Not afraid of hardship
In the final days of the year, through social media, I had interesting conversations with the "blue beret" couple, Captain Hoang Huu Cong Thanh (born in 1994) and Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Thi Nguyet Ha (born in 1996). Ms. Ha is from Quy Duong village, Tan Truong commune (Cam Giang district). Mr. Cong is also from Cam Giang district, but his family has moved to live in Hai Phong city.
At the end of September, Mr. Thanh and his wife, along with more than 180 comrades from the 3rd Engineering Battalion, departed to carry out a United Nations peacekeeping mission at the UNISFA mission in the Abyei region, a conflict zone between Sudan and South Sudan (Africa) that has been in conflict for over 10 years.
According to Ms. Ha, the Abyei area is entering the dry season, with extremely harsh weather conditions and outdoor temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, making it very difficult for international forces on duty. This is also an unstable area in terms of both security and politics .
Recalling her first day setting foot in the Abyei region on duty, Ms. Ha still feels the same excitement and indescribable emotion. Here, Ms. Ha worked in administration for the 3rd Engineering Team, while Mr. Thanh served as the military-civilian coordination officer and communications officer.
Immediately upon arriving, Ms. Ha and her husband quickly grasped the local situation and got straight to work. During breaks and days off, Ms. Ha actively participated in community outreach and humanitarian activities, helping local people.
They met and became a couple while working together in the same unit, and what kept them together was mutual understanding and respect. It's remarkable that they both went on a mission almost a year after getting married.
Captain Hoang Huu Cong Thanh shared that from 2022-2023, he served as a military observer in South Sudan as a peacekeeping mission. Having just completed his mission abroad more than a year ago, Captain Thanh and his wife are now embarking on another peacekeeping mission.
"We were the first couple from the 3rd Engineering Battalion to travel together. We celebrated our wedding anniversary in Africa. This is an unforgettable memory in our lives," Ms. Ha shared.
Sharing her reasons for the decision, Ms. Ha said that while working in the military at the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department, seeing her comrades successively going on international missions each year motivated her to determinedly enlist.
"I really wanted to participate to better understand the peacekeeping mission that my colleagues are undertaking. My determination has grown stronger with each passing year," Ms. Ha shared.
Mr. and Mrs. Thanh consider it an honor and a source of pride to dedicate their youth to the country and the international community. After completing their mission and returning home, they plan to have children.
Continuing the family tradition
The desire of Lieutenant Nguyen Thi Nguyet Ha and her husband to go to Africa together for a mission was strongly supported by their family and relatives.
Talking to Ms. Ha's parents in Quy Duong village, Tan Truong commune, we could sense the pride in their eyes when they talked about their daughter.
Ms. Ha is the youngest of two sisters in her family. According to her family, she consistently achieved excellent academic results throughout her schooling. After graduating from the Faculty of International Law at Hanoi National University, with her outstanding knowledge and foreign language skills, Ms. Ha was selected to join the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department.
In contrast to the image of a resilient female soldier in a "green beret," in the eyes of her family, Ms. Ha is a feminine, gentle girl who enjoys cooking for the whole family.
On the day Ms. Ha and her husband left for their mission, her parents came to see her off. Sympathetic and understanding of their daughter's work and duties, despite having to be separated from her, Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen Dinh Dung supported their daughter's decision.
“My family is very happy and proud that my children have continued the family tradition, as both their grandfather and uncle were involved in and grew up in the military. This Tet holiday, they won't be able to come home to reunite with the family, but we will call to encourage them to complete their duties excellently,” Mr. Dung confided.
The assignment in Abyei is expected to last 12 months. Speaking about their plans for the future, the "blue beret" soldier couple, Hoang Huu Cong Thanh and Nguyen Thi Nguyet Ha, said they understand that there will be many hardships and challenges, and they will strive to complete their mission excellently, contributing to leaving a positive impression on international colleagues and local people about Vietnam and its people.
NGUYEN THAOSource: https://baohaiduong.vn/chat-voi-cap-doi-mu-noi-xanh-que-cam-giang-400501.html
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