Standing firm to prevent disease at the frontline

(LSO) – Leaving aside their own private happiness, the border guard soldiers are making silent sacrifices day and night amid the “war” against the Covid-19 “enemy”. Although there are no “rain of bombs, storm of bullets”, but this war is also very arduous. Determining to create a “steel shield” on the borderline, preventing the epidemics to cross the border, the green rank soldiers have not have one comfortable night of sleep, because of the health and peaceful life of people.

Recently, border guard (BG) units have carried out in parallel two tasks of border protection, crime prevention and Coivd-19 epidemic prevention. Colonel Ninh Van Hop, Commander of the Provincial Border Guard Command said: Following the direction on disease prevention and control, the Provincial Border Guard has set up 151 booth camps at trails and crossroads to the border. At the same time, 100% of the troop has been mobilized, coordinated with the functional forces to patrol and control, prevent illegally crossing the border, forming solid “fortresses” along more than 231 km of border roads, preventing the sources of epidemic infection. As of April 20, 2020, the Border Guard forces have captured more than 30 cross-border smuggling cases, seizing nearly 400,000 medical masks and over 14,000 medical gloves.

Border guard officials and soldiers barricade on the border of Thuy Hung commune, Van Lang district

Located close to the border, near landmark 1053 in Na Hinh hamlet, Thuy Hung commune, Van Lang district is a booth camp of Na Hinh Border Guard soldiers, local police and militia forces. The camp is about 20 m², located at the foot of the hill, whose all four sides was damaged, is being repaired by soldiers because of the heavy rain in the beginning of the season. In deep forests, into the mountains, where it is lack of many essential necessities, but the soldiers are not afraid of difficulties, hardship, still firmly remaining, taking on a great responsibility to control illegal immigration activities across the border. In the story with us, they hardly mentioned about their family, Major Quach Cao Son, officer of the Administrative Control Team, Na Hinh Border Guard point shared with us: The ones in charge of controlling the border always devote to the task; for a long time, there is no one asking for leave in the unit, all of us determine to perform well the duties and serve our People and Fatherland.

Over the past months, Na Hinh Border Guard Point has established 9 fixed camps and 3 mobile camps to block, patrol the border and prevent illegal immigration. Through research, from before the Lunar New Year 2020, 100% of border guard soldiers and officers here have not asked for leaving to visit their family. Among them, Lieutenant Colonel Pham Trong Thinh, officer of the Mass Mobilization Team, Na Hinh Border Guard Point, was a special case. Lieutenant Colonel Thinh shared: I have a son who unfortunately suffers from a serious illness, since I was on duty, I have not been able to take him to the hospital, every housework is on my wife. Every day, until my duty shift is completed, I can only call or text to encourage my wife, ask about the health of my child. Although my house is located in Lang Son city, although I miss and love my wife and my children so much, because of common tasks, I have to leave aside my personal matters. I know that there are many teammates in the force who also have difficult family situations, not just my own.

Currently, along with the task of firmly protecting territorial sovereignty, preserving security and order across the border line, the Border Guard force also has to “strain” and closely coordinate with the functional to synchronously implement measures to solve congestion of goods at border gates and prevent, control epidemics. Therefore, the “visit” to their family of officials and soldiers is just through the message, a short phone call to ask when they have time, because of all peace and happiness of the people. Senior Lieutenant Dao Ngoc Luyen, officer of the Procedure Team at Huu Nghi International Border Gate Border Guard Point, said: At this time, the Border Guard force is coordinating to solve the procedures for large quantities of goods clearance at the border gate, avoiding causing damage to businesses. On April 10, 2020, my family informed me that my wife had given birth to my child, I was very excited, but because I was on urgent duty, the visit to my wife and child was temporarily set aside.

At this time, when the social distance is loosened, on the border, the border guard soldiers are still sacrificing their private happiness to continue the task no matter how hard the situation is. Despite numerous difficulties and hardships, they have never neglected, although many soldiers have sick family members, even they have important things in their family, but all they agree to put aside such things with a common determination “against epidemic as against the enemy.