Tireless steps

Early in the morning, the quiet space at the National Military Training Center 4 became lively and bustling with the assembly whistle of the commanders of the parade and marching groups. In neat uniforms, the female soldiers of the Vietnam Women's Peacekeeping Group under the responsibility of Military Region 3 quickly took their positions, lined up straight, ready to start training.

Thanks to the active practice and the fact that most of the members had just participated in the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of the South and the Unification of the Country, the execution of individual and coordinated movements within the group was very precise and unified. The vertical and horizontal rows were as straight as lines. The whole formation seemed to be fixed into a unified block for movement.

The Women's Peacekeeping Unit, under the responsibility of Military Region 3, participated in the second general training of the parade forces in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Over the past half year, the scorching sun and thunderstorms in the North and South have trained the female soldiers in the Bloc to become real “steel roses”, persistent and resilient. Despite the outdoor temperature approaching 40 degrees Celsius, the heat rising from the road surface, sweat soaking the uniforms, but no one left the line or faltered, the women were still determined to train with a sense of responsibility, honor and pride.

Having participated in the parade four times, Captain Vuong Thi Trang, a staff member of the Logistics - Technical Department (Doan An dua du 295, Political Department of Military Region 3) is extremely excited because after 15 years since the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long - Hanoi in 2010, she is honored to perform her duty at the historic Ba Dinh Square. “That day, I was assigned to participate in the female militia standing block. Being able to participate in a national-level event, my teammates and I are very proud. This time, I am back with a higher requirement to perform the task, the training process is also much more difficult, but I still have the same emotions as the first time and I am determined to make the best effort with my teammates to contribute to the success of the celebration”, Captain Vuong Thi Trang shared.

Female soldiers of Military Region 3 practice parade.

As for the young female soldier, born in 2000, Corporal Phi Thi Mai Anh, Office Soldier of the Military Command of Hung Yen province, although she only had a few days to rest after performing her duties in the 50th Anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day, and then continued to gather at the unit to receive her new duties, she was still very excited and determined. “I was assigned the task of holding the military flag. The commanders at all levels and the teachers were very strict, the training intensity was also very high. Not only did I have to be precise in movements but I also had to have good physical strength. Every day I did push-ups to train my arm muscles. Although I was used to the task, I still had muscle pain and cramps when practicing. However, I was determined to always do my best for the task because being able to parade on September 2 is a source of pride not only for me but also for my whole family,” Mai Anh shared.

As a companion and direct trainer of female soldiers, Lieutenant Colonel Tran Van Duong, Captain of the Vietnam Women's Peacekeeping Unit, said: "The parade on September 2 has much higher requirements than previous parades. In particular, the marching distance is longer, the number of troops is larger, including 16 vertical rows and 10 horizontal rows, requiring coordination techniques, especially the relatively difficult lining up. Besides soldiers with experience participating in previous parades, we also received many comrades reinforced from agencies and units throughout the army, participating in the parade for the first time, with uneven physical strength and techniques."

To overcome these difficulties, the Block commander classifies each subject, starting from basic training for each person, each row, as a basis for practicing coordinated movements in the block. During the training process, officers at all levels must regularly grasp the training results; draw experience immediately after each training session, promptly correct the limited movement elements, with the motto "slow basic training - practice to the point of certainty", especially not being impatient or burning stages. Lieutenant Colonel Tran Van Duong said: "Although the training process is very strict, the members of the block always strictly follow the training time and content. After the group training and comprehensive training sessions, commanders at all levels highly appreciate the training results of the block".

Female soldiers of Military Region 3 participated in the first combined training of parade forces, marching in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the successful August Revolution and National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Put aside personal matters

Fighting the heat is not an easy challenge, especially for women. Not only that, they are not only soldiers but also mothers, wives, and daughters in the family with many worries.

For the first time on a long-term assignment away from home, Captain Bui Thi Quynh Chi, a prosecutor, Department 3, Military Prosecutor's Office of Military Region 3, had many sleepless nights, tears welling up every time she remembered her two young children. Despite this, she always tried to control herself and worked hard with her teammates to practice so that the whole team could be even, beautiful, and unified.

Captain Bui Thi Quynh Chi said: “I have two young children, born in 2020 and 2022. My husband is also a soldier, and often has to be on duty. When I call home and see my children crying and saying goodbye to their mother, I miss them even more. However, I always receive support and help from both my paternal and maternal families, as well as encouragement from the Party Committee, unit commanders and teammates, so I feel very secure and promise to strive to complete my mission as best as possible.”

Female soldiers of Military Region 3 participate in general training.

Also having a husband in the army, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Hong, a grassroots Cultural Officer, Propaganda Department (Political Department, Military School of Military Region 3) is assured that her children can take care of themselves, but she is worried about taking care of her mother, who is 90 years old this year. “My mother-in-law is old, when I am at home I can cook and take care of her more conveniently. Now the three of us are at home, the unit's work and studies are very busy, sometimes we have to leave her at home alone. But my husband and I have support from relatives, so we both try to arrange our personal matters, not neglecting the duties of the agency and unit.”

Among the female soldiers of the Vietnam Women’s Peacekeeping Unit, there are many sisters who have to put aside their personal affairs to carry out their duties. They all arrange their family affairs properly and strive to overcome difficulties and hardships; unite, encourage each other, guide and help comrades participating in parades and marches for the first time to improve the quality of their training.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Van Hoang, Political Commissar of the Vietnam Women's Peacekeeping Bloc, said: "To help female soldiers feel secure in their training, commanders at all levels, especially the head of the Military Region Command, regularly pay attention, come to the training ground to encourage their spirit, and share difficulties with them. The Commander of the General Staff and the Political Department, the Logistics and Technical Department of the Military Region always closely follow and are directly present at the National Military Training Center 4 to accompany the female soldiers, promptly resolving all difficulties and problems of the Bloc. Along with that, logistics, health care, disease prevention and control are always given attention by superiors; ensuring a nutritious, palatable, and appropriate diet for the intensity of training. Thanks to that, 100% of female soldiers of the Vietnam Women's Peacekeeping Bloc are confident in their training, determined to complete their tasks excellently."

Article and photos: PHAM QUYET

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/quoc-phong-an-ninh/xay-dung-quan-doi/nhung-bong-hong-thep-quan-khu-3-tren-thao-truong-thang-tam-840988