Improving the quality of local military and national defense in the new situation

The Dong Nai Provincial Party Congress took place over 2 days of September 29 and 30, 2025 at the Dong Nai Provincial Conference Center. The congress carried the theme of building a clean, strong, united, disciplined, and responsible Party organization and political system; ensuring national defense - security, border sovereignty; mobilizing and using all resources effectively; developing Dong Nai province into a green, prosperous, civilized, and modern locality.

Colonel Vo Thanh Danh, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Military Party Committee, Commander of the Dong Nai Provincial Military Command.

In this regard, military and national defense, local defense is always identified as essential and continuous, ensuring sustainable development. Colonel Vo Thanh Danh, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Military Party Committee, Commander of the Dong Nai Provincial Military Command, shared with Dong Nai Newspaper and Radio, Television about these contents.

Many outstanding results

Colonel Vo Thanh Danh, could you summarize the notable results in performing military and national defense, local defense tasks of Dong Nai province during 2020-2025 period?

During the past term, the Provincial Military Party Committee led the comprehensive completion of all targets and objectives of the congress. In which, several indicators exceeded the congress targets, such as: proportion of Party members in the militia reached 31.12%, exceeding the 2020-2025 target by 6.12%; Party members in the reserve force exceeded the target by 0.15%; new full Party members enlisted into the army annually exceeded 0.63%.

The qualities of the Uncle Ho’s soldiers continue to shine in the hearts of the people, recognized and high appreciated by Party committees, authorities, and political systems at all levels; confirming the role of always being the core force protecting the Party, the people, and the country in all situations.

Mass mobilization work was carried out in depth, with many practical and effective tasks such as: “repaying debts of gratitude” activities, friendly engagement with religions; “Soldier Spring, military-civil New Year” programs; building and supporting people near border militia posts, stations, and border posts to settle and establish livelihoods. New Party member development exceeded the congress target by 21.9%.

Education, training, and updating of defense - security knowledge were provided for 100% of subjects according to classification, contributing to raising awareness and responsibility of officials, Party members, and people about defense and security tasks, building a strong defensive zone; including over 3.1 thousand Category 3 officials; over 29.6 thousand Category 4 officials and regular militia, mobilized militia, over 3 thousand religious leaders, clergy, ethnic minority respected people, and over 430 thousand students annually.

Successfully directing defensive zone, civil defense, and combat exercises in the defensive zone; defense works, combat bases, logistics - technical bases were planned and invested appropriately to support the all-people national defense posture. Deeply implementing the leadership and direction of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People’s Committee; regularly receiving support and assistance from departments, agencies, provincial unions; local Party committees, authorities, and people, the Provincial Military Command implemented synchronized solutions to build the all-people national defense posture, linked with the people’s security posture, protecting national border sovereignty according to the characteristics of the situation and task requirements of the provincial armed forces. The Provincial Party Committee’s and People’s Committee were advised in implementing military projects and plans which always met and exceeded schedule, selected by the Ministry of National Defense as a model for units and localities nationwide to visit such as: Building settlements near border militia posts, stations, and border posts; building cultural - sports facilities at religious establishments.

Colonel Vo Thanh Danh, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Military Party Committee, Commander of the Dong Nai Provincial Military Command during the ceremony announcing the decision on reorganizing the Regional Defense Command under the Provincial Military Command. Photo: Courtesy of the unit

Colonel, could you share more clearly about the effective models and creative approaches of the provincial armed forces in recent times?

- Typical, effective models and approaches include: militia monitoring households in their locality; friendly engagement with religious and ethnic communities; Rear support houses; “Three First” units; Party officials mentoring civilians and subordinates; Green-uniform military doctors; Adopted children of border posts; Breeding goats donation programs for needy people; jars of rice of love…were implemented synchronously and effectively, motivating personnel of the provincial armed forces to continue performing their assigned tasks well, contributing to completing assigned tasks excellently, especially in building strong and exemplary units. The prestige and qualities of Uncle Ho’s Soldiers continue to spread in the new situation.

As a result, this has created motivation, trust, and consensus, mobilizing the entire political system from province to commune in military and national defence tasks. The province has invested heavily in building defensive zones; implemented effective resettlement, social stability, and people-centered solutions; built and promoted a strong “people’s trust posture,” especially along the border; maintained stability, and strong traditional relations with Cambodian Royal Army units on the border; contributing importantly to provincial diplomacy, ensuring early and distant protection of national border sovereignty.

