Strengthening coordination in military policy, support for military families, and the search and repatriation of martyrs’ remains

On the morning of September 18, in Ho Chi Minh City, the Party Committee and the Command of Military Region 7 held a conference to review the implementation of Directive No. 169-CT/QUTW, dated December 29, 2020, issued by the Central Military Commission on strengthening leadership and direction in implementing military policy and support for military families. The conference also assessed the results of the search, collection, and identification of martyrs’ remains for the 2021-2025 period.

Major General Cao Xuan Thang, Deputy Director of the Department of Social Policy under the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army, Director of the Military Social Insurance Agency, and Deputy Chief of the National Steering Committee 515 Office, delivered remarks at the conference. Photo: Nguyet Ha

The event was chaired by Major General Tran Chi Tam, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee, Deputy Political Commissar of Military Region 7, and Head of the Steering Committee for the Search, Recovery, and Identification of Martyrs’ Remains (Steering Committee 515).

Le Truong Son, member of the Standing Committee of the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee, and Head of the province’s Steering Committee 515, attends the conference and delivers a presentation. Photo: Nguyet Ha

Attending the conference were Major General Cao Xuan Thang, Deputy Director of the Department of Social Policy under the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army, concurrently Director of the Military Social Insurance Agency and Deputy Chief of the Office of the National Steering Committee 515, together with senior representatives from the General Staff, the Political Department, and the Logistics and Technical Department of Military Region 7.

The delegation from Dong Nai Province was led by Le Truong Son, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, and Head of the provincial Steering Committee 515.

Delegates from the Department of Social Policy, Military Region 7, and Dong Nai Province attended the conference. Photo: Nguyet Ha

According to Major General Tran Chi Tam, over the past five years of implementing Directive 169, the Party Committee and Command of Military Region 7 have provided strong leadership and guidance, ensuring thorough, comprehensive, and rigorous execution across all areas, in strict compliance with regulations and fully meeting all prescribed criteria and entitlements.

Annually, the Party Committee and Command of the Region, together with localities and units, have organized gatherings and distributed gifts to over 50,000 retired military officers, with total funding exceeding VND 50 billion. During national holidays and Tet, more than 28,000 policy beneficiaries received gifts worth nearly VND 130 billion.

In the past five years, Military Region 7 has supported the construction of more than 4,400 comradeship and great solidarity houses, and contributed to the elimination of over 400 makeshift or dilapidated homes.

Major General Tran Chi Tam presents awards to outstanding collectives for achievements during the 2021-2025 period. Photo: Nguyet Ha

From 2021 to 2025, the entire Military Region 7 has located and collected the remains and identified over 2,600 martyrs, more than 2,000 of which were found in Cambodia, contributing to political and social stability in the area and further strengthening people's trust in the Party and State's guidelines, policies, and strategies towards the army and the military families...

Colonel Thai Thanh Duc, Deputy Chief of the Political Department of Military Region 7, presents commendations to individuals with outstanding achievements during the 2021-2025 period. Photo: Nguyet Ha

In his remarks at the conference, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Committee, Le Truong Son, highlighted the effective coordination between Military Region 7 and Dong Nai province in recent years in implementing military policies, supporting military families, and conducting the search and repatriation of martyrs’ remains.

According to Le Truong Son, Dong Nai has actively contributed to the identification of martyrs’ remains that lack personal information. The province has revised 83 grave markers and submitted 239 DNA samples for analysis. Additionally, Dong Nai has updated more than 14,400 martyr-related records on the national information portal to facilitate DNA sample collection and identity verification.

The provincial leadership expressed hope that the National Steering Committee 515 and Military Region 7 will continue to work closely with local authorities to accelerate the identification, search, and repatriation of martyrs’ remains. Vice Chairman Son also proposed that Military Region 7 provide additional equipment and tools in accordance with regulations to support and expedite the process of locating and exhuming martyrs' remains.

Delivering his directive at the conference, Major General Cao Xuan Thang acknowledged the strong leadership and commitment demonstrated by the Party Committee and Command of Military Region 7 in implementing policies supporting military personnel and their families, and in the search and identification of martyrs’ remains.

Major General Cao Xuan Thang called for even closer coordination between Military Region 7 and localities in the coming period, urging continued efforts to advance military policy, support for military families, and the search and identification of martyrs’ remains.

On this occasion, Military Region 7 commended 60 collectives and individuals for outstanding achievements during the 2021–2025 period. Among them, Dong Nai province had three collectives and six individuals recognized.

By Nguyet Ha - Translated by Hong Van, Minho