The story of the "steel rose" at the National Anti-Terrorism Training Center

NDO - For three years in the army, Sergeant Ngo Thi Dung, a soldier of the Training Department for Application of Shooting and Use of Technical Equipment and Means - National Training Center for Counter-Terrorism, has continuously achieved the title of Emulation Soldier of the Mobile Police Command. Dung is one of the three "steel roses" of the unit, honored to be a delegate to attend the 3rd Advanced Model Conference, 2025-2030 period of the Mobile Police Command.

Sergeant Ngo Thi Dung during sniper training. (Photo: NVCC)

The National Training Center on Counter-Terrorism under the Mobile Police Command was assigned by the Ministry of Public Security with a very honorable but equally difficult task, which is to organize training and fostering on counter-terrorism work; be ready to respond to and resolve situations of terrorism, sabotage, armed riots, especially dangerous criminals; participate in rescue and relief in urgent situations...

"Pink shadows" in places that do not favor women

Right from the first days of establishment, there appeared 3 brave and talented female soldiers here, including a girl from Viet Yen district, Bac Giang - Sergeant Ngo Thi Dung.

After finishing grade 12, Dung studied intermediate medicine in Bac Giang city, then had 3 years of practice in dentistry. In 2022, she registered for military service. After 3 months of rookie training, due to her good academic performance, in June 2022, Dung was selected for the martial arts team to compete for the first time in Can Tho and Kien Giang provinces.

Three "beautiful ladies" at the National Training Center on Counter-Terrorism.

From then on, she spent days rotating, training, and competing in martial arts, shooting, and swimming teams. In every event, she achieved good results, bringing home medals of all kinds for the unit.

In particular, in 2023, Dung was selected to join the Ministry of Public Security's team to participate in the "Excellent Firefighter and Rescue" competition in Belarus, and thanks to that, she had another valuable opportunity to learn and gain combat experience.

Dung said: Until November 2023, when I was ordered to transfer to the National Training Center for Counter-Terrorism, I was in Belarus. So when I returned to Vietnam, I went straight from the airport to my unit. Luckily, my teammates sent my personal belongings to Quang Ninh in advance.

The National Counter-Terrorism Training Center is located in Quang Yen District, Quang Ninh, with all kinds of terrain from flat to high mountains, from swamps to vast oceans. These are also the terrains where soldiers of the Center train every day.

When she arrived here, Sergeant Ngo Thi Dung belonged to the Training Department of Applied Shooting and the use of professional technical equipment and means. She was one of the three rare "beautiful ladies" of the center.

And from then on, there were days of intensive training with male teammates from 5am, combined operations on rivers, swamps, ambushes to capture terrorists, hostage rescue, during the scorching summer days to the rainy and windy days, cold winters, all with the spirit of "practice every minute, practice every second".

Hostage rescue practice.

Those were days of sweating on the training ground with the male soldiers in unarmed and armed boxing (daggers, belts, clubs), shooting, camouflaging in river and swamp areas, and eliminating terrorist criminals. All the tactics, martial arts movements, shooting, hanging from rope ladders, pulling tires with weapons, carrying wood and running together... were practiced hard every day.

In a special unit of the elite combat force, highly combat-ready, the training curriculum is the same, there is no bias or favoritism for female soldiers. Dung said: When deciding to stand in the anti-terrorist ranks, there is no distinction between male and female.

Faced with harsh exercises that require endurance and physical strength, male teammates have to try their best to complete them, but for us, that effort must be doubled, tripled, to be able to overcome our limits, adapt and complete the training content.

On Tuesday and Thursday nights, according to the training schedule, there is a night march through the forest. The male teammates carry about 20-25 kg of luggage on their backs, and we have to carry that much on our backs and walk 20 kilometers.

Camouflage exercise in mountainous areas.

Thanks to a dense and high-intensity training schedule, the soldiers of the anti-terrorism force have met the strict requirements of physical strength and expertise. Each individual has trained both the ability to operate independently and the skills to coordinate and cooperate, creating harmony and unity for the whole team. During the training process, each soldier clearly recognizes his own strengths and weaknesses in order to have measures to overcome them.

