Where there are difficulties, there are Party members in military uniforms.
Over the years, in addition to firmly protecting border sovereignty and security, the Nghe An Border Guard has effectively implemented the assignment of border guard party members to be responsible for households in border areas; border guard officers have been assigned to the position of Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of border communes; and border guard party members have temporarily participated in activities at village and hamlet party branches in critical and complex areas. Through this, they have become a solid "pillar of support," contributing to strengthening the grassroots political system, ensuring peace and security for the people, the area, and the border.
Khanh Ly - Hai Thuong• March 3, 2025
Previously, the life of Mr. Xong Nhia Ly's family (60 years old) in Mong Pha Lom village, Tam Hop commune (Tuong Duong district) was mired in poverty. In 2022, the Tam Hop Border Guard Station assigned Captain Nguyen Kim Trong - Team Leader of the Community Mobilization Team - to directly guide and assist his family in developing their economy.
To date, Mr. Xong Nhia Ly's farm has more than 20 buffaloes and cows, nearly a dozen goats, 60 poultry, 1 hectare of red turmeric, 1 hectare of cassava, and 2 ponds for raising grass carp and tilapia... generating an average income of about 100 million VND per year.
“When we started building the farm, my family faced many difficulties, but the Border Guard and local authorities helped us by bringing in electricity, providing livestock, and training in science and technology… which gave me more motivation and determination to escape poverty,” Mr. Xong Nhia Ly expressed.
Similarly, the family of Ms. Quang Thi Loan in Van Mon village, Tam Hop commune, received 17 million VND in initial capital from the Tam Hop Border Guard Station to raise 7 goats. They also received assistance from military-ranking Party members in labor and materials for building proper enclosures, as well as guidance and support on how to care for the livestock.
In just over a year, the goat herd has grown and increased in number by more than three times. This has provided a foundation for Mrs. Loan's family to develop economically, stabilize their lives, and serve as a model for other households in the area to learn from and follow.
Speaking with us, Captain Nguyen Kim Trong said: "When I was assigned to be in charge of a household, I investigated the actual circumstances and needs and aspirations of each family to propose to the Station Command the appropriate and effective way to help people overcome poverty."
The households of Mr. Xong Nhia Ly and Ms. Quang Thi Loan are two of many families in Tam Hop commune selected to implement the "Sharing 50" model. Accordingly, military personnel from the Tam Hop Border Guard Post provide livestock and seedlings to disadvantaged households with resources for farming (labor, arable land) and a determination to escape poverty. When the livestock and crops thrive, the profits are divided in half (50% for the residents, 50% for the investors to support other households); the initial capital is then maintained.
In Tri Le commune (Que Phong district), a border area, immediately after being assigned to temporarily participate in Party activities in Pa Khom village and to assist disadvantaged families, Major Bui Duc Long, a professional military officer from the Tri Le Border Guard Post's Mass Mobilization Team, focused on working with the Party branch and various departments to promote propaganda, mobilization, and assistance to local people in developing the economy based on traditional production strengths such as growing bitter bamboo shoots, cultivating peaches, and developing the breeding of buffaloes, cows, and native black chickens to increase income and stabilize the quality of life.
Lieutenant Colonel Ho Thanh Quang, Political Officer of Tri Le Border Guard Station, said: "In implementing Directive No. 681 of the Border Guard Party Committee on assigning Border Guard Party members to be in charge of households in border areas, Tri Le Border Guard Station has assigned unit commanders to support and assist 10 to 15 households, while other Party members participate in managing 15-20 households."
In addition, the station is calling for support from collectives, individuals, and philanthropists to help provide funding, seedlings, and livestock to build economic models in remote areas, helping ethnic minority households rise out of poverty and stabilize their lives.
Colonel Nguyen Van Hau, Head of Political Affairs of the Border Guard Command of Nghe An province, said: After 5 years of implementing Directive No. 681, the Party Committee of the Nghe An Border Guard Command has assigned 570 Party members to be in charge of 2,474 households in border areas. True to the spirit of Party members leading the way, these Party members in military uniforms in charge of particularly disadvantaged households in border areas have stayed close to the local communities, understanding the thoughts and aspirations of the people to propose to the Border Guard Command to coordinate with local authorities to propagate and guide people in developing production, building and replicating new models that bring economic efficiency and create sustainable livelihoods for the people.
Over the past five years, military personnel have participated in implementing 57 models to help people develop their economy and alleviate poverty. This has contributed to igniting the faith and will to overcome poverty among ethnic minorities in border areas.
Along with assigning Party members to be in charge of households in border areas, the Party Committee of the Nghe An Border Guard Command continues to maintain 5 Border Guard officers participating in the Party committees of border districts, 2 officers participating in the District People's Councils, 23 officers participating in the Commune People's Councils; 27 officers are assigned to serve as Deputy Secretaries of the Party Committees of border communes; and 77 Border Guard Party members are temporarily transferred to Party branches in complex and vulnerable villages and hamlets.
This contributes to strengthening the grassroots political system. In 2024 alone, this team advised local Party committees and authorities on consolidating and strengthening 118 Party branches and 82 socio-political organizations, and admitted 101 new Party members.
