Army Corps 16: From imprints of a term to future vision

In the 2020-2025 term, the Party Committee of the Army Corps 16 promoted its comprehensive leadership role, focused on innovating leadership methods, proactively overcame difficulties, and led the unit to successfully complete its assigned political tasks. The achievements in this term not only affirmed the bravery, intellect, and solidarity of the entire Party Committee but also created a solid foundation for development in the new term.

With high political determination, the Party Committee of the Army Corps 16 clearly defined practical goals and solutions, building a comprehensively strong, "exemplary and typical" unit in the new situation.

Leading the successful and excellent completion of political tasks

In recent years, despite many difficulties due to the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, severe droughts, etc., the Party Committee of Army Corps 16 closely followed the resolutions of the Party, the policies and laws of the State, and the leadership and direction of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense, proactively proposing appropriate solutions to lead and direct the successful implementation of military, national defense, production, and business tasks, building agencies and units that are comprehensively strong, "exemplary and typical," and successfully completing the assigned political tasks.

Leaders of the Command of Army Corps 16 inspect the coffee garden contracted to workers of Farm 726 in Quang Truc commune, Lam Dong province.

The standing forces and self-defense forces at farms and enterprises are organized for strict and serious training according to plan. They proactively build, supplement, and practice combat readiness plans, disaster prevention, disease control, and search and rescue operations that are close to reality. They coordinate closely with forces to grasp the situation, exchange information, patrol, protect the border, and well handle situations to avoid passiveness or unexpectedness. On the other hand, the Army Corps focuses on effectively implementing defense diplomacy with the two provinces of Mondulkiri and Kratie of Cambodia, coordinating in managing the area, preventing and combating crime, promoting economic exchange and development, etc., building a peaceful, cooperative, and developing border area.

Business and financial management are constantly innovated to suit practical conditions. The Army Corps’ projects develop stably and sustainably. Logistics and technical work are led and implemented comprehensively and strictly. They promote thrift practice and combat waste. Revenue reached over 11 trillion VND, exceeding the plan by 2.16 times. Pre-tax profit hit 139%, and budget contributions were 154.34 billion VND, achieving 250.6% of the assigned plan. In 2023 and 2024, it achieved Class A enterprise status.

Party building work for being strong in politics, ideology, ethics, organization, and personnel, is identified as a key task. The cadres, party members, soldiers, and workers have firm political steadfastness, successfully completing all tasks; resolutely fighting against all manifestations of opportunism, dogmatism, and conservatism, maintaining the Party's ideological front within the brigade. During the term, 83 outstanding individuals were admitted to the Party, achieving 100% of the plan.

After 27 years of construction and growth, the Army Corps 16 has honorably received many noble awards from the Party, the State, and the Ministry of National Defense; the President awarded the First, Second, and Third Class Labor Orders and the Third Class Fatherland Protection Order. In particular, the outstanding results achieved in the 2020-2025 term under the leadership of the Army Corps’ Party Committee are truly proud. This is a milestone marking the maturity of an economic-defense unit in the strategic area of the Fatherland.

For the sake of people

In the 2020-2025 period, the Army Corps created jobs for 11,200 households with stable income. Average income was 8.66 million VND/person/month.

With the perspective that wherever there are projects of the Army Corps, developed residential clusters, residential points, villages, and hamlets should be built there, associated with production teams, interspersed with border guard stations and suitable for the local defense area's posture.

 The Army Corps 16 also effectively implemented various emulation movements such as "The Corps joins hands to build new-style rural areas", "The Corps joins hands for the poor, leaving no one behind", "Joining hands to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses"... At the same time, it actively responded to and promoted the implementation of movements such as: "Bringing the light of culture to villages and hamlets", "Compassionate classrooms", "Gratitude and remembrance", and effectively organized programs like: "Tet for the poor", "Borderland Spring - Warm Tet for military and civilians"... Along with that, activities included building memorial houses for heroic martyrs, restoring historical relics, caring for heroic Vietnamese mothers, policy families, and those who rendered meritorious services to the revolution, preserving and promoting the cultural values of ethnic minorities...

 The Army Corps 16 also effectively implemented the national target program, supporting 1,411 buffaloes, cows, and breeding goats for poor, near-poor households and those newly escaped poverty, and ethnic minority households; supporting the construction of 112 great unity houses, 114 comrade houses; integrating project items with socio-economic development in remote areas, building 3 clean water facilities, over 37km of internal transport roads, 17.6km of medium and low voltage power lines and 9 transformer stations, 5 water reservoirs, providing water for agricultural production, installing 14 water filtration systems at preschools, participating in poverty reduction for 528 local households.

At the border of the Fatherland, Corps 16 has been and is daily marking its persistent, firm steps on the path of ensuring both economic development and national defense - security. Every project, every project area, every lush green garden is a vivid testament to the intelligence, bravery, and heart of the soldiers of the corps.

Steadily and effectively performing duties

Currently, the cause of building and defending the Fatherland is taking place in the context of rapid, complex, and unpredictable changes in the world and regional situation, posing increasingly high demand for national defense - security tasks. The Army Corps has identified focusing on implementing a number of key solutions in the coming time, to continue affirming the unit's role and position in the strategic area as follows:

 Thoroughly grasping and successfully implementing the Party Committee's guidelines and directions for building a strong Party Committee in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organization, and personnel. Strengthening the leadership and direction of Party committees and commanders at all levels for socio-economic development tasks associated with consolidating national defense - security.

Effectively performing the task of building economic-defense zones associated with the local defense area's posture. Training is organized seriously and strictly according to the plan, ensuring it is close to reality and suitable for task requirements. Proactively building, supplementing, and practicing combat plans, disaster prevention, search and rescue, enhancing combat readiness, and effectively handling emergency situations.

Closely coordinating with local Party committees and authorities in implementing hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and new-style rural construction programs. Promoting the "two-way service" model, directly supporting people in economic development while coordinating with local authorities to organize practical service types, contributing to promoting the community's self-reliance to achieve sustainable poverty alleviation. Striving for an average income of 16 million VND/person/month or more.

Strengthening information and propaganda to raise awareness and create consensus throughout the corps on the role and significance of digital transformation in national defense, developing e-government, digital economy, and administrative reform.

Implementing synchronously and effectively emulation, commendation, and reward work, as well as regimes and policies for cadres, soldiers, workers, and employees, creating motivation, consolidating trust, and fostering attachment to the unit.

With the aspiration to rise and a strong spirit of innovation, the 2025-2030 term opens a new journey, new challenges, but also full of opportunities. The Party Committee of the Army Corps 16, as the "leading flag", will continue to ignite faith, mobilize collective strength, build increasingly prosperous border regions, and continue the tradition of "Being united to overcome difficulties; staying close to the people; steering economy - national defense towards strong development" to excellently complete tasks, contributing to maintaining the people's trust in the national defense posture in the strategic areas of the Fatherland.

By: Colonel Trinh Pham Hoa

(Secretary of the Party Committee, Deputy Commander of the Army Corps 16)

Translated by: Mai Nga-Thu Ha