In 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, the Party Committee and the Military Region 7 Command led and directed the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of militia officers and soldiers to serve at more than 1,000 quarantine points and field hospitals, and deployed nearly 17,000 teams and checkpoints to prevent and control the epidemic. Regardless of day or night, rain or shine, militia soldiers are always present at hot spots, directly performing the tasks of controlling, measuring body temperature, making medical declarations, providing medical support and ensuring security and order. The militia is one of the main forces participating in transporting and distributing millions of meals, necessities, and medicines to people in quarantine and blockade areas. The image of militia soldiers "going to the market to help people" and "transporting food in the heart of the epidemic" has left a deep impression on the people.

Colonel Le Xuan Binh, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of Military Region 7 affirmed: “The fight against the Covid-19 pandemic is a big test and the Militia and Self-Defense Force of Military Region 7 has overcome it with courage, responsibility and patriotism. This is the result of building a strong, widespread, and effective Militia and Self-Defense Force led by the Party Committee and the Military Region 7 Command, with many drastic and synchronous solutions in recent years.”

Ho Chi Minh City militia officers and soldiers practice formation rules.

Military Region 7 is an important strategic area in the South of the country, with a large population, rapid urbanization, dynamic economic development with many industrial parks, export processing zones, and FDI enterprises. In response to the requirements of national defense and security tasks in the new situation, the Party Committee and Command of Military Region 7 focus on building a strong, widespread, flexible militia and self-defense force that is suitable to local characteristics with many effective models.

Ho Chi Minh City militia officers and soldiers perform Vovinam martial arts.

“Ho Chi Minh City has many industrial parks and export processing zones that attract tens of thousands of non-state enterprises and FDI enterprises with millions of workers. This is a key economic development area but also has the potential risk of instability in security and order if there is not a strong enough local force. Recognizing this issue, implementing the direction of the Party Committee and the Military Region 7 Command, in recent times, the City Command has advised the City Party Committee and the City People's Committee to lead and direct the establishment of thousands of militia and self-defense squads and platoons in enterprises, contributing to improving self-protection capabilities and maintaining security and order from the grassroots level,” said Colonel Phan Quoc Viet, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Ho Chi Minh City Command.

From many models in Ho Chi Minh City, Military Region 7 has widely replicated them in the area. Military agencies of Dong Nai and Tay Ninh provinces have proactively advised the Party Committees and authorities to direct the establishment of militia and self-defense forces in enterprises, especially in large industrial parks, as the core to protect internal security, participate in fire and explosion prevention, natural disasters and support response to emergency situations. Militia and self-defense forces have both participated in production, performed national defense tasks and maintained internal security - and are showing clear effectiveness in the diverse economic environment in Military Region 7.

Dong Nai province militia officers and soldiers practice shooting 12.7mm guns.

The Military Region 7 Command directs units to regularly train militia and self-defense forces according to the motto of “basic, practical, solid”, linked to specific local situations. Defense area drills, fire, natural disaster and epidemic response drills are organized periodically, contributing to improving the command, coordination and real-life situation handling capacity of militia and self-defense forces.

Tay Ninh province's regular militia patrols the industrial park area.

Building the Militia and Self-Defense Forces, Military Region 7 proactively built units that both met the requirements of the tasks ahead in peacetime and were strategic in wartime. In addition to the mobile Militia and Self-Defense Forces and local militia, localities have built strong specialized Militia and Self-Defense Forces, such as air defense militia, engineers, artillery, chemical defense, reconnaissance, search and rescue, etc., suitable to the characteristics of each region.

Officers and soldiers of the Dong Nai province border militia patrol the area.

Currently, Military Region 7 has built a militia force reaching 1.27% of the population, the party membership rate is 31.3% with many effective models, such as "Commune-level standing militia force", "Standing militia in industrial zones", "Self-defense in foreign-invested enterprises, enterprises without a Party organization", "Standing militia companies rotating to concentrate in provinces and cities for advanced training and readiness to handle situations"... Localities also built 100% of commune-level military commands with their own standard working headquarters and ensured good living, studying and working places for officers and soldiers, equipped with appropriate weapons and support tools.

Dong Nai province militia forces participate in helping people build rural roads.

In the period of 2020-2025, local militia and self-defense forces organized independent and coordinated patrols, patrolling more than 3.8 million times with over 9.1 million militia and self-defense forces participating, together with relevant functional forces, resolving 19,765 cases, temporarily detaining 21,806 subjects, and seizing illegal goods worth over 23.5 billion VND.

Comrade Nguyen Van Nen, Politburo member, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, said: “With the motto “Strong, widespread, close to the grassroots”, the militia and self-defense force is truly the core force in carrying out local military and defense tasks at the grassroots level, a reliable support for Party committees, authorities and people. The militia and self-defense force is not only a military force at the grassroots level, but also a bridge between the Party, authorities and people. Militia soldiers always actively participate in mass mobilization work, propagating policies and laws, maintaining security and order, contributing to building a solid national defense posture associated with a solid people's security posture. The active activities of the militia and self-defense force have contributed to maintaining political stability, firmly protecting the Fatherland from early on, from afar, from the grassroots level”.

Article and photos: HIEN NGUYEN

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    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/xay-dung-quan-doi/nhieu-mo-hinh-diem-dan-quan-tu-ve-hieu-qua-o-quan-khu-7-837713