Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Minh Hung, Deputy Commander, Chief of Staff, in charge of the Commander, Provincial Border Guard Command (sitting, left) went to each room to ask and encourage new soldiers.

A few days ago, following Major Nguyen Tuan Tai, Battalion Commander and Major Le Anh Tuan, Political Commissar of the HLCĐ Battalion to visit the housing area, kitchen, vegetable garden, and environmental landscape, I realized that the preparations were extremely thorough to welcome CSM to the unit, enter military life, and begin a difficult training program before receiving missions on the two border lines.

In each room for CSMs are rows of sturdy bunk beds. Each bed is fully furnished with pillows, blankets, and neatly folded mosquito nets; above the headboard are neatly wrapped military uniforms; everything is ready to “welcome” CSMs. The kitchen area is clean and shiny; the modern kitchen system is scientifically arranged. The dining room is spacious with large windows, overlooking a space with many shady green trees.

The unit’s vast vegetable garden this season has vegetables such as mustard greens, water spinach, amaranth, sweet potatoes, jute mallow, etc., all lush and green. Next to it are livestock and poultry pens with hundreds of fat pigs and geese.

In particular, the apricot garden with thousands of apricot trees is well cared for, budding and growing; the rows of green trees provide shade, making the space cool under the harsh midday sun. Major Nguyen Tuan Tai and Major Le Anh Tuan shared that from everyday life, entering the military environment, certainly at first the CSMs will be confused; missing their parents and relatives. Especially, when entering training, especially training on the training ground; experiencing combat alerts, marching alerts... at night, the CSMs will have to get used to and overcome difficulties and hardships, in addition to spirit and will, they also need to ensure good health.

Therefore, the unit has carefully prepared every little detail to ensure high quality for every meal, sleep, life and activity of the CSM. In particular, it creates a friendly, “soft”, and close space and environment so that the CSM can quickly adapt, reduce homesickness, consider the unit as their “big home” and will strive to practice, train, and mature from here; prepare well before taking on the mission on the two border lines.

In order to ensure the high quality and efficiency of CSM training in 2024, the HLCĐ Battalion previously conducted training for the framework cadres (including companies, platoons, squads). At the same time, the organization and staffing of the training framework of the training company under the training battalion were completed to receive CSM; 1 company, 4 platoons, 13 squads were established. Lesson plans and training plans were developed and well prepared with materials such as markers, boards, and teaching aids to serve CSM training in 2024, achieving the highest results.

The initial awkwardness gradually “calmed down” when Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Minh Hung and the HLCĐ Battalion Command Board went to each CSM’s room, asking, talking, encouraging and motivating. In the eyes of a CSM (from A Luoi district, with a wife and young children) was emotion, when Major Nguyen Tuan Tai asked about his family, the rear and held his hand tightly, encouraging him to try. And many reassuring smiles appeared on the CSM’s lips with the promise to help, support each other, and unite to achieve high results in the process of studying, training and coaching.

Article and photos: Van Toan