Shining a spirit of initiative and construction within the Nghe An Youth Volunteer Force.

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the traditional day of the Vietnamese Youth Volunteer Force (July 15, 1950 – July 15, 2025), reporters from Nghe An Newspaper and Radio and Television had a conversation with Comrade Hoang Van Dong – Commander of the Nghe An Youth Volunteer Force, General Team Leader of the 5th Youth Volunteer Team.

PV: Comrade, since the first Youth Volunteer Brigade was established in Nghe An in 1986, the Youth Volunteer Force has had nearly 40 years of development and growth. In your opinion, what are the outstanding achievements and milestones that the force has achieved in the construction and development of the homeland in the new era?

Comrade Hoang Van Dong:It can be affirmed that, in any historical period, the Youth Volunteer Force has always been a vanguard, a volunteer army, ready to undertake the most difficult and arduous tasks.

In Nghe An province, the first Youth Volunteer Brigade was established in 1986. Over nearly 40 years of development, the province has established 10 provincial-level Youth Volunteer Brigades, 2 district-level Youth Volunteer Brigades, and 1 Phuc Son Voluntary Drug Rehabilitation Center. Notably, the Nghe An Youth Volunteer Force has successfully implemented 4 Youth Settlement Village projects funded by the Central Youth Union.

In their early days, the Youth Volunteer Brigades were stationed in remote, inhospitable areas, often described as having "three no's" – no electricity, no roads, and no schools or medical facilities. With the pioneering spirit and perseverance of youth, the Youth Volunteer Force transformed these barren lands into prosperous economic zones with key crops such as tea, pineapple, sugarcane, turmeric, and forestry; creating jobs and income for thousands of local people.

Today, the Nghe An Youth Volunteer Force not only inherits the heroic tradition but also gradually affirms its role as a vanguard force in socio-economic development, maintaining national defense and security, and contributing to building an increasingly prosperous, beautiful, and civilized homeland.

PV: In recent years, Nghe An province has implemented a plan to reorganize, merge, and dissolve some Youth Volunteer Brigades that have completed their historical mission. What is the significance of this change in improving operational efficiency and moving towards the sustainable development of the force in the new phase?

Comrade Hoang Van Dong: Currently, some of the General Brigades have completed their historical mission and have been handed over to local authorities for management or merged into enterprises.

The synchronized implementation of Project 3051 has contributed to overcoming practical shortcomings in the organization and operation of the Youth Volunteer Brigade model for economic development. At the same time, it has created a legal basis and concentrated resources to continue building and developing the Youth Volunteer Force to meet the requirements and tasks in the new situation.

The movement and transformation of the operational model of the Youth Volunteer Brigades has created additional impetus for labor and production emulation, boldly pioneering the application of new methods, and yielding many results. The concentrated investment in the Youth Volunteer Brigades by Party committees, governments, and relevant sectors has created a "boost" that has helped the brigades improve the quality of their operations.

In the near future, the Youth Volunteer Brigades will be transferred to the direct management of the Department of Agriculture and Environment to better suit the current task requirements. Upon being transferred to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, I believe that, building on their existing foundation, the Youth Volunteer Brigades will continue to uphold the traditions of the Youth Volunteer Force and successfully complete all assigned tasks.

PV: In your opinion, in the current context, what are the new and different aspects of the Youth Volunteer Force's tasks compared to the previous period?

Comrade Hoang Van Dong:I believe that, in the new situation, the Youth Volunteer Force should not only be pioneers in developing the land but also a force leading innovation in production thinking, and a bridge between policy and the people.

Previously, the main task was to help young people settle and establish themselves in new lands, explore land potential, build basic infrastructure, and create a stable foundation for socio-economic development in remote, border, and mountainous areas, contributing to maintaining security and national defense. During that period, the spirit of "wherever youth are needed, youth will be there; whatever is difficult, youth will overcome it" was clearly demonstrated through leveling mountains, building roads, constructing shelters, planting forests, and developing raw material areas…

However, in the current phase, in the context of the country's accelerated industrialization, modernization of agriculture and rural areas, and deep integration, the tasks of the Youth Volunteer Force have also undergone a very clear transformation. The focus now extends beyond simply stabilizing the population and developing production; it also includes enhancing product value, developing a circular economy, applying science and technology, and reorganizing production towards a professional and sustainable direction.