For example, the Tung Huong village Party branch (Tam Quang commune, Tuong Duong district), which previously faced many difficulties in recruiting new Party members, has now become one of the leading units in Party development work in the commune.
According to La Quang Dao, Secretary of the Tung Huong Village Party Branch: “Thanks to the border guard officers who participated in the activities and provided advice and support, the development of Party members in the village Party branch has received more attention. From having fewer than 10 Party members, the Tung Huong Village Party Branch now has 46 members. In 2024, the village Party branch also admitted one new Party member.”
In a conversation with us, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Tan, Political Officer of the Tam Quang Border Guard Station, said: The unit's area of responsibility includes 11 villages with 2,032 households/8,193 people, comprising 5 ethnic groups (Kinh, Thai, Tay Poong, Kho Mu, and Dan Lai). To help the locality strengthen the grassroots political system, in addition to one border guard officer assigned as Deputy Secretary of the Commune Party Committee, and 24 border guard party members in charge of 114 households in the border area, the station has introduced 3 party members to temporarily participate in the Party branches of the villages: Tung Huong, Tan Huong, and Tam Huong.
In 2024, the unit advised local Party committees and authorities on consolidating and strengthening 4 Party branches and 14 socio-political organizations, and admitted 12 new Party members.
Many military-ranking party members participating in party activities have contributed to "igniting" all movements and activities in the villages and hamlets. Through this, new, positive individuals are discovered and nurtured for party membership. A prime example is Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Hoai Nam (Nhon Mai Border Guard Post) – a party member temporarily residing in Pha Mut village, Nhon Mai commune (Tuong Duong district) – who directly advised the party branch, guided, assisted, and introduced two outstanding Mong ethnic minority individuals to the party.
For example, Major Vo Cong Bac (Keng Du Border Guard Station) - during his two years of temporary residence in Khe Linh village, Keng Du commune (Ky Son district), has assisted the Party branch in admitting two more Khmu ethnic minority Party members, bringing the total number of Party members in the branch to 12.
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Tu, Political Officer of Keng Du Border Guard Station, said: In addition to assigning Party members to be in charge of 98 households in 10 villages, the Party Committee and the Command Board of the unit also assigned Party members to participate in activities at 5 Party branches in difficult-to-reach villages including Huoi Le, Khe Linh, Keng Du, Huoi Cang, and Huoi Xui to "increase" the fighting capacity of the border Party branches.
Party members in military uniforms have implemented the "3 close ties, 4 together" principle in villages and hamlets, participating in the training of outstanding individuals and creating a source for recruiting party members locally; supporting the Party branch committee in maintaining order and procedures, issuing resolutions, and consolidating and strengthening the leadership capacity of the branch. At the same time, they guide and assist the people in implementing programs, projects, and models for socio-economic development, gradually improving the material and spiritual lives of the people.
Comrade Luong Van Ngam - Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Keng Du commune, said: "The commune has 10 villages, and 8 of them are located in border areas, where the lives of the people are still very difficult. In the past, Keng Du Border Guard Station has not only actively coordinated and worked with the locality to implement models to help people develop the economy, eradicate hunger and reduce poverty, but also supported the Party Committee and the government in consolidating the grassroots political system; improving the material and spiritual lives of the people, ensuring 'three peace' (peace, security, and stability)."
To strengthen the grassroots political system, the Nghe An Border Guard Command also intensified its direction to border guard units along the two border lines to actively and effectively implement emulation movements such as "Border Guards joining hands for the poor - Leaving no one behind"; "Joining hands to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses"; "Accompanying women in border areas"... In 2024 alone, the Nghe An Border Guard Command coordinated the construction of 90 new "Effective People's Mobilization" models (63 models in the economic field; 14 models in the cultural and social field; 8 models in the national defense and security field; and 5 models participating in building the grassroots political system).
At the same time, the effective implementation of 4 "Borderland Medicine Cabinet" models, 6 "Charitable House" models, 1 "Zero-Cost Booth" model, and 2 "Accompanying Border Dormitories" models in the border communes of Mon Son (Con Cuong) and Tam Quang (Tuong Duong) was maintained. Support and care were provided to 302 students, including 117 students under the "Helping Children Go to School - Children Adopted by Border Guard Posts" program and 185 students under the "Army Officers and Soldiers Helping Children Go to School" project.
Colonel Le Nhu Cuong, Secretary of the Party Committee and Political Commissar of the Nghe An Provincial Border Guard Command, stated: In recent times, the reinforced cadres, temporarily transferred Party members, and Party members from border guard posts responsible for households in border areas of the Nghe An Provincial Border Guard Command have effectively fulfilled their roles and responsibilities, providing effective advice to local Party committees and authorities on building and strengthening the grassroots political system; participating in socio-economic development, poverty alleviation, and gradually improving the leadership capacity and combat strength of grassroots Party organizations, the effectiveness of government administration, and the quality of activities of departments and mass organizations from the commune to the villages.
This contributes to promoting economic, cultural, and social development goals, strengthening national defense and security in the locality, and ensuring peace and stability for the people, the area, and the border.
