During the 2020-2025 term, the Corps has promoted the spirit of solidarity, dynamism, creativity, overcoming difficulties, excellently completing production tasks, economic development associated with strengthening national defense, forming bright spots in economy, culture, and society; consolidating people's trust, firmly building "people's hearts and minds" in the strategic area of ​​the Central Highlands.

Lessons on keeping people, keeping land, keeping villages

The Central Highlands is the common home of many ethnic groups, and at the same time is a particularly important strategic area in terms of politics , economy, national defense and security. This place is not only rich in potential resources but also a "fence" protecting the Fatherland from the West. Therefore, building a strong and comprehensive Central Highlands, especially consolidating the "people's hearts" position, has always been a concern of the Party and State.

Major General Hoang Van Sy, Commander of the 15th Army Corps, exchanged experiences in building a "people's heart position" with village elders, hamlet chiefs, and prestigious people in the Central Highlands.

More than 40 years ago, the border areas of Duc Co, Ia Grai (Gia Lai), Mo Rai ( Kon Tum , now Quang Ngai) had extremely difficult economic conditions. Ethnic minorities accounted for more than 80%, of which nearly 40% of households lacked food all year round. The land was barren and infertile, and people mainly depended on slash-and-burn farming. Yet today, along the border, the vast green of rubber, coffee, and pepper has been covered. This achievement not only revived the wasteland but also strengthened the bond between the army and the people, beautifying the noble image of Uncle Ho's soldiers - the people's soldiers.

From Pleiku, going up National Highway 14C for nearly 150km, we arrived at Economic-Defense Group 78. Colonel Nguyen Truong Vinh, the Group Leader, recalled: “On the first day of establishment, it took 2-3 days to march from the Corps to the unit, the rainy season completely cut us off. The unit had to stockpile long-term dried rice. The Mo Rai area was particularly difficult, with almost no infrastructure, low education, backward customs, and harsh climate. People were surprised to see soldiers returning to the village...”.

Village elder A Meo in Kenh village said: “The Ro Mam people only know how to burn fields to grow crops. When they run out of land, they move to another place, so they lack food and often get sick. But since the soldiers came, everything has changed...”.

Colonel Dang Quang Dung, Political Commissar of the 15th Corps, shared: “Right from the first Party Congress of the Corps (September 1, 1986), the overarching mission was determined: Together with the locality and the sectors, contribute to building a prosperous Central Highlands. The Party Committee and the Corps Command directed the Economic-Defense Groups 72, 74, 75, 715... to send cadres and party members to the grassroots to stay close to the people, the forests, the villages, expand the area of ​​​​orchards, recruit the children of the people to work as workers, improve product quality, and improve people's lives."

Following the motto of “developing orchards, building infrastructure and residential areas”, companies mobilized local labor and many forces, with the army as the core to carry out the task. With persistent persuasion and persuasion, the army spoke, the people listened, the army did, and the people followed. Models of growing two crops of rice, hybrid corn, coffee, and rubber gradually took shape, contributing to completely solving the hunger problem.

Major General Hoang Van Sy, Commander of the 15th Army Corps, presented gifts to families receiving support to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses in 2025.

In particular, the Corps created the formula of “stream-people-troops”, meaning that land near water sources, favorable conditions were given to the people for production, and land with more difficult conditions was left to the soldiers. This way of doing things could only originate from the sentiment and responsibility of Uncle Ho’s soldiers, all for the people. Therefore, the 15th Corps transformed wild forests and “empty” land into a solid “green defense line”, prosperous villages, a “soft border” strategy, relying firmly on the people to protect the land and villages.

The golden seasons of harvest

Now, across the red basalt land of the Central Highlands, lush green rubber forests, coffee and pepper gardens stretch out. A new rhythm of life is present, carrying the breath of fundamental change. The land that was once devastated by war and poverty is now bustling with golden harvests.

Major General Hoang Van Sy, Commander of the 15th Corps, affirmed: “Having been closely attached to the people of the Central Highlands since the early difficult days, we have always attached importance to organizing production in association with mass mobilization and social security. The Corps has invested hundreds of billions of VND to build community cultural houses, support rice in the lean season, provide free medical examinations and medicines, and give gifts to people; launch support for humanitarian programs such as "Heart for Children", "Day for the Poor", give savings books to poor students, children with serious illnesses...".

Not only helping people with food, health care, and education, the units also stand side by side with their compatriots in the most difficult times such as natural disasters and epidemics. Whenever there are flash floods or droughts, the soldiers are there on time, building houses, repairing roads, and transferring water to the villages. It is this dedication that has built a strong belief: "Having soldiers means having support."

Representatives of the 15th Corps Command inspected the rice fields of people who borrowed land to replant on the basic rubber garden.

Companies and units always treasure every resource, coordinate with localities to build new rural areas. The Corps has invested in building 450km of medium-low voltage power lines, 95 transformer stations, 1,500km of roads, hundreds of bridges, dozens of irrigation dams, clean water systems; built 8 primary and secondary schools, 10 kindergartens with 140 school locations, 1 semi-boarding primary school, 1 semi-boarding secondary school, 1 second-class hospital, 11 combined military and civilian medical clinics. Thanks to that, the infrastructure is synchronized, people's knowledge is improved, and community health is taken care of.

Colonel Khuat Ba Cao, Party Secretary and Deputy Commander of the 15th Army Corps, said: "The outstanding mark is the "household connection" model - connecting Kinh households with local ethnic minority households. The goal is to unite, using village and neighborhood ties to bond like blood brothers, sharing the good and the bad. Up to now, there have been 4,269 pairs of households that have helped each other develop the economy, protect the land and the village. Many ethnic households have become well-off, earning 200-300 million VND/year.

The model has fundamentally changed traditional production methods, promoting sustainable development. With the policy of "developing orchards to where there is, building infrastructure and residential areas there", the Army Corps has worked with the locality to bring nearly 13,000 households with more than 50,000 people to build 266 residential clusters along 251km of border, eliminating the "empty population" situation. The residential clusters are arranged interspersed with 271 hamlets and villages, linked to concentrated production areas, becoming "fortresses" to protect the border. There, each person is a "living milestone", each worker is a "soldier" together with the Party Committee, government and the Armed Forces to create a solid, interconnected defense position.

Commitment and sustainable development

From the Party's great policy of building a "people's heart position" to the practice of the 15th Army Corps is a creative and effective application. In the strategic area of ​​the Central Highlands, the people are the decisive factor in keeping the land, keeping the villages, and keeping the border. The army helps the people have a prosperous life, and the people help the army have a solid foundation to complete the mission. It is a flesh and blood relationship, a two-way bond, creating a combined strength to protect the Fatherland and protect the border.

Promoting the tradition of the People's Armed Forces Heroic Unit, in the coming term, cadres, party members and workers of Corps 15 will continue to stick together and accompany the Party Committee, government and people to overcome difficulties, successfully complete tasks, and contribute to building the Central Highlands to develop comprehensively in politics, economy, culture, society, national defense and security. The "people's heart position" is therefore increasingly solid, an important foundation to protect territorial sovereignty and national border security.

Article and photos: TIEN DUNG - THANH QUY

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/cuoc-thi-viet-vung-buoc-duoi-co-dang/the-tran-long-dan-tren-dia-ban-chien-luoc-tay-nguyen-842602