Injuries and accidents that happen to everyone, male or female, have become a daily occurrence on the training ground: tripping, getting skin and flesh caught in barbed wire fences, falling from trees. The most comforting thing is that the girls always receive the attention and support of the Center's Board of Directors in all aspects. In difficult training contents, Dung and the two female soldiers are always enthusiastically instructed by the training officers, and are supplemented by their male teammates after hours.

80% of the training time outside the harsh training ground after 6 months of intensive training, now the 3 steel roses of the Training Center have mastered the training content. The three female soldiers not only built a certain physical foundation but also have talent in military martial arts, were selected for advanced training content, especially shooting.

Dung shared: Unlike other types of combat, learning goes hand in hand with practice, "graduation" means eagerness to go to the army and fight directly, but for the officers and soldiers of the National Anti-Terrorism Training Center, we do not want to go to the army, but always want to be "unemployed". However, all officers and soldiers are always ready to go to take up missions at any time.

Deserving of being "steel rose"

When asked if her parents felt “heartbroken” that their daughter had to stay and train in a harsh and remote training ground, Dung said: The leadership of the Center's Board of Directors is very concerned about the thoughts, feelings and wishes of the sisters. On the first day here, Director Colonel Trieu Van Minh invited the families of the three of us to visit the accommodation and training ground.

The unit rarely had women, and it was located in a remote area with difficult terrain. At first, my mother was also a bit "worried" but I promptly encouraged her: Don't worry, instead of going to the movies, listening to music, shopping like normal "girls", we will play volleyball and soccer with our male teammates. Besides, after a tiring day of training, we just want to rest and recharge for a new day of training, we don't need to go out...

Proficient in driving off-road vehicles over steep passes in the forest. Photo: Pham Hai

27 years old, with 3 years in the army, no time to think about private matters. When asked jokingly, why in the unit with so many male soldiers but not "finding" a single love, Dung shyly said: The Center Director is very "picky", always tells the 3 of us, if we "like any guy, we have to report to him for approval". We teased back: All of the commander's soldiers have been carefully "selected", so does the commander still want to do another round of approval?

Dung said: Just kidding, maybe my fate has not come yet. All my time has been spent on training, coaching and competing. I hope that in the future, I will be able to study to pass the People's Police University entrance exam to improve my knowledge and develop myself.

In a special elite, combat-hardened unit, although the number of female soldiers is small, they have made important contributions to the overall achievements of the unit since its first days of establishment, worthy of being "steel roses" in the anti-terrorism squad", Colonel Trieu Van Minh, Director of Trung proudly said.

Bright smiles, resting after hours of hard training on the training ground of 3 girls: Nguyen Thi Mo, Ngo Thi Dung (middle) and Trieu Thi Yen. Photo: PHAM HAI

As a typical example recognized at the Conference, Dung modestly said: I am truly honored and proud that all the hard, rigorous training time, my achievements and efforts every day, every hour have been recognized by all levels. However, that does not mean I feel satisfied with myself, I feel that I need to try harder to be worthy of that recognition.

Achievements of Sergeant Ngo Thi Dung:

- 1 Silver Medal for the team in the applied shooting qualifying round; 1 Bronze Medal for the handgun shooting qualifying round, 1 Gold Medal for the team in the 2-position handgun shooting final round of the 2nd Military and Martial Arts Competition for direct combat forces in the People's Public Security, 2023

- 1 Gold Medal in the Healthy Police Soldier category; 1 Silver Medal in the Breaststroke category; 1 Bronze Medal in the Men's and Women's Relay Swimming category at the Sports Festival of Emulation Cluster No. 5 - Mobile Police Command, 2023.

- 1 Silver medal in the construction safety competition of the 30th Emulation Cluster Sports Festival at the qualifying round of the 9th "For National Security" Health Congress.

- 1 Gold medal for the women's team in the combined pistol and mp5 shooting event; 1 Gold medal for the team in the disc shooting event at the 2024 People's Public Security Regulation, Military and Martial Arts Competition.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/chuyen-ve-bong-hong-thep-o-trung-tam-huan-luyen-quoc-gia-chong-khung-bo-post872368.html