Three basic functions of the People's Army in peacetime

Performing the functions of a combat army, a working army, and a production army, in peacetime, the Vietnam People's Army has achieved many important achievements, contributing to the cause of building and defending the country.

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army, Colonel Vu Khanh, Institute of Defense Strategy, Ministry of National Defense, wrote an article: The People's Army performs three functions well in peacetime.

Vietnam Coast Guard Ship 8002 built by Song Thu Corporation (Ministry of National Defense). Photo: VNA

During the years of peace, the Vietnam People's Army has achieved many important achievements in building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, gradually modernized army, ready to fight, firmly protecting the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Fatherland. Generations of officers and soldiers of the army have continued to promote the tradition and good nature of "Uncle Ho's Army", always fulfilling the functions of a fighting army, a working army, a production army.

Performing the function of a combat army: The People's Army is organized in a streamlined manner, equipped with appropriate weapons and equipment, regularly practicing training, improving combat readiness and combat capabilities, firmly protecting the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland, protecting national and ethnic interests.

The Army has closely coordinated with forces and organizations to research, monitor, grasp and accurately assess the domestic, regional and international situation related to military and defense; clearly identified the targets of combat, tricks and methods of sabotage by hostile forces against our country; analyzed and correctly forecasted situations and risks that could lead to political fluctuations; advised the Party and State on timely policies and countermeasures, avoiding strategic surprises, proactively proposing solutions to handle situations in accordance with the Party's guidelines and viewpoints.

The army has focused on political construction, improving overall quality and combat strength, proactively fighting to eliminate internal "self-evolution" factors, and foiling the plot of "depoliticization" of the army by hostile forces. Building and perfecting strategic combat plans; fundamentally adjusting strategic deployment in key directions. Strictly maintaining combat readiness, ready to deal with situations that arise. Strongly rectifying the army organization in the direction of "refined, compact, strong", focusing on building forces, prioritizing regular units on combat readiness missions.

The Army has coordinated well with sectors and localities to build, manage and improve the quality of training of reserve forces, build a contingent of military officers at the grassroots level with sufficient quantity and increasingly high quality. Continue to innovate the content of training programs combined with rectification and consolidation of the military school organization system. Improve the training quality of units in the entire army to meet the requirements, tasks and combat objects; enhance combat readiness for units. Research and develop military science in accordance with the development of the situation and conditions of Vietnam, meeting the requirements of combat in conditions where the enemy uses high-tech weapons.

Performing the function of a working army: The People's Army always maintains a close relationship with the people. As one of the core forces participating in mass mobilization work and building the grassroots political system, army units have actively carried out mass mobilization work, taking the lead in building and developing the socio-economy in remote, border and island areas; actively participating in flood and storm prevention, search and rescue, disaster mitigation and protection of resources and the environment... Units in the People's Army have closely coordinated with localities with many difficulties in the area where they are stationed, actively participating in hunger eradication and poverty reduction, contributing to improving the material and spiritual life of all classes of people.

The army is the shock force in the process of resolving the long-term consequences of wars, actively participating in the Government's "National Action Program to Overcome the Consequences of Bombs and Mines", carrying out the task of clearing bombs and mines, explosives left over from the war to liberate land for production.

Many projects to investigate and clear mines have been implemented in the most heavily contaminated areas and have achieved positive results. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of land have been cleared of bombs, mines and explosives to serve production. The army has also actively helped bomb and mine victims integrate into social life. Units throughout the army have done a good job in the army's rear policy, built tens of thousands of Gratitude Houses, Comrade Houses... and searched for and gathered martyrs' graves in the three countries of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

The People's Army has carried out the work of overcoming the consequences of toxic substances, including post-war chemical pollution, simultaneously with environmental conservation and improvement. Propaganda work on environmental protection in the army has been promoted, contributing to raising awareness among officers and soldiers about the task of environmental protection.

