Pursuant to Decree No. 121/SL dated July 11, 1950 of President Ho Chi Minh on the establishment of the General Political Department under the General Command of the Vietnam National Army and Militia, on July 20, 1950, the General Military Commission, directly led by comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh, Director of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army, assigned comrade Ngo Minh Loan the task of selecting cadres and establishing the Protection Department (the predecessor of today's Army Protection Department).
Since then, the Army has had a specialized unit performing the functions of a Party work agency, political work, carried out by ideological and organizational measures,educating and raising the sense of vigilance for all cadres, soldiers, Party members and the masses, promoting the positivity of everyone participating in the work of preventing espionage, keeping secrets, ensuring security and safety for the Army, preventing and combating enemy sabotage; performing the functions of a professional security agency carried out by measures of reconnaissance, investigation, and discovery of counter-revolutionary cases, spies infiltrating the Army and fighting against dishonest elements, ensuring the Party organization and the Army organization are clean and strong.
Senior Lieutenant General Le Quang Minh, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army, visited and inspected a unit under the Military Security Protection Department. Photo: TRUNG HIEU |
Immediately after its establishment, the Protection Department quickly built up its forces, organized combat, and made a special mark in the war of national liberation. During the resistance war against French colonialism, the Protection Department presided over and coordinated with agencies to do a good job of protection work, participating in many major campaigns, such as: Tran Hung Dao, Hoang Hoa Tham, Hoa Binh , Thuong Lao... In particular, during the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, the head of the Protection Department correctly identified the situation, promptly advised and proposed to General Vo Nguyen Giap to report to the Front Party Committee the bases "determined to change the combat strategy", from "fight fast, solve fast" to "fight firmly, advance firmly", creating a surprise in tactics, an important basis for our army and people to win the Dien Bien Phu Campaign.
In addition, the Protection Department has presided over and well implemented the work of protecting safe zones, revolutionary bases, the General Command, the headquarters of the resistance war, and especially protecting President Ho Chi Minh and other high-ranking leaders of the Party, State and Army; resolved a number of complicated cases, cleaned up the internal affairs, helped the Army stabilize and maintain its fighting strength. Assessing the importance of the "silent army", at the first conference on the protection of the entire army (February 1954), comrade Nguyen Chi Thanh, Chief of the General Political Department of the Vietnam People's Army emphasized: "Protection work is an important task in building the Army, a type of political work to protect the Party, protect the Army, it aims to prevent and destroy the enemy secretly hiding and sabotaging us internally... Carrying out protection work is to make the Army strong and clean in terms of politics, ideology, organization, to consolidate and constantly enhance the combat strength of the Army".
During the resistance war against the US to save the country, the Protection Department proactively advised the General Military Commission (since 1961, the Central Military Commission), the General Command, and the General Political Department to comprehensively direct protection work throughout the army, build a fairly complete system of protection agencies throughout the army, train a team of cadres with expertise and skills that initially met practical requirements, contributed to building a strong Army and stabilizing the political and social situation in the North, and prepared conditions for our army and people to be ready to deal with the plot to expand the large-scale war of aggression of the US imperialists.
Strengthen the fight against espionage, psychological warfare, sabotage, maintain political security in the Army; ensure absolute safety and secrecy, especially the policies and strategic plans of the Party, the Army and the headquarters of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense - Commander-in-Chief, senior officers of the Ministry of National Defense directly commanding and directing combat on the battlefield; protect the Route 9-North Quang Tri Campaign, fronts B4, B5, B2. Coordinate with the guard force, the Ministry of Public Security to ensure absolute safety for Uncle Ho and senior leaders of the Party and State to visit and encourage combat units of the armed forces; proactively fight against degenerate and corrupt elements in the Party and carry out the special task of participating in protecting and preserving the body of President Ho Chi Minh after his death. Proactively advise and propose to the Central Military Commission and the General Department of Politics to issue directives and instructions on protection work to promptly direct complex situations occurring during the war; fight against enemy infiltration and infiltration activities into our internal affairs.
Major General Bui Trong Vinh, Director of the Military Security Protection Department, presented gifts to policy families and meritorious people in Dinh Hoa district (now Dinh Hoa commune), Thai Nguyen province. Photo: TRUNG HIEU |
The Security Department directed to ensure absolute security and secrecy regarding the intentions, scale, forces, time... of conducting campaigns; ensure the secrecy of important meetings during the preparation and deployment of forces; strengthen measures to grasp the situation of enemy investigation and information gathering activities; at the same time, send reinforcements to important strategic units and areas to grasp the situation, directly participate in anti-espionage and secrecy; participate in ensuring the safety of communications and front command posts, especially the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, contributing to the liberation of the South and national reunification.
In early 1979, according to the requirements of international missions, the Protection Department sent a number of officers to work as experts to help Cambodia carry out military security work, fight against the Pol Pot-Ieng Sary genocidal regime and carry out protection work for expert forces working in Cambodia; advise and organize the implementation of security work tasks in the war to protect the southwestern border and the northern border; strengthen the investigation of espionage and counter-revolutionary cases and cases occurring in the Army; and carry out well the work of protecting the Party's internal affairs in the Army.
