Shining the spirit of shock and construction in Nghe An Youth Volunteer Force

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the traditional day of the Vietnam Youth Volunteer Force (July 15, 1950 - July 15, 2025), reporters of Nghe An Newspaper, Radio and Television had a conversation with comrade Hoang Van Dong - Commander of Nghe An Youth Volunteer Force, Captain of Youth Volunteer Team 5.

Reporter: Dear comrade, since the first Youth Volunteer Corps 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 marks that the force has achieved in the cause of building and developing the homeland in the new era?

Comrade Hoang Van Dong:It can be affirmed that, at any historical period, the Youth Volunteer Force is always a volunteer shock force, ready to undertake the most difficult and arduous tasks.

In Nghe An, since 1986, the first Youth Volunteer Force of the province was established. After nearly 40 years of construction and development, the whole province has established 10 Provincial Youth Volunteer Force Forces, 2 District Youth Volunteer Force Forces and 1 Phuc Son Voluntary Drug Rehabilitation Center. In particular, Nghe An Youth Volunteer Force has successfully implemented 4 Youth Village projects invested by the Central Youth Union.

In the early days of its establishment, the Youth Volunteer Force stood on the land of wild forests and poisonous waters, which were considered to have "3 no's" - no electricity, no roads, no schools and stations. With the pioneering and persistent spirit of youth, the Youth Volunteer Force transformed the barren lands into prosperous economic areas with key crops such as tea, pineapple, sugarcane, turmeric, and forestry trees; creating jobs and income for thousands of local people.

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

PV: In recent years, Nghe An province has implemented a project to consolidate, merge and dissolve a number of Youth Volunteer Force Corps that have completed their historic missions. What is the significance of this change in improving operational efficiency, towards the sustainable development of the force in the new period?

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

The synchronous implementation of Project 3051 has contributed to overcoming practical shortcomings in the organization and operation of the Youth Volunteer Force model for economic development. At the same time, it has created a legal basis and focused efforts 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 Team has created more motivation to compete in labor and production, boldly pioneering in applying new things, bringing many results. The investment in Youth Volunteer Teams by the Party Committee, government and related sectors has created a "push" to help the teams improve the quality of their operations.

In the coming time, the Youth Volunteer Force Teams will be transferred to the Department of Agriculture and Environment to manage in accordance with the requirements of the current period. When transferred to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, I believe that, from the existing foundation, the Youth Volunteer Force Teams will continue to promote the tradition of the Youth Volunteer Force, excellently completing all assigned tasks.

PV: According to you, in the current context, what are the innovations and differences in the tasks of the Youth Volunteer Force compared to the previous period?

Comrade Hoang Van Dong:I think that in the new situation, the Youth Volunteer Force is not only the one who opens up the land but also the force leading innovation in production thinking, and is the bridge between policy and people.

Previously, the main task was to bring young people to establish themselves and make a living on new lands, exploit land potential, build basic infrastructure, create a premise for stabilizing the population for socio-economic development in remote, isolated and border areas, contributing to maintaining security and order, national defense. At that time, the spirit of "wherever there is a need, there is a youth, wherever there is difficulty, there is a youth" was clearly demonstrated through leveling mountains, opening roads, building huts, planting forests, developing raw material areas, etc.

However, in the current stage, in the context of the country promoting industrialization, modernization of agriculture, rural areas and deep integration, the tasks of the Youth Volunteer Force have also changed very clearly. The current focus is not only on stabilizing the population and developing production, but also on increasing product value, developing a circular economy, applying science and technology, and reorganizing production in a professional and sustainable direction.

The current Teams focus on directing team members and people in the project area to promote combined agricultural and forestry production, but in a more in-depth direction. We build a chain of links from production to processing and consumption of products; supply materials, fertilizers, plants, and breeds; implement demonstration models applying new technologies in production and livestock breeding; train and transfer techniques suitable to local soil conditions and customs. These are very fundamental solutions to promote productivity, product quality, improve income and sustainable life for people.

In addition, in the context of climate change, the task of forest management, protection and development is becoming increasingly important. The Teams not only organize economic forest planting but also enhance community responsibility in forest protection, fire prevention and fighting, and conservation of resources and ecosystems. Forest allocation to people is not only a livelihood but also a transfer of responsibility and awareness for long-term environmental protection.

Another difference is that we pay more attention to improving the cultural and spiritual life of team members and people in the area. The teams actively invest in building essential infrastructure such as electricity, roads, schools, stations, sports grounds, community activity areas, etc. From just ensuring "a stable home", we now have to aim for a sustainable "career" in both material and spiritual terms.

By doing that, we not only maintain the tradition of Youth Volunteers but also affirm the pioneering role of youth in developing modern, sustainable and unique rural areas.

Reporter: As both the Commander of the provincial Youth Volunteer Force and the former Captain of the 5th Youth Volunteer Force - the unit that reclaimed the "3 no" wasteland, you must have many memorable memories. From those memories, what meaningful lessons have you drawn for the Youth Volunteer Force today?

Comrade Hoang Van Dong:I was born and raised in the poor countryside of Thanh An commune, Thanh Chuong district (old), now Hoa Quan commune. Since 1992, I have worked at Thanh Chuong District Youth Union. In 2000, when the 5th Youth Volunteer Force was established, I was transferred to work at the unit. From August 2024, I was assigned to concurrently hold the position of Commander of the Provincial Youth Volunteer Force.

After nearly 25 years of working with the 5th Youth Volunteer Force, I have had many memories, both happy and sad. The years were full of hardship and hardship, but also filled with pride. I still remember the early days, when we had to walk dozens of kilometers through the forest to survey the terrain, find a place to set up camp, build houses, and begin the journey to explore the land of "3 no's".

There were cold winters when my brothers and I stayed up all night patrolling the forest and fighting illegal loggers. Or during heat waves above 40 degrees Celsius, we had to hang hammocks in the middle of the forest to prevent and fight fires. During the rainy season, there were floods that 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 during those hardships that we understood more clearly the value of solidarity, and further strengthened our will, courage and belief in the path we had chosen.

There is a special memory that I still cannot forget, and from that moment on, it changed my way of thinking and working in the process of building the General Team. In 2002, when the newly established General Team was still lacking in many ways, 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 team members in particularly difficult circumstances. The family lived in a temporary house with a thatched roof. The children were of school age but had very poor learning conditions. When I personally handed over the gifts and encouraged the children to study hard, the child's emotional and clear eyes made me speechless.

From that image, I began to think differently. That economic development is necessary, but if we want to bring about a truly sustainable future, we must invest in education. Because only knowledge can help the children of team members and people in the project area escape poverty in a fundamental and solid way.

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Every year on July 15 - the Traditional Day of the Vietnam Youth Volunteer Force, the General Team also organizes a scholarship fund for children of team members with high academic achievements.
We are very touched that every year, 40-60 children achieve excellent student results at all levels, many of whom achieve excellent student results at the provincial level. In recent years, more than 20 children of Youth Volunteers have passed university entrance exams. This is not only the achievement of the children and their families, but also the sweet fruit of the Youth Volunteers General Team.

Comrade Hoang Van Dong - Commander of Nghe An Youth Volunteer Force

Looking back on the journey I have gone through, I believe that the spirit of overcoming difficulties, taking the lead for the community and putting people at the center is the core value that I always keep in mind and wish to pass on to future generations of Youth Volunteers.

PV: Thank you for the interview!