Society

People on duty during Tet at the border

Hai Thuong - Khanh Ly • January 31, 2025 11:23

Tet is coming, Spring is coming, on the borders, soldiers in green uniforms still stick to each border line and landmark; performing the sacred duty of protecting territorial sovereignty and national border security.

Happy Spring without forgetting the duty

On Tet holiday, when everyone is gathering with relatives and family to welcome the new year, the soldiers of Squadron 2 (Nghe An Border Guard) are still focusing on their duties, ready to fight, protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands, and maintain security, order and safety in the maritime border area.

Major Truong Van Bich - Captain of Squadron 2 of Nghe An Border Guard said: The unit has assigned tasks to ship BP 06-11-01 and boats with 13 comrades on duty, and at the same time organized for soldiers to celebrate Tet early to carry out their tasks so that people can enjoy Tet and welcome Spring.

On the ship, the soldiers also prepared trays of five fruits, candies and decorative items filled with the Spring atmosphere.

Captain Hoang Van Hai - Captain of ship BP 06-11-01 has worked for 23 years in the Border Guard force. This year is the 16th Tet he has spent away from home, but for the peace of the people, he and his teammates are always ready to take on the task of protecting the peace of the sea and islands.

“We are determined to celebrate the New Year without forgetting our duty to guard our homeland’s sea and islands. The happiness of the people is the joy, the spring in the hearts of every officer and soldier...” - Captain Hoang Van Hai shared.

Leaving the coastal route, we arrived at the Ai Khe Working Group, belonging to Muong Ai Border Guard Station (Ky Son) when it was already dark. In the first days of the new year, on the Truong Son mountain range, the weather became even colder.

Meeting the border patrol team, the landmark had just arrived at the Team, we took the opportunity to talk with Captain Ho Ngoc Dam (born 1986), from Anh Son - Team leader of Ai Khe.

He said he has been on duty as a Border Guard soldier for more than 20 years, including 8 years in the Ai Khe working group - about 20km from Muong Ai Border Guard Station along the border patrol route, about 8km from the nearest village. This spring, Captain Ho Ngoc Dam volunteered to stay on duty during Tet to bring joy to the reunion of his other comrades.

“During Tet, everyone wants to return home to reunite with their families, but as soldiers protecting the border, we are ready to volunteer to stay behind to protect the peace of the border so that people can enjoy Tet and welcome Spring. With the attention of superiors and unit commanders, the brothers at the Team have also prepared peach blossoms, arranged fruit trays and food to create a Tet atmosphere like at home...” - Captain Ho Ngoc Dam shared.

Celebrating Tet for the first time at the Ai Khe Working Group, Lieutenant Nguyen Nhat Tuan, a dog trainer, shared that although the area is difficult, remote, and the phone signal is unstable, in our free time we go to a place with signal, about 100m from the Group to call and ask about the situation and wish our relatives in our hometown a Happy New Year, so we can somewhat ease our homesickness every time Tet comes and Spring comes.

At the Vietnam - Laos border, everything material is very scarce, but the officers and soldiers in the Ai Khe Working Group have received attention and encouragement from the unit's Party Committee and commander.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Dinh Vien - Head of Muong Ai Border Guard Station said that in combat readiness work, the unit strictly maintains the on-duty regime, especially in the fight against all types of crimes, coordinates with local forces and authorities to propagate and mobilize people to comply with the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws, and local regulations in ensuring security and order in the area.

On the unit side, in addition to the officers and soldiers at the Station, we also have a Control Station and two working groups stationed far from the command. The Party Committee and the Station Command have fully prepared food, provisions, materials, standards and regimes for the officers and soldiers.

The unit also deployed teams to the locality to propagate and mobilize to ensure security and order, strictly comply with local rules and regulations, especially young people working far away must strictly comply with not setting off firecrackers, ensuring security and order in the locality.

Talking to us, the village elder of Xong Va So, Tham Khop village cluster, Huoi Khe village said: At the age of 60, he no longer remembers how many times he has patrolled and protected the border and landmarks with the Border Guards, he only remembers that every year when Tet comes, Spring comes, the officers and soldiers of the Border Guards of Muong Ai station always pay attention to the villagers and the peace on the border land.

This year, I am old and my health is weak, I cannot go to each milestone with the Border Guard soldiers anymore, but I still advise my children and grandchildren in this Tham Khop Village Cluster to unite together, ensure security, and celebrate Tet, whether people coming from far away or staying in the village, do not set off firecrackers, do not get drunk, do not cause disorder so that everyone can happily celebrate Tet, so that the Border Guard soldiers can have some relief from the hardship.

Peaceful border

In order for people to enjoy Tet and welcome Spring in peace, Nghe An Border Guard has thoroughly grasped and strictly maintained the regimes and regulations on combat readiness; launched a crackdown on crimes on the two border lines, in which Border Guard stations established patrol teams, coordinated with other forces to patrol and control day and night, closed the area, effectively fought against all types of crimes to maintain peace in the border area.

Keng Du Border Guard Station (Ky Son) is responsible for managing a 29.909 km long border section, with 1 landmark and 5 Vietnam - Laos border markers.

In the days before, during and after Tet, in addition to coordinating with the Lao border protection force in bilateral management and patrolling, the unit regularly coordinated with local authorities and police and militia forces in patrolling, managing and protecting the border, and maintaining security and order in the area.

In addition, the self-management teams of border lines and landmarks in villages and hamlets maintain orderly and effective operations, which also contributes significantly to the work of preserving territorial sovereignty and national border security. During the Lunar New Year 2025, the unit coordinates with local authorities and the police and militia forces to regularly organize patrols, control, and propagate to the people to strictly comply with legal regulations, especially not to use, produce, buy, sell, store, or transport illegal fireworks, weapons, and explosives.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tien Dung - Head of Keng Du Border Guard Station said: Through patrol and control activities, we contribute to maintaining political security and social order and safety in the border area during the traditional New Year of the nation.

During the first days of the new year, the unit coordinated with the Keng Du commune Party Committee and authorities to visit, give gifts, and wish a happy new year to officers and soldiers of the Keng Du Border Control Station and inspected landmark 398 of the Vietnam-Laos border.

Through conversation, many officers and soldiers of Border Guard stations on duty during Tet on the two border lines said: Except for being away from family and relatives, Tet for soldiers in green uniforms on the border is also full and cozy.

Vegetables are grown by themselves, pigs and chickens are raised by themselves, all units organize for their comrades to slaughter pork, make banh chung; organize cultural exchange activities, arts, sports and traditional games of ethnic minorities associated with Spring and Tet celebrations, invite local cadres and people to celebrate Spring with cadres and soldiers to create a warm, close atmosphere, strengthening the relationship between the army and the people.

In the following days, leaders of stations, groups, and posts will spend time visiting village elders, village chiefs, and prestigious people to wish them a Happy New Year.

Although there are moments of homesickness, Border Guard officers and soldiers always identify the responsibilities and duties of Border Guard soldiers at the border to ensure security for people to enjoy Tet and welcome Spring.