In the early years of the 2010s, the world and regional situation changed rapidly, complicatedly and unpredictably. Our country gradually integrated deeply into the international community. The Party and State's foreign affairs activities and bilateral and multilateral defense diplomacy were expanded, creating opportunities and challenges for the cause of national construction and defense. In that situation, in order to meet the increasingly high requirements for military security work, on June 6, 2013, the Minister of National Defense issued Decision No. 1955/QD-BQP on renaming the Security Department under the General Department of Politics to the Military Security Department; perfecting the organization and staffing (10 departments, 2 boards, 6 groups, 2 centers).
Clearly identifying the position, role and importance of the Army's security work in building a politically strong Vietnam People's Army, from 2014 up to now, on the basis of thoroughly grasping the Party's and State's guidelines and viewpoints, directives, regulations, rules and instructions from above, the Army Security Department has researched, assessed and accurately forecasted the situation, promptly advised and proposed to the Central Military Commission, the head of the Ministry of National Defense, the head of the General Department of Politics and leaders and commanders at all levels policies and solutions to carry out the Army's security work. Advised and proposed amendments and supplements to many directives, regulations and instructions from above and directly issued dozens of documents directing and guiding the security work in accordance with the practical situation of the unit. Actively coordinated with functional agencies inside and outside the Army in exchanging information on the situation and performing tasks, effectively serving the work of national security protection and Army security. Regularly direct and guide the security agencies of agencies and units to systematically implement the information and situation reporting regime, educate and raise vigilance, help officers and soldiers grasp the plots, methods, tricks, and activities of hostile forces against the Party, State, and Army to be proactive in prevention work.
Regularly advise Party committees and commanders at all levels to lead and direct the dissemination and implementation of directives, regulations, rules and guidelines of the Party, State and Army on internal political protection; link internal political protection work with Party building and rectification work. Proactively coordinate, advise and propose to the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense and the General Department of Politics to amend, supplement and promulgate documents regulating internal political protection work in the Army, as a legal basis for unified implementation throughout the Army. Direct and guide the units' security agencies to grasp and closely manage the internal political situation, promptly detect, prevent and handle arising internal issues, especially signs of degradation in political ideology, ethics, lifestyle, signs of "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" among cadres, party members, the masses and negative impacts from society on the Army. Direct and guide the implementation of the work of reviewing and assessing political standards to serve the tasks. Direct and guide the Party committees and commanders of agencies and units to implement the Law on Protection of State Secrets, regulations of the Party, State and Army on the work of protecting secrets.
The Army Security Department marched to the source at the ATK Dinh Hoa relic site, Thai Nguyen on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Army Security Department and the Army Security Industry's traditional day (July 20, 1950 / July 20, 2025). Photo: TRUNG HIEU |
Perform well the work of advising and proposing to the Central Military Commission, the head of the Ministry of National Defense and the head of the General Department of Politics on issues related to the fields of foreign security and economic security; ensure security and safety for bilateral and multilateral defense diplomacy activities, military diplomatic missions, and United Nations peacekeeping activities; ensure security, safety, and confidentiality of information and documents in defense diplomacy activities and cooperation in the field of military trade.
Performing well the function of the leading agency for security investigation in the Army, the Army Security Protection Department has prosecuted, investigated and clarified many cases of violations of Army security. Regularly doing a good job of advising, proposing, directing and organizing the fight, defeating activities that violate national security in the fields of culture and ideology; proactively participating in protecting the Party's ideological foundation, fighting against erroneous and hostile viewpoints. In addition, the Army Security Protection Department also regularly pays attention to and promotes digital transformation, develops the scientific research movement and gradually improves the quality of cadres in the entire security protection sector, builds strong and comprehensive agencies and units that are "exemplary and typical", and clean and strong Party organizations.
During 75 years of construction, fighting and growing, the officers, employees and soldiers of the Army Security Department and the Army Security Department have built a tradition of "Loyalty, dedication, intelligence, creativity, solidarity, discipline, coordination, actively protecting themselves, proactively attacking the enemy"; and have been awarded many noble awards by the Party, State and Army, such as: 01 First Class Military Exploit Medal; 01 Second Class Military Exploit Medal; 03 Third Class Military Exploit Medals; 01 First Class Feat Medal; 02 Third Class Feat Medals; 02 First Class Fatherland Protection Medals; and the Lao People's Democratic Republic awarded the Second Class Freedom Medal. On August 9, 2000, the Army Security Department was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces in the Renewal Period by the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Many units in the Department have been awarded many noble awards by the Party, State and Army; Many cadres, employees and soldiers of the Department in particular and the entire Army Security Service in general were commended for their achievements in combat, study, work and unit building. Many comrades were awarded the title "Emulation Soldier of the whole Army".
The silent achievements over the past 75 years are an honor, pride and motivation for generations of officers, employees and soldiers of the Army Security Department and the Army Security Sector today and tomorrow to promote tradition, be proactive, creative, fulfill their functions and tasks well, worthy of previous generations, build the Army Security Sector on par with mission requirements, contribute to building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite and modern People's Army, together with the entire Party and people to build the country into a new era, an era of strong, civilized and prosperous development.
Major general BUI TRONG VINH, Director of the Military Security Department
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/xay-dung-quan-doi/phat-huy-truyen-thong-ve-vang-xay-dung-luc-luong-bao-ve-an-ninh-quan-doi-cach-mang-chinh-quy-tinh-nhue-hien-dai-837236
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