From helping people build houses, clearing village roads, and rescuing during floods to accompanying highland ethnic minorities in developing production, military officers and soldiers have left many beautiful images in the hearts of the villagers. The spirit of being close to the people, respecting the people, and serving the people has forged the beautiful quality of the provincial armed forces: “Remembered when leaving, loved when staying.”

Promoting the qualities of Uncle Hồ’s soldiers, over the past years, the Party Committee and the Provincial Military Command have always determined that building a close relationship with the people is both a responsibility and a foundation for completing local defense and military tasks. Emulation movements have been deployed extensively, associated with political tasks and practical requirements of highland and border localities. Implementing the emulation movement, a series of activities to help, protect, and accompany the people have been implemented effectively, creating a deep spread in the community.

In the context of the area’s political security and social order and safety harboring many complex factors, especially dissemination activities to establish a “Separate State,” illegal evangelism, and drug crimes, the provincial armed forces have synchronously and comprehensively deployed mass mobilization and special dissemination work. In 2025 alone, agencies and units of the provincial armed forces dispatched 408 teams with 1,224 turns of officers and soldiers to the grassroots level to grasp the local situation and disseminate and mobilize the people to comply with the Party’s guidelines and the State’s legal policies. What makes a beautiful image does not lie in grand slogans but in specific actions that are close to the daily lives of the people.

Performing the task of protecting the Western border during the dry season in Mường Pồn commune, officers and soldiers helped residents build and repair 71 houses, contributing 7,980 working days. Nearly 200 soldiers participated in helping people relocate their houses out of landslide-prone areas; improved 25 hectares of agricultural land, cleared canals, and repaired rural roads...

Carrying out the task of helping people overcome the consequences of floods and landslides, the provincial armed forces mobilized 731 turns of people with more than 34,220 working days and 31 turns of vehicles to participate in relocating 80 households and 210 people to safe places. Counting only the construction and repair of houses for people affected by natural disasters, the units completed 80 new houses and repaired 241 houses. Officers and soldiers stayed close to the people and villages for a whole month to accelerate progress, helping residents quickly stabilize their lives. Not only providing human and material support, the provincial armed forces also actively mobilized organizations and individuals to join hands in helping compatriots in disaster areas.

Affected by prolonged heavy rain, on May 19, a serious positive slope landslide occurred in the highland commune of Sín Chải, directly threatening the lives and property of the families of Sùng A Thắng in Háng Chua village and Hạng A Chỉnh in Páo Tỉnh Làng 2 village. Immediately after grasping the situation, the commune Military Command urgently advised the commune Party Committee and People’s Committee to mobilize 140 people, including militia, police, and youth union members, to assist in relocating the households to a safe place. At the same time, they helped transport assets and set up temporary shelters to stabilize the immediate lives of the families affected by the landslide.

In addition to supporting natural disaster recovery, the provincial armed forces also help the people develop their economy, eradicate hunger, and reduce poverty. Especially, implementing the provincial People’s Committee’s plan to organize the new planting of coffee and macadamia trees and pilot the low-level spatial economic development model in 2026, the provincial Military Command established a Steering Committee to implement the Campaign “Điện Biên Phủ in Peacetime: Restructuring the Agricultural Sector, Piloting the Low-Level Economic Model.” According to the plan, 900 self-defense militia members were mobilized to support coordination and participate in digging holes in difficult areas; 1,250 military officers and soldiers coordinated to support hole digging (on average, each officer and soldier was in charge of supporting 5 families) for poor and lonely households.

Senior Colonel Trịnh Đức Thiêm, Commander of the provincial Military Command, affirmed: Participating in the campaign, every officer and soldier of the provincial armed forces determined that it is not only a support of human and material resources but also a specific action demonstrating the spirit of “Điện Biên Phủ soldiers in peacetime,” affirming the army’s role in participating in local socio-economic development and building a solid civil-military solidarity. As a result, by May 8, 2026, the provincial Military Command had mobilized 13,279 working days, digging 1.3 million holes on an area of 463.7 hectares.

The provincial armed forces also pay special attention to social security and gratitude work. Through the “Lifting your steps to school” program, 29 students in difficult circumstances have been adopted and supported by the units. In the border area, the provincial armed forces are a “steel shield” protecting the peace of the people. From 2025 to the present, the provincial armed forces coordinated border patrols 265 times with 1,962 turns of people participating; coordinated information exchange with the police force 132 times; and mobilized people to report 697 cases related to security and order.

The precious thing is that no matter what task they perform or where they are, “Uncle Hồ’s soldiers” still maintain a demeanor of being close to the people, respecting the people, and understanding the people. They go down to the grassroots level not to “start a movement” but to truly live with the people, helping them with responsibility and sincere affection. There are officers who have been attached to the highlands for many years and know every living custom of the people; there are young soldiers who go to the village for the first time but are ready to give up their meals and sleep for people in distress. It is these simple things that have created the beautiful image of soldiers in the hearts of the people.

“Remembered when leaving, loved when staying” is not only a compliment but also a sincere recognition from the ethnic minority compatriots towards the armed forces of Điện Biên province. It is also clear evidence of the traditional civil-military attachment, the strength for the provincial armed forces to continue completing tasks well in the new situation.