The top student of the special forces tells the story of hard training to attack islands and ports, and 24 hours drifting at sea.

24 hours drifting on the sea, with quick meals of pre-mixed porridge in bottles wrapped around buoys - those are the most unforgettable memories of the water commando valedictorian Vu Xuan Cuong.

During his studies, Vu Xuan Cuong was awarded the title of advanced soldier and grassroots emulation soldier four times - Photo: NVCC

After 4 years of studying with many challenging contents, Vu Xuan Cuong (23 years old, from Than Khe, Hung Yen ) graduated from the water special forces major, Special Forces Officer School, with a score of 8.02/10, graduating with the rank of lieutenant.

Cuong is one of 95 valedictorians honored by the Hanoi People's Committee as excellent valedictorians graduating from universities and academies in the capital in 2025 at the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam on the evening of November 14.

"I consider this a special gift for my mother and deceased father," Cuong confided.

Xuan Cuong hopes that after graduating, he can work at the unit closest to his home to conveniently take care of his mother - Photo: NVCC

Failed university entrance exam by 0.3 points

Talking to Tuoi Tre Online , Cuong said he had dreamed of going to military school since he was a child to have a stable job and share the economic burden with his parents.

In 2020, Cuong took the entrance exam for the Command and Staff Department at Army Officer School 1, but luck did not smile on him as he missed the exam by just 0.3 points. The door to the military school temporarily closed, Cuong enrolled at Hanoi University of Construction.

However, after about 4-5 months, Cuong realized that the tuition fee was quite expensive, and the major was not suitable for him. Thinking only about retaking the military exam, Cuong determined to drop out of school to focus on reviewing for the university entrance exam and was admitted to the Special Forces Officer School.

Xuan Cuong and students of the Special Forces Officer School during their studies and training at the school - Photo: NVCC

The training process at the Special Forces Officer School lasts four years, but it is not until the end of the third year that students begin to choose their majors, including infantry special forces, special operations special forces, and water special forces.

Cuong said that when he first entered the Special Forces Officer School, he only knew how to swim short-distance freestyle. But after 2 days of entering the school, Cuong was instructed and trained to swim long-distance breaststroke. During the training sessions of swimming in a centipede formation of about 20 people in a rope, Cuong was always chosen to swim at the head of the rope because of his strong physique and good technique.

His father died in a traffic accident in 2022. After graduating, he wanted to have a job near home to take care of his mother, so Cuong decided to pursue a career in water special forces.

"In the first three years, we learned to swim from basic to advanced. By the end of the third year, when we chose the water major, most of the comrades in the major already knew how to swim at an advanced level, so we were able to swim long distances," Cuong said.

Challenge for water commandos

Pursuing the specialization of water commandos, the challenges become more difficult and harsh. The most difficult training content for Cuong is "drifting 24 hours at sea" during the final internship of year 4 in Ninh Thuan.

At that time, Cuong was allowed to participate in a 24-hour drifting event at sea to test his body's endurance. During the drifting, the students were given tube floats and pre-mixed porridge in water bottles tied to the floats to eat on the sea surface.

"Drifting 24 hours at sea is quite tiring, requiring both physical strength and will. The weather at sea is extremely harsh, the skin gets burned, and when it comes ashore it peels off very painfully," Cuong said.

Xuan Cuong and his teammates in training uniform - Photo: NVCC

The memories that Cuong remembers most are the final training session of the 10-day course. During the training, the students of the water commando branch had to carry out battles such as attacking islands and ports, and had to swim and approach the target in the cold December weather.

There were nights when students had to swim in the cold of 7-8 degrees Celsius and were told by teachers that they could gargle with fish sauce and drink ginger water to keep their bodies warm.

"We only fought at night. We fought from 7 p.m. in the very cold weather, wearing only commando shorts and bare chests. There were moments when we swam to the target area, we just swam for survival because it was so cold, we couldn't feel our limbs. When we came up, we couldn't walk steadily anymore and had to lean on the rocky areas," Cuong said.

Cuong and his mother at the graduation ceremony - Photo: NVCC

Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Manh Khiem - Captain of Company 2, Battalion 1, Special Forces Officer School - said that Cuong is a well-rounded student. Not only does he have good physical strength and meet the requirements of specialized training, Cuong is also very active in movement activities and complies with school regulations.

"Cuong is a very good swimmer, but he is especially excellent in the exercise that requires pulling a 20-25kg weight for about 30-35km. Students must have good physical strength and skills to meet this requirement," said Mr. Khiem.

After graduating, at the end of August, Cuong received a job at the Special Forces Battalion, General Staff of Military Region 3 in Hai Phong as a Platoon Leader, in charge of managing soldiers.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thu-khoa-dac-cong-nuoc-ke-chuyen-kho-luyen-danh-dao-danh-cang-24-gio-tha-troi-tren-bien-2025111414163998.htm