoming many difficulties and hardships”.

With the characteristics of the chemical defense troops, through the story of Captain Do Dai Phi, we can somewhat imagine and visualize how hard the young soldiers had to train. Under the scorching sun of October and November in the South, sweat condenses into drops on the visor of the mask, breathing heavily in the heavy protective layer rushing into the simulated "poisoned" area. Moreover, each operation requires absolute precision, just one small mistake, toxic chemical incidents can have a great impact on the environment... perhaps only those who have worn that suit can fully understand the feeling of "challenging yourself". It is not only the endurance of the body, but also the challenge of the will.

Training and practice deploying IDK-1 decontamination kit.
Practice using OZK chemical defense equipment.

“At first, I felt nervous and a little afraid of the feeling of suffocation, afraid of the heavy breathing in the tight mask. Meanwhile, we also organized additional training activities such as weightlifting, wheel pulling... But then, through each training session, that fear turned into strength, because everyone in the team was determined to achieve high results to practically celebrate the division's founding day", Corporal Nguyen Thai Toan, Platoon 3, Company 19 recounted.

Lieutenant Colonel Vo Khoa Dang, Deputy Chief of Staff of Division 5 (Military Region 7), affirmed: “The chemical defense force is one of the units with special tasks, requiring high technical level, endurance and steadfastness. Through the sports event, the 19th Chemical Defense Company has proven that, although it was recently established, with the spirit of “overcoming any difficulty”, the officers and soldiers of the unit have clearly demonstrated the motto of action “solidarity, coordination, collective achievements”, completely worthy of the tradition of “Good prevention, good fighting” of the chemical defense troops”.

Tactical practice - get into battle formation to clear the infected area.
Organize vehicle inspection to ensure readiness for duty.

Not satisfied, stopping with the achievements and glory that have been achieved. After the sports festival, officers and soldiers of the 19th Chemical Defense Company continued to carry out the task of training, building, and consolidating the "regular, green, clean, and beautiful" barracks; repainting the housing system, office buildings, and internal roads; regularly taking care of and renewing the flower garden and ornamental plants to create a spacious, clean, and beautiful landscape. Promoting production activities, improving the lives of soldiers; contributing to making officers and soldiers love and attach themselves to the unit more, feel secure in their work, and be ready to receive and complete all assigned tasks well.

During the Covid-19 outbreak in the southern provinces, officers and soldiers of the 19th Chemical Defense Company, together with the 5th Division, organized the transportation by bicycle of nearly 700,000 social security gift bags and medicine bags; nearly 24,000 tons of food; helped people with more than 50,000 orders at the market; made nearly 20,000 splash shields; used specialized vehicles to spray disinfectant inside and outside the unit hundreds of times... In participating in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 epidemic in Ho Chi Minh City, the Company had 16 individuals who were commended by local Party committees and authorities.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/ban-linh-cua-nguoi-linh-phong-hoa-su-doan-5-1011811