To improve the quality of military and national defence and grassroots defense work in the new situation, the Provincial Military Party Committee has agreed on the general orientation and objectives: building a clean, strong Party Organization, developing units to be comprehensively strong and “exemplary”; successfully completing assigned tasks; effectively fulfilling the role of advising on building military potential; developing an all-people defence, all-people defence posture, and all-people border defense posture, linked with the people’s security posture in a comprehensive, solid defensive area, meeting the requirements of protecting the locality, safeguarding the border, and defending the Fatherland in the new situation. It's  necessary to accurately assess, evaluate, and forecast the situation; advise on timely handling of situations to avoid being passive or surprised; maintain political stability; create favorable conditions for socio-economic development; consolidate national defense and security; carry out foreign affairs related to defense and border defense effectively; maintain public order; and firmly protect national border sovereignty…

Border Guard Loc Thanh coordinates with local authorities to provide rice and essential goods for disadvantaged households along the border in Loc Thanh commune. Photo: Dong Kiem

Breakthrough in improving quality in all aspects

For 2025-2030 term, what will be the focus areas of the province’s local military and national defense tasks?

We will focus on building the Provincial Military Party Committee truly clean and strong, developing agencies and units comprehensively strong and exemplary in practice; the officers and soldiers of the provincial armed forces ready to receive and successfully complete assigned tasks; effectively fulfill the role of advising on the synchronized development of national defense potentials; build the all-people national defense, the all-people national defence posture, the all-people border posture linked with the people security posture in a comprehensive, solid defensive area, meeting the requirements of protecting the locality, safeguarding the border, and defending the Fatherland in the new situation.

Greater attention will be paid to accurate assessment, forecasting, and timely handling of situations; maintaining political stability; creating conditions for socio-economic development; consolidating defense - security; performing military diplomacy; protecting border security and national border sovereignty.

Annual targets include over 95% of agencies and units achieving comprehensive, exemplary standards; 100% digital transformation targets completed; 100% Party organizations accomplishing their missions, with over 90% meeting excellent standards for organization and Party members; 100% units ensuring absolute political safety.

The Provincial Military Party Committee leads the development of the Border Guard force to be politically strong as a foundation to enhance the overall quality and combat strength of the troops; 100% of agencies and units are absolutely politically secure; 100% of officers and soldiers possess firm, steadfast political resolve, ready to accept and successfully complete all assigned tasks. Training quality is improved, ensuring over 95% of content, time, and personnel requirements are met, with 100% of evaluation results meeting standards, and at least 85% rated good or excellent. Management and discipline enforcement measures are strengthened, keeping annual disciplinary violations below 0.2%, with no serious legal or disciplinary breaches and no traffic accidents; 100% of youth union and women’s union organizations are rated strong, and the military council operates effectively. Each year, it is targeted that 4 to 5 subordinate units achieve comprehensive strength, becoming “exemplary and model” units...

Exchanging and presenting gifts between Commander of the Dong Nai Provincial Military Command and the Provincial Gendarmerie Commander of Tbong Khmum, Kingdom of Cambodia. Photo: Contributed by the unit

Which solutions should be prioritized to achieve the above-mentioned goals and tasks?

- To achieve the objectives and tasks of military and national defence and local national defence in the new context, the Provincial Military Party Committee has identified several groups of solutions to improve the quality of all aspects of this work. Among them, we have identified three breakthrough solutions for the 2025-2030 term: Enhancing the quality and effectiveness of advisory work in military, local national defense, and border defense operations, ensuring strong military and national defence work starting from the grassroots level; improving the quality of standardization, management, strict discipline compliance, and absolute safety; and promoting the effective application of science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation within the provincial armed forces.

Colonel Vo Tan Duc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee presents gifts to Border Guard personnel at Area 16. Photo: Nguyet Ha

Alongside this, focus is placed on improving the quality of education, training, and updating defense - security knowledge for the designated subjects; emphasizing education on the two strategic tasks of building and protecting the Fatherland in the new context to foster patriotism, national pride, solidarity, unity, and the sense of self-reliance and resilience among the people, thereby building an increasingly solid “people-centered defense” within the defensive area. Constructing the all-people national defence posture aligned with a strong people’s security posture, starting from the grassroots. The focus is on building and promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc.

Currently, there are no longer district-level authorities or military agencies, so we will focus on advising and proposing the implementation of appropriate mechanisms, policies, and solutions to comprehensively improve the quality of commune-level military commands; build, manage, and continue to maintain the effective operation of self-defense units within the organizations of the political system; focus on enhancing the quality of self-defense units, with the core political force being reserve soldiers in foreign-invested companies and enterprises. At the same time, we will build a strong reserve force and a robust, widespread militia, capable of and ready to prevent and repel factors that could cause political security instability and social order disruption from an early stage, creating a favorable environment for socio-economic development.

Combat readiness training has always been implemented by the Dong Nai Provincial Border Guard Command with the spirit of “Overcoming sun and rain, practicing with enthusiasm.” Photo: Dong Kiem

Continuing to maintain and strengthen solidarity with the Cambodian border provinces and international solidarity in accordance with the Party’s foreign policy and guidelines. In national defense diplomacy, border defense diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy, the national and ethnic interests must always be placed above all else, while ensuring that diplomatic activities are conducted in a deep, stable, and firm manner.

Sincerely thank you!

By Nguyet Ha – Translated by Minh Hanh, Thu Ha