From a land without electricity, roads, schools, or medical facilities, sparsely populated and facing countless difficulties and shortages, after more than 20 years since its establishment, the economic -defense zone managed and operated by Regiment 726 has undergone a strong transformation, becoming a warm and close-knit home for thousands of people in the border region.

Lieutenant Colonel Do Van Trang, Political Commissar of Regiment 726, said: “With the motto ‘going to every alley, knocking on every door,’ to date, the soldiers of Regiment 726 have mobilized more than 1,000 households to participate in economic development projects in the defense-economic zone; stabilizing 5 residential clusters with a total of 637 households. Workers' families and contracted households have also been allocated 400-800 m² of residential land, 1-1.5 hectares of orchard land, and received 15-20 million VND in support for house construction. From various resources, the unit has invested in building more than 170 km of internal roads; extended 20 km of medium and low voltage power lines; and dug and built 85 large and small lakes and dams to serve the people and production... From the orchards and breeding buffaloes and cows provided by the Regiment, many households have successfully started businesses, built spacious houses, and earned hundreds of millions of VND in income.” VND/year.

Medical personnel from Regiment 726 visited homes to provide free medical examinations and medication to beneficiaries of social policies, the elderly, and those living alone.

Recognizing agricultural development as a key breakthrough to transform the border region, Regiment 726 regularly organizes training courses to provide knowledge and technical guidance on orchard care, livestock breeding, forest fire prevention, and control for its workers and local people. Within the economic-defense zone, the Regiment organizes production with a rational structure, primarily focusing on coffee, macadamia nuts, pepper, and avocado. Simultaneously, it encourages households to utilize nearby land to grow food crops, flowers, and vegetables to ensure sustenance and provide feed for livestock.

Following the motto "listen to the people, speak in a way the people understand, and act in a way the people trust," the cadres, Party members, and young volunteer intellectuals of Regiment 726 regularly stay in villages and hamlets, sharing meals, living, working, and speaking the local language with the people to disseminate information, mobilize support, and raise awareness of law compliance. At the same time, they provide hands-on guidance, helping people access scientific and technological advancements in livestock farming, crop cultivation, and new farming methods. To date, eight members of the unit have been assigned to local areas and participate in Party committees and governments at various levels, contributing to improving the leadership capacity and management ability of local Party committees and governments.

Responding to movements such as "The Army joins hands in building new rural areas" and "The whole country joins hands for the poor - no one should be left behind," the unit allocates hundreds of millions of dong each year to support and assist policy beneficiary families and poor households affected by natural disasters, storms, floods, and accidents, helping them gradually stabilize and improve their lives. Despite many difficulties and hardships, driven by compassion and responsibility towards the community, the unit has so far adopted and supported 32 orphaned and disadvantaged students. In addition, the Regiment organizes tutoring classes to bring knowledge to children in mountainous areas. Under the loving care and guidance of the soldiers, the children have shown significant progress each school year.

In his newly painted house, Mr. Dieu Nuy from Bu Prang 1A hamlet (Quang Truc commune) couldn't hide his joy: "In this remote area, thanks to the soldiers' care and support, providing seedlings, livestock, land, forests, and jobs, for the past five years, there have been no starving households in the hamlet, and the poverty rate has decreased significantly. During natural disasters and storms, the soldiers are always there to protect and help the people. Families with children serving in the military, the elderly, and those living alone receive dedicated and responsible support from the soldiers when harvesting coffee or when they have household chores. These acts of kindness from the soldiers of Regiment 726 further strengthen the bond between the military and the people."

Speaking with us, Comrade Nguyen Trung Thanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quang Truc commune, said: “The Party Committee, the government, and the people of Quang Truc commune highly appreciate the practical work of the officers and staff of Regiment 726 for the locality over the past years. The poverty alleviation models that the unit is implementing and expanding have opened up opportunities for hundreds of households to escape poverty, helping them feel secure and committed to the border region. It can be said that the projects of Regiment 726 have contributed to creating a new face, helping the locality to firmly overcome difficult and challenging times, gradually develop the economy, strengthen national defense, create a solid corridor, and build an increasingly strong national "border defense"./.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/xa-hoi/dan-toc-ton-giao/chinh-sach-phat-trien/diem-tua-cua-dong-bao-vung-bien-quang-truc-912797