The unwavering bond between the military and the people.

Police and military forces participated in dismantling people's houses in dangerous areas after the natural disaster. Photo: NGUOC - CONG

LESSON 1: THE DIFFICULTIES

Soldiers in peacetime have faced countless hardships, confronting difficulties and dangers from natural disasters and epidemics, promptly arriving and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the people, following the dictates of their hearts and the advice of President Ho Chi Minh: "Loyal to the Party, devoted to the people"...

Frontline in the fight against the epidemic

"The 'new normal' is when life has returned to a peaceful pace, free from the anxieties and worries of the days when the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed every residential area and village, from the lowlands to the highlands."

But the memories of those days of intense fighting against the pandemic are undoubtedly still deeply etched in the minds of many police officers, soldiers, border guards, and frontline shock troops.

We have remained in contact with Captain Nguyen Hong Trung, a police officer from Tra Kot commune (Bac Tra My district), after he was transferred to this locality.

When Quang Nam established the first COVID-19 checkpoints on National Highway 1, Nguyen Hong Trung was one of the police officers present at the control point located at the Chu Lai two-tiered overpass intersection, one of 71 health control checkpoints established since April 2020, when the epidemic entered its most critical phase.

Police officers on duty combating the COVID-19 pandemic during a period of intense heat. Photo: NGUOC - CONG

Many sleepless nights, he and his teammates faced a very high risk of infection while receiving and screening information for thousands of vehicles passing through the area each day.

Enduring the scorching sun, day and night, he silently and diligently worked alongside his teammates, forgetting his worries and the fatigue of long 8-hour shifts without a moment's rest.

Hundreds of makeshift quarantine zones were set up in schools, community centers, health stations, etc. Serving in these quarantine zones, and in daily contact with "F0, F1, F2," officers and soldiers of various forces also added their names to the long list of those unfortunately infected with COVID-19. But these checkpoints stood firm, contributing to the miracle of quickly controlling the epidemic together with the rest of the country.

Following the peak of the pandemic response, and having just received the rank of Senior Lieutenant, Nguyen Hong Trung was assigned to Tra Kot commune (Bac Tra My district) as part of the project to deploy regular police officers to communes.

Living in makeshift accommodations in a school's dormitory, he and his teammates began their work under new pressures. Just as things were starting to get going, a storm and floods struck. We saw him again at the scene of the landslide in Tra Tan commune, struggling through the mud and debris to search for people who had unfortunately been buried.

Subsequently, Mr. Trung busied himself with the campaign to issue citizen identification cards and electronic identification under Project 06, striving to bring "digital life" to the people in the highlands.

The armed forces are always there for the people whenever they need them. Photo: NGUOC - CONG

"I'm fortunate to be serving in the force, and to have been assigned by my superiors to reinforce the commune. My mindset is always one of readiness for the assigned tasks. My superiors only assign me work if they trust me, and the people only contact and inform me when they need something."

"I've experienced some truly extraordinary moments, some challenging, some dangerous, but I'm very happy because no matter what position I was in or what task I was assigned, I always completed it well," shared Captain Nguyen Hong Trung.

The plains are already difficult, but in the remote border regions, the border guard posts face even greater hardship. However, these "human shields" on the border have weathered the most difficult times alongside their homeland of Quang Nam.

There are guard posts deep in the mountains, where officers and soldiers endure hardship for months on end, yet not a single person leaves their post. Soldiers, in any era, are always ready to go wherever they are, no matter how difficult the journey. They go, all for the sake of their mission.

Rebuild the house, find the people.

The first heavy rains have fallen, signaling the arrival of the rainy season. The villages of An Thien and An Tho (Tam An commune, Phu Ninh district) continue to be deeply flooded due to the heavy rains. Commune police officers, militia, and local security teams are on duty, manning checkpoints at deeply flooded areas to warn people and vehicles. Residents in deeply flooded and dangerous areas had already been evacuated to safe locations.

These houses were built with the spirit of soldiers. Photo: NGUOC - CONG

The proactive approach of local forces has become a cornerstone in disaster prevention and control. In early September 2024, the Tam An Commune Police, the local security and order protection team, along with the Red Cross and the local government, conducted a disaster prevention and control drill with the participation of a large number of people.

The capacity to handle situations and implement response solutions has been enhanced, strengthening coordinated efforts during storms and floods, with the primary goal being to ensure the safety of the people in all situations.

Major Le Tuan Phuong, Head of Tam An Commune Police, shared that the commune police force is familiar with the area, knowing every house and every alleyway.

“During every rainy season and flood, we are always on duty, deploying forces to the grassroots level to help people evacuate, ensure logistics, and protect people's property. The safety of each person and each household is our top priority, our greatest requirement. We do everything we can to help our people,” shared Major Le Tuan Phuong.

In Phuoc Loc commune (Phuoc Son district), greenery has returned after the devastation caused by the natural disaster, but the people here still vividly remember the moment the flash flood struck the highlands, wiping out many houses and cutting off roads leading into the commune. They recall that if it weren't for the evacuation order to move 33 households to the Phuoc Loc commune People's Committee headquarters during the torrential rains before the storm, the number of casualties would likely have been much higher than what happened...

Military doctors conduct health checkups for people in the highlands. Photo: NGUOC - CONG

The soldiers, clad in their army green uniforms, were the first to trek over rocky mountains, cut through forests, and cross flooded streams to reach their compatriots during the natural disaster. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Trung Kien, Commander of the Phuoc Son District Military Command, recounted that everything happened so quickly, without any pre-planned scenario, and the extent of the devastating damage caused by the storm was unimaginable.

Rescue and disaster relief efforts were meticulously planned and executed in a systematic manner immediately afterward. More than 37 tons of food, essential supplies, and nearly 1,000 liters of fuel were delivered to the isolated area.

Two hundred workers at the Dak Mi 2 hydropower plant who were trapped were also rescued safely... Soldiers came to set up shelters, cook for the people, wade through mud, and struggle with the huge piles of fallen trees after the flash flood to search for the missing people...

Thousands of police officers, soldiers, border guards, and other personnel have shared meals, lived together, and endured hardships with the people after numerous storms and floods have struck Quang Nam province over the years.

The place they arrived at still lay in ruins, yet to be rebuilt, but above all, it had nurtured a green glimmer of hope. As long as there is hope, there is life, there is hope to rebuild homes, find loved ones, to bring back greenery to the forests, and to warm the kitchens in each new home...

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Article 2: Heartwarming "father-son" bond among border guards

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/sat-son-tinh-quan-dan-bai-1-nhung-nguoi-nguoc-kho-3142700.html