UN peace envoys
Not only United Nations (UN) peacekeepers, ‘blue beret’ officers of Military Region 3’s armed forces are also cultural ambassadors spreading the image of Vietnam to the international community.
Overcoming hardships, ready for missions
Lieutenant Colonel Le Hong Nhi, a Level I specialist doctor and Deputy Head of the Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Functional Diagnostics at Military Hospital 7 under the Logistics and Technical Department of Military Region 3, has just returned to his unit after completing his mission of assisting people in Africa.
In September 2024, Lieutenant Colonel Le Hong Nhi and his teammates departed for a land more than 8,000 km from their homeland of Vietnam. Nearly 50 years old, with more than 30 years of military service, Nhi was the oldest “peace envoy” in Vietnam’s Level 2 Field Hospital Rotation 6 participating in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Recalling the first day in the new land, although Nhi and his teammates had prepared themselves in advance, they were still surprised to see that the aircraft landed at an airport that was merely a vast, desolate dirt field. Moreover, the climate there is extremely harsh. During the dry season, temperatures can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius, and the land is barren. In the rainy season, heavy rains cause landslides, muddy or flooded roads, making travel and relief efforts extremely difficult.
Amid countless hardships, from scorching heat to muddy rains, Lieutenant Colonel Le Hong Nhi persevered with his teammates in caring for patients on the front line of peacekeeping operations.
In addition to their main task of providing healthcare and treatment for UN peacekeeping staff and soldiers, Le Hong Nhi and his colleagues at Vietnam’s Level 2 Field Hospital Rotation 6 also stood ready to provide medical assistance to local people.
After a year of attachment to this place, there were times when he thought he might not be able to complete the mission. However, it was the spirit and determination of an “Uncle Ho’s soldier” that helped him overcome all barriers and difficulties.
For Senior Lieutenant, professional soldier Nguyen Huy Thang, an officer of the Logistics and Technical Division of the Hai Phong Military Command, this was the second time he had the honor of joining the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), a conflict zone between Sudan and South Sudan in Africa.
On both occasions, Thang volunteered by submitting applications, expressing his desire to undertake international missions.
In Abyei, Thang contributed alongside Engineering Unit Rotation 2 to maintaining and repairing key roads, including the main route connecting Sudan and South Sudan through Abyei, and opening new patrol routes to ensure security in the region.
In addition, Thang and his teammates assisted local residents in repairing houses and roads, carrying out charitable works, and stabilizing community life.
Continuing the nation’s aspiration for peace
According to the Hai Phong Military Command, during the 2020 – 2025 term, the city’s armed forces had nine deployments of officers volunteering to participate in UN peacekeeping operations, mainly at missions in South Sudan and Abyei.
Each year, Military Hospital 7 dispatches 3 – 5 officers to take part in these peacekeeping missions. They are all highly qualified, experienced doctors with many professional achievements. The hospital is regarded as one of the highlights of Military Region 3’s armed forces in actively participating in UN peacekeeping operations.
According to Colonel Hoang Van Ly, Level II specialist doctor, Meritorious Physician, and Director of Military Hospital 7, before departing for international missions, “blue beret” officers receive training at the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations. They are fully equipped with knowledge of politics, military affairs, logistics, technology, English, and key peacekeeping contents.
In particular, the officers and soldiers receive in-depth additional training in medical and engineering specialties as well as essential survival skills.
Despite operating in a multinational environment with many pressures and challenges, all officers and soldiers have demonstrated a high sense of responsibility, excellently completing their missions and spreading the positive values of Vietnam’s cultural traditions and the noble qualities of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” in the new era, leaving a strong impression on international friends.
HONG ANH