Military units have conducted surveys and investigations, assessed the current status and environmental impacts on military areas and related areas; controlled and monitored pollution and managed military waste; implemented activities to improve environmental quality; promoted scientific and technological research activities, applied scientific and technical advances to exploit and use natural resources rationally and economically in military activities; developed and implemented the Ministry of National Defense's project in the research program to overcome the consequences of post-war toxic chemicals; closely coordinated with state agencies to solve many environmental problems; built and organized a core force in natural disaster prevention and environmental incident response...

The Army is the main force in the task of natural disaster prevention, search and rescue, considering this a combat mission in peacetime. Army officers and soldiers have done well in planning for natural disaster prevention, search and rescue, leadership, command, force organization, ensuring technical equipment, logistics, consulting, and directly working with Party committees, authorities and local people where they are stationed to deploy measures for natural disaster prevention, search and rescue. Thanks to good preparation, when natural disasters or man-made incidents occur, the Army has promptly mobilized forces and equipment, proactively and effectively responded, contributing to minimizing damage to the State and people.

Responding to the emulation movement "The whole country joins hands to build new rural areas" launched by the Government, military units have had many practical activities to participate in building new rural areas in the areas where they are stationed. Units throughout the army have actively participated in building local socio-economic infrastructure (such as transportation, irrigation, electricity, schools, cultural facilities, markets, post offices, residential housing); participated in implementing structural transformation, technology transfer, improving production efficiency, increasing people's income, contributing to the local goal of hunger eradication and poverty reduction.

Participate effectively in the implementation of education, healthcare, public health care, environmental protection, implementation of movements, social policy work, mobilizing people to practice a new cultural lifestyle; participate in building strong and excellent Party organizations, government, fronts and mass organizations, consolidating a comprehensively strong local political base; participate in the fight against social evils, maintaining political security, social order and safety, building a safe and strong locality.

Performing the function of a production army: Military units have taken advantage of all potentials, labor resources, land, technology..., promoted increased production, created additional food sources on the spot, contributing to maintaining stability and significantly improving the material life of soldiers. Defense industrial factories and enterprises have produced a number of types of weapons and equipped with suitable equipment, meeting the requirements of modern combat, combat readiness and combat of the army. Many economic units of the army have produced and done business effectively, becoming large economic organizations and corporations of the country, taking the lead in combining economy with defense, contributing worthily to the cause of socio-economic development and strengthening and consolidating the country's defense and security...

Military enterprises have participated in many key national projects such as the Ho Chi Minh Road, the 500KV North-South power line, border patrol roads, oil and gas services, and participated in the construction of many large hydroelectric projects... Currently, there are nearly 100 military enterprises operating in many economic fields such as flight services, seaport services, telecommunications, shipbuilding industry, industrial tree planting... The export turnover of goods and services of these enterprises is increasing day by day.

The military's economic-defense zones have helped people reclaim land, improve fields, build rice fields, grow grass for livestock; provided capital for house building and seedlings, helped with production techniques, prevented migration and welcomed people from the rear to settle, helping people stabilize their lives long-term; and coordinated with localities to propagate and mobilize the masses to actively participate in cultural and social development.

Cultural and artistic activities, physical education and sports, and movements to build a civilized lifestyle, happy families, promote national cultural identity, raise healthy children, teach good children, family planning, eliminate illiteracy, eliminate bad customs, superstitions, and maintain hygiene... are actively implemented by local people, creating new changes, contributing to the gradual socialization of the fields of culture, education, and community health care.

The economic-defense zones have built dozens of cultural houses, television stations, brought radio and television systems to villages; implemented a combined military-civilian medical program, organized medical examination and treatment for tens of thousands of people... contributing to improving the cultural and spiritual life of ethnic minorities in the area. On the basis of planning and investing in the construction of clusters and residential areas close to the border, the economic-defense zones have organized the construction of national defense and security postures, contributing to firmly protecting national border sovereignty in all situations.

According to Vietnam+