During the 2020-2025 term, the Corps has promoted the spirit of solidarity, dynamism, creativity, overcoming difficulties, excellently completing production tasks, developing the economy associated with consolidating national defense, forming bright spots in economy, culture, and society; consolidating people's trust, firmly building the "people's hearts" position in the strategic area of ​​the Central Highlands.

Lessons on keeping people, keeping land, keeping villages

The Central Highlands is a common home for many ethnic groups, and at the same time is a particularly important strategic area in terms of politics , economy, national defense and security. This place is not only rich in potential resources but also a "fence" protecting the Fatherland from the West. Therefore, building a strong Central Highlands in all aspects, especially consolidating the "people's hearts" position is always a concern of the Party and State.

Major General Hoang Van Sy, Commander of the 15th Army Corps, shared experiences in building a "people's hearts and minds" with village elders, village chiefs, and prestigious people in the Central Highlands.

More than 40 years ago, the border areas of Duc Co, Ia Grai (Gia Lai), Mo Rai ( Kon Tum , now Quang Ngai) had extremely difficult economic conditions. Ethnic minorities accounted for more than 80%, of which nearly 40% of households lacked food all year round. The land was arid and barren, and people mainly depended on slash-and-burn farming. Yet today, along the border, the vast green of rubber, coffee, and pepper has been covered. This achievement not only revived the wasteland but also strengthened the bond between the army and the people, beautifying the beautiful image of Uncle Ho's soldiers - the people's soldiers.

From Pleiku, going up National Highway 14C for nearly 150km, we arrived at Economic-Defense Group 78. Colonel Nguyen Truong Vinh, the Group Leader, recalled: “On the first day of establishment, it took 2-3 days to march from the Corps to the unit, the rainy season completely cut us off. The unit had to stockpile long-term dried rice. The Mo Rai area was particularly difficult, with almost no infrastructure, low education, backward customs, and harsh climate. People were surprised to see soldiers returning to the village...”.

Village elder A Meo in Kenh village said: “The Ro Mam people only know how to burn fields to grow crops. When they run out of land, they move to another place, so they lack food and get sick a lot. But since the soldiers came, everything has changed...”.

Colonel Dang Quang Dung, Political Commissar of the 15th Corps, shared: “Right from the first Party Congress of the Corps (September 1, 1986), the overarching mission was determined: Together with the locality and the sectors, contribute to building a prosperous Central Highlands. The Party Committee and the Corps Command directed the Economic-Defense Groups 72, 74, 75, 715... to send cadres and party members to the grassroots to stay close to the people, the forests, the villages, expand the area of ​​​​orchards, recruit the children of the people as workers, improve the quality of products, and improve the people's lives."

Following the motto of “developing orchards, building infrastructure and residential areas”, companies mobilized local labor and many forces, with the army as the core to carry out the task. With persistent mobilization and persuasion, the army spoke, the people listened, the army did, and the people followed. Models of growing two crops of rice, hybrid corn, coffee, and rubber gradually took shape, contributing to completely solving the hunger problem.

Major General Hoang Van Sy, Commander of Army Corps 15, presented gifts to families receiving support to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses in 2025.

In particular, the Corps created the formula “stream-people-troops”, meaning that land near water sources, favorable conditions were given to the people for production, and land with more difficult conditions was left to the soldiers. This approach could only originate from the sentiment and responsibility of Uncle Ho’s soldiers, all for the people. Therefore, the 15th Corps turned wild forests and “empty” land into a solid “green defense line”, prosperous villages, a “soft border” strategy, relying firmly on the people to protect the land and villages.

The golden seasons of harvest

Now, across the red basalt land of the Central Highlands, lush green rubber forests, coffee and pepper gardens stretch out. A new rhythm of life exists, carrying the breath of fundamental change. The land that was once devastated by war and poverty is now bustling with golden harvests.

Major General Hoang Van Sy, Commander of the 15th Corps, affirmed: “Having been closely associated with the people of the Central Highlands since the early difficult days, we have always attached importance to organizing production in conjunction with mass mobilization and social security. The Corps has invested hundreds of billions of VND to build community cultural houses, support rice in the lean season, provide free medical examinations and medicines, and give gifts to people; launch support for humanitarian programs such as "Heart for Children", "Day for the Poor", give savings books to poor students, children with serious illnesses...".

Not only helping people with food, health care, and education, the units also stand side by side with their compatriots in the most difficult times such as natural disasters and epidemics. Whenever there are flash floods or droughts, the soldiers are there in time to build houses, repair roads, and transfer water to the villages. It is this dedication that has built a strong belief: "Having soldiers means having support."

Representatives of the 15th Corps Command inspected the rice fields of people who borrowed land to replant on the basic rubber garden.

Companies and units always make the most of every resource, coordinating with localities to build new rural areas. The Corps has invested in building 450km of medium-low voltage power lines, 95 transformer stations, 1,500km of roads, hundreds of bridges, dozens of irrigation dams, clean water systems; built 8 primary and secondary schools, 10 kindergartens with 140 school locations, 1 primary boarding school, 1 secondary boarding school, 1 second-class hospital, 11 combined military and civilian infirmaries. Thanks to that, the infrastructure is synchronized, people's knowledge is improved, and community health is taken care of.

Colonel Khuat Ba Cao, Party Secretary and Deputy Commander of Army Corps 15, said: "The outstanding mark is the model of "household connection" - connecting Kinh households with local ethnic minority households. The goal is to unite, using village and neighborhood affection to bond like brothers and sisters, sharing the good and the bad. Up to now, there have been 4,269 pairs of households connecting to help each other develop the economy, protect the land, and protect the village. Many ethnic households have become well-off, earning 200-300 million VND/year.

The model has fundamentally changed traditional production methods, promoting sustainable development. With the policy of "developing orchards, building infrastructure and residential areas", the Corps has worked with the locality to bring nearly 13,000 households with more than 50,000 people to build 266 residential clusters along 251km of border, eliminating the "empty population" situation. The residential clusters are arranged interspersed with 271 hamlets and villages, linked to concentrated production areas, becoming "fortresses" to protect the border. There, each citizen is a "living milestone", each worker is a "soldier" with the Party Committee, government and the armed forces to create a solid, interconnected defense position.

Commitment and sustainable development

From the Party's great policy of building a "people's heart position" to the practice of the 15th Army Corps is a creative and effective application. In the strategic area of ​​the Central Highlands, the people are the decisive factor in keeping the land, keeping the villages, and keeping the border. The army helps the people have a prosperous life, and the people help the army have a solid foundation to complete the mission. That is a flesh and blood relationship, a two-way bond, creating a combined strength to protect the Fatherland and protect the border.

Promoting the tradition of the Heroic Unit of the People's Armed Forces, in the coming term, cadres, party members and workers of the 15th Corps will continue to stick together and accompany the Party Committee, government and people to overcome difficulties, successfully complete tasks, and contribute to building the Central Highlands to develop comprehensively in politics, economy, culture, society, national defense and security. The "people's heart position" is therefore increasingly solid, an important foundation for protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security.

Article and photos: TIEN DUNG - THANH QUY

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/cuoc-thi-viet-vung-buoc-duoi-co-dang/the-tran-long-dan-tren-dia-ban-chien-luoc-tay-nguyen-842602