"Soft shield" on the border

"Guarding the border is not just about protecting each border marker and each patrol line, but also about keeping the people's hearts at peace," said Lieutenant Colonel Le Duy Luong, Political Officer of the Ten Tan Border Gate Border Guard Station.

Officers from the Tén Tằn Border Guard Post visited and offered support to families in the area who suffered damage from the storm.

Recognizing this, the soldiers in green uniforms here consistently raise awareness and promote compliance with the law among the people in the border region. Not stopping at dry propaganda sessions or administrative documents, the officers and soldiers have persistently sought methods suitable to each village and ethnic group, so that every word and action gradually permeates the lives of the people.

The Tén Tằn Border Guard Post is tasked with managing and protecting 23.292 km of border adjacent to the Sốp Hào village cluster in Sốp Bâu district, Hủa Phăn province (Lao People's Democratic Republic). The area comprises 7 villages with 889 households and over 4,000 inhabitants, of which the Thái ethnic group accounts for over 94%. The unit consistently recognizes that to firmly protect border sovereignty and security, it is essential to build a strong and stable area in all aspects.

Located more than 7km from the center of Tén Tằn commune, Đoàn Kết village currently has 165 households and 752 people of the Khơ Mú ethnic group. In previous years, due to various reasons, the lives of the people in Đoàn Kết village faced many difficulties, and the security situation was complex. The commander of the Tén Tằn Border Guard Post decided to establish a task force to live and eat with the villagers. The soldiers in green uniforms of the task force in Đoàn Kết village, together with the village management board, propagated and guided the people to change their way of thinking and doing things, teaching them how to apply science and technology in livestock farming and cultivation, especially how to sow and care for rice; at the same time, they helped households build economic development models of gardens, ponds, livestock, and forests. As a result, the lives of the people have gradually improved, and many households, from being poor, now not only have enough to eat but also buy many amenities to improve their lives. Similar to Doan Ket village, other villages such as Na Kha, Chien Puc, Pieng Mon, Chieng Cong, Buon... all benefit from the joint efforts of officers and soldiers of the Ten Tan Border Guard Post in poverty alleviation and rural development.

Beyond supporting livelihoods, the unit also devotes significant effort to social welfare. Hundreds of man-days of labor from officers and soldiers have been mobilized to help people build and repair houses in impoverished areas, assisting with construction and transporting materials through treacherous mountain terrain. The "Helping Children Go to School" and "Adopted Children of Border Guard Posts" programs are regularly maintained, fulfilling the dreams of dozens of border region students to attend school. Every Lunar New Year, the "Springtime at the Border Guard Post: Warming the Hearts of the People" program brings rice, warm clothes, New Year's gifts, and the warm handshakes and smiles of the soldiers to each household. In addition, community outreach is extensively implemented, with Party members assigned to oversee households and participating in village Party branch activities to promptly understand the thoughts and aspirations of the people. It is precisely because of this closeness and sharing that the people's trust in the border guards has grown stronger, becoming a solid "soft shield" at the nation's border.

When we arrived at the unit, the majority of the personnel of the Tén Tằn Border Guard Post were deployed to residential areas to carry out their assigned duties. In our conversation, Lieutenant Colonel Lê Duy Lượng, Political Officer of the Tén Tằn Border Guard Post, said: "The unit manages and protects 23.292 km of border, controlling entry and exit activities, and import and export at the Tén Tằn border gate. In addition, we are also responsible for ensuring security and order in the densely populated area with many ethnic groups. In recent years, the material and spiritual lives of the people have improved, but this also brings with it the potential risks of crime and law violations."

In 2025 alone, the Tén Tằn Border Guard Post organized legal awareness campaigns for thousands of people; coordinated the development of programs and content for public awareness broadcasts on the local public address system; organized awareness campaigns using the "Border Guard Portable Loudspeaker" model; and organized many special campaigns to encourage people to surrender weapons and explosives...

For the soldiers in green uniforms, each border marker is not just a landmark on a map, but a sacred symbol of national sovereignty, an unspoken command to be preserved with the utmost will and responsibility. The footprints imprinted on the mountain slopes and streams thus become vivid evidence of the perseverance and resilience of the border guard forces in this remote border region. Every year, the unit has led and coordinated with local forces and those of neighboring Laos to strengthen unilateral and bilateral border patrols, ensuring security and order in the area.

Amidst the vast mountains and clouds on the border of our homeland, the soldiers in green uniforms silently maintain peace day and night. They guard the border not only with their patrolling feet, but above all, with their hearts deeply attached to the land and people of this remote border region.

Text and photos: Hoang Lan

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/la-chan-mem-noi-bien-cuong-275169.htm