Currently, the General Teams are focusing on directing team members and people in the project area to promote integrated agricultural and forestry production, but in a more in-depth manner. We are building a chain of linkages from production to processing and consumption; supplying materials, fertilizers, seedlings, and livestock; implementing demonstration models applying new technologies in production and animal husbandry; and providing training and technology transfer suitable to local soil conditions and practices. These are fundamental solutions to boost productivity, product quality, improve income, and ensure sustainable livelihoods for the people.

Furthermore, in the context of climate change, the task of managing, protecting, and developing forests is becoming increasingly important. The General Teams are organizing economic forest planting while simultaneously enhancing community responsibility in forest protection, fire prevention and control, and the preservation of resources and ecosystems. Entrusting forest management to local people is not only a means of livelihood but also a transfer of responsibility and awareness for long-term environmental protection.

Another difference is that we place a greater emphasis on improving the cultural and spiritual lives of our team members and the people in the region. The main teams actively invest in building essential infrastructure such as electricity, roads, schools, health stations, sports fields, and community centers... From simply ensuring "a place to live," we now aim for sustainable "employment" in both material and spiritual aspects.

By doing so, we not only maintain the tradition of the Youth Volunteer Force but also affirm the pioneering role of young people in developing modern, sustainable, and culturally rich rural areas.

PV: As both the Commander of the Provincial Youth Volunteer Force and the former General Team Leader of Youth Volunteer Team 5 – a unit that pioneered the reclamation of the "three-no" barren land – you must have many memorable experiences. From those experiences, what meaningful lessons have you drawn for the Youth Volunteer Force today?

Comrade Hoang Van Dong:I was born and raised in the poor rural area of ​​Thanh An commune, Thanh Chuong district (formerly), now Hoa Quan commune. From 1992, I worked at the Thanh Chuong District Youth Union. In 2000, when the 5th Youth Volunteer Brigade was established, I was transferred to work at the unit. From August 2024, I was assigned to concurrently serve as the Commander of the Provincial Youth Volunteer Force.

Having spent nearly 25 years with the 5th Youth Volunteer Brigade, I've had countless memories, both happy and sad. Those years were full of hardship and difficulty, but also filled with immense pride. I still remember the early days, when we had to walk dozens of kilometers through the forest to survey the terrain, find suitable locations for setting up camps and houses, beginning our journey to develop this "three-no" land (no land, no infrastructure, no safety zones, no security, no safety, no safety).

There were bitterly cold winters when my comrades and I stayed up many nights patrolling the forest, fighting against illegal logging. Or during heatwaves exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, we had to set up hammocks in the forest to stand guard against fires. During the rainy season, floods cut off roads for weeks, the unit ran out of food, and everyone had to eat cassava and sweet potatoes to survive. But it was in these hardships that we understood even more clearly the value of solidarity, and further strengthened our will, courage, and faith in the path we had chosen.

There is a special memory that I still cannot forget, and it also changed my way of thinking and working during the process of building the General Team. In 2002, when the General Team was newly established and still facing countless shortages, the Chairman of the District People's Committee (before the merger of the two levels of local government) visited the unit.

That day, we took the district leaders to visit a family of a young Pioneer member facing particularly difficult circumstances. The family lived in a makeshift house with a thatched roof, and the children, though of school age, lacked adequate learning conditions. When I personally handed over the gifts and encouraged the child to study hard, the child's emotional and innocent eyes truly moved me to tears.

That image sparked a change in my thinking. I realized that economic development is necessary, but if we want a truly sustainable future, we must invest in education. Because only knowledge can help the children of the project team and the people in the project area escape poverty in a fundamental and lasting way.

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Every year on July 15th - the traditional day of the Vietnamese Youth Volunteer Force - the General Team organizes the awarding of scholarship funds to the children of team members' families who have achieved high academic results.
We are deeply moved that each year 40-60 children achieve excellent student status at various levels, with many achieving excellent student status at the provincial level. In recent years, over 20 children of Youth Volunteer Corps members have been admitted to university. This is not only the achievement of the individual children and their families, but also the sweet fruit of the collective efforts of the Youth Volunteer Corps.

Comrade Hoang Van Dong – Commander of the Nghe An Youth Volunteer Force

Looking back on the journey I've been through, I believe that the spirit of overcoming difficulties, taking initiative for the community, and placing people at the center are the core values ​​that I always cherish and wish to pass on to future generations of Youth Volunteers.

PV: Thank you for the interview!

Thanh Quynh