The effectiveness of the community assistance models implemented by the Thanh Hoa Border Guard.

Over the past 10 years (2015-2025), from remote villages in the upper reaches of the Ma River to border communes such as Muong Chanh, Na Meo, Bat Mot..., officers and soldiers of the Border Guard of Thanh Hoa province have persistently stayed close to the people and the local area, working with the people to improve fields and build classrooms and other public works.

Báo Quân đội Nhân dân•25/03/2026

With 33 models, programs, and movements effectively planned and implemented, the Border Guard force has contributed to unleashing the strength of the "people's support" in the mountainous border regions of Thanh Hoa province.

Lighting up border villages

Looking back over the past decade, it's easy to see that the border region of Thanh Hoa has undergone many positive changes. In July 2024, the pilot model "Bright Villages in Border Areas" was implemented. In just over a year, in 11 out of the 159 selected border villages, the landscape and living conditions of the people have clearly improved.

Comrade Luong Thi Tuan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tam Chung commune, said: “The sturdy village gates, reflecting the unique cultural identity of the ethnic groups, have replaced the simple bamboo walls; the solar-powered lighting system illuminates the patrol routes, dispelling the silence of the vast forest. It is noteworthy that the Thanh Hoa Provincial Border Guard has mobilized over 6 billion VND from social resources to realize the aspirations of the local people.”

Officers and soldiers of the Yen Khuong Border Guard Station are helping the people of Tu Chieng village, Yen Khuong commune, implement a model of growing glutinous rice with betel nut-shaped grains.

Lieutenant Colonel Bui Xuan Ngai, Secretary of the Party Committee and Political Commissar of the Pu Nhi Border Guard Station, affirmed: “Each model we implement is not simply about investing in infrastructure or beautifying the landscape. The core objective is to strengthen the grassroots political system, awaken the spirit of self-reliance and self-improvement among the people, and gradually eliminate the mentality of waiting and relying on others. When the people's hearts are enlightened and their awareness is clear, each citizen truly becomes a 'living landmark' protecting the border.”

In practice, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Border Guard Command has consistently adhered to a guiding principle: putting the people at the center, using the grassroots as the base, and using sustainable effectiveness as the measure. Based on this orientation, many model initiatives have proven effective. Previously, all 16 border communes had border guard officers assigned to serve as deputy secretaries of the commune Party committees. Currently, implementing a two-tiered local government model, nine border guard officers continue to participate in the Party committees, holding positions such as chairman of the commune People's Committee and vice-chairman of the commune People's Council.

During the period 2015-2025, the Border Guard of Thanh Hoa province supported nearly 120 students in the "Helping Children Go to School - Children Adopted by Border Guard Posts" program.

Comrade Trieu Minh Xiet, Secretary of the Party Committee of Quang Chieu commune, former Standing Deputy Secretary of the Muong Lat District Party Committee (old), commented: This is the core force that directly advises the local Party committee and government on socio -economic development, strengthening national defense and security; and at the same time, it is a bridge that closely connects the border guard unit with the grassroots political system and the people.

Along with strengthening the grassroots political system, many livelihood models have brought about significant changes in the lives of people in border areas. These include the integrated farming model (garden-pond-livestock-forest) of Quang Chieu and Pu Nhi Border Guard Posts; the sturgeon farming model in Bat Mot, generating hundreds of millions of dong in income annually; and the bamboo cultivation model, yielding between 80 and 300 million dong per household per year. Particularly noteworthy is the cattle breeding model in Muong Chanh, which has grown from an initial 16 head to 182, demonstrating the suitability of the approach by combining local soil conditions with the support and cooperation of the military.

In addition, programs such as "Helping Children Go to School - Children Adopted by Border Guard Posts," "Borderland Study Corners," and "Teachers in Military Uniforms" have become vivid symbols of the close relationship between the military and the people in border areas. Nearly 100 study corners have been established; these "Borderland Lessons" not only teach literacy but also contribute to cultivating legal knowledge, awareness of protecting sovereignty and territory, and love for the Fatherland among the younger generation. Colonel Hoang Van Hung, Secretary of the Party Committee and Political Commissar of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Border Guard Command, affirmed: "The 33 models currently being implemented are a close combination of economic and cultural development with strengthening national defense and security. Each successful model directly strengthens the people's trust in the Party, the State, and the armed forces. This is an important foundation for building a peaceful, friendly, and sustainably developed border region."

Lieutenant General Nguyen Anh Tuan, Secretary of the Party Committee and Political Commissar of the Border Guard, and leaders of Thanh Hoa province visited a model of high-yield cassava cultivation.

Building a strong national border defense system involving all citizens.

Despite positive achievements, the border region of Thanh Hoa province still faces many difficulties and challenges. The terrain is fragmented, infrastructure is inadequate, and the poverty rate remains high; in particular, the legal awareness of some people is still limited. The situation regarding drug-related crimes and the exploitation of ethnic and religious issues by hostile forces remains complex, placing increasingly high demands on the Border Guard force.

In this context, improving the quality of models that assist the people is not only a regular task but has become an urgent requirement. To further strengthen the "people's support," the Thanh Hoa Provincial Border Guard Command has determined that it must continue to innovate its thinking and methods of action.

Officers and soldiers of Trung Ly Border Guard Post, together with the local people, cultivate wet rice twice a year.

Colonel Do Ngoc Vinh, Commander of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Border Guard Command, emphasized: “All models must originate from the practical needs of the people; respect the role of the people as the main actors; prioritize propaganda, mobilization, and persuasion; and use tangible effectiveness as the measure. At the same time, we must promote the core role of cadres assigned to communes, and Party members participating in activities at village and hamlet Party branches; build a team of cadres who are both strong in professional skills and deeply connected to the grassroots, close to the people, and understand the people. The implementation process must closely combine state resources with socialized resources, and secure the consensus of Party committees, authorities, businesses, and benevolent organizations and individuals.”

Hundreds of hectares of high-yield rice varieties, suitable for the local soil, were introduced and cultivated by the Border Guard of Thanh Hoa province under the guidance of the local people.

According to Lieutenant General Nguyen Anh Tuan, Secretary of the Party Committee and Political Commissar of the Border Guard, in the coming time, it is necessary to continue integrating the unit's activities with national target programs and the local plan for the development of ethnic minority areas; proactively advise on selecting socio-economic development models suitable to the conditions of each locality; focus on sustainable livelihood models that are easy to replicate. At the same time, attention should be paid to applying digital transformation, supporting people in accessing the digital environment, thereby arousing the will to strive for progress and gradually overcoming the mentality of dependence and reliance. During implementation, it is necessary to strengthen coordination with departments, agencies, and forces stationed in the area; mobilize social resources; and regularly review and evaluate to promptly adjust and replicate effective models.

The experience of the past 10 years has confirmed a simple yet profound truth: Where the people's hearts are at peace, sovereignty is firmly upheld. Every village illuminated, every child attending school, every household escaping poverty—these are the solid bricks building the wall of people's hearts in the border regions.

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/quoc-phong-toan-dan/hieu-qua-tu-cac-mo-hinh-giup-dan-cua-bo-doi-bien-phong-thanh-hoa-1029688