Party General Secretary and Secretary of the Central Military Commission To Lam presented the Ho Chi Minh Order to the Ministry of National Defence (MoND)’s Engineering Corps during a ceremony marking its 80th anniversary (March 25) in Hanoi on March 22 morning.
The distinction reflects the Party and State’s recognition of the corps’ long-standing tradition, substantial contributions, and exceptional performance in the Party and nation’s revolutionary cause.
General Secretary Lam, in his speech, extended congratulations and best wishes to incumbent and former leaders of Party Central Committee agencies, heroic Vietnamese mothers, Heroes of the People’s Armed Forces, Heroes of Labour; generals, officers, veterans, wounded soldiers, families of martyrs, and all officers and soldiers of the corps.
He noted that over the past 80 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, and with direct guidance from the Central Military Commission and the MoND, and broad public support, generations of engineering officers and soldiers have remained absolutely loyal to the Fatherland, Party, State, and people; united as one, overcoming countless hardships and sacrifices to successfully accomplish all assigned tasks.
The corps played a pivotal role in wartime as the spearhead force clearing paths for offensives and securing victories. In peacetime, it continues to pave the way for national development, safeguard peaceful living conditions, and sustain a stable environment for national construction and defence.
Amid a fast-changing and increasingly complex global landscape, he urged the corps to uphold absolute loyalty, strict discipline, and high combat readiness; firmly uphold political mettle, sharpen strategic awareness, and guard against complacency or being caught off-guard in any scenario.
It must thoroughly absorb the Party’s guidelines and viewpoints on army and national defence, grasp new concepts in safeguarding the Fatherland, and fully realise the resolutions of the 13th Party Central Committee’s 8th plenum, the 14th National Party Congress, and the 12th Military Party Congress, along with strategic policies from the Central Military Commission and the MoND.
It was also required to strictly and effectively follow the two steadfast principles of staying true to the Party’s military and defence lines, while building a politically strong army, and accelerating the building of a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern People’s Army; alongside global integration and defence diplomacy. It must also prevent the risks of war and conflict, counter political, moral, and lifestyle degradation, “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” within the Military Party Organisation and the entire army, and uphold the five principles of strong politics, discipline, technology, military art, and troop welfare.
The Party chief requested the building of a streamlined, strong, and modern engineering force, with special attention to developing a contingent of officers and soldiers with political mettle, professional skills, standard working style, strict discipline, mastery of modern weapons and equipment, and rapid adaptability to new combat conditions. Training should remain fundamental, practical, and solid.
He stressed the need to continue building on the tradition of “paving the way to victory”, leading in defence infrastructure, bomb and mine clearance, disaster prevention and control, search and rescue, and other urgent and special missions. The corps must further elevate its capabilities in managing and building modern and quality combat and defensive works, and restore safe living environments for communities to support socio-economic development; and strive to basically complete post-war bomb and mine remediation by 2045 or sooner.
In natural disasters, incidents, and rescue operations, engineering troops must arrive first, stay the longest, and act most courageously.
Strong breakthroughs are needed in sci-tech, innovation, and digital transformation to quickly master new technologies, integrate scientific research with practical tasks, and expand cooperation in training, scientific research, and technology transfer suited to Vietnam’s conditions.
Under his order, the corps must continue studying and following President Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality, and style, while equipping officers and soldiers with the spirit of daring to think, act, take responsibility, and accomplish challenging tasks.
The corps should ensure strong material and spiritual support for troops, particularly those in remote, border, island, and hardship areas or on overseas missions; and effectively conduct mass mobilisation, gratitude and social welfare activities, he said.
Over the past eight decades, the corps has been awarded the Gold Star Order, the Ho Chi Minh Order, the first-class Independence Order, the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces twice, and many other noble distinctions by the Party and State.
