PATCH WITH THE Border Guards

: White night through the forest patrolling At night at the Vietnam-Laos border, heavy rain and thunderstorms poured down, but the soldiers wearing green military ranks did not care about the hardships and strained their eyes during the night of patrolling to keep peace for the Fatherland

The sound of cicadas rang through a corner of the forest. After dinner, the soldiers at checkpoint No. 2 of La Dee commune (Nam Giang district, Quang Nam province) divided into 2 parallel patrol groups. One group moved towards the landmark, the other group headed back to the border gate, the remaining troops were on duty at the checkpoint. Soldiers said that at night, the possibility of people entering illegally through the trails and openings is very high. Absorbs hardships and dangers In the thick darkness, everyone had to strain their eyes to see, the light from the flashlights was only enough to see a glimpse of the object near the front. While moving, the soldiers told each other to beware of snakes. A member of checkpoint No. 2 in La Dee commune said that a few months ago, while cooking, a viper crawled back to the camp, causing the whole post to howl. We headed towards landmark 718. This place is just over a mountain range from Dac Ta Ooc Nhay village (Dac Chung district, Sekong province – Laos). Senior Lieutenant Pham Duc Nghia, head of checkpoint No. 2 of La Dee commune, said that for many years now, along the stream, there has always been a trail tens of kilometers long, formed by exchanges and visits to relatives. between people on both sides of the border. But since the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, this trail and many other openings on the Quang Nam – Se Kong border are no longer a “common passage”. Because along the border of the two countries, there are always checkpoints set up to guard duty. This is more stringent since the Covid-19 epidemic re-emerged, the situation of illegal entry is more complicated than before. “Therefore, the task of control must be strengthened, brothers always tell each other to stay focused in all situations, not to let any strangers pass through this first line of defense” – Lieutenant Pham Duc Nghia expressed. Soldiers at checkpoint No. 2 in La Dee commune on patrol through difficult forest roads Photo: QUANG HUY Although quite familiar with the terrain of the management area, Lieutenant Trinh Xuan Quynh – a member of checkpoint No. 2 of La Dee commune – was still very cautious when he and his teammates carried out patrols and control missions at night. Because the patrol road is steep, the danger is unpredictable. After storms, landslides occurred at the end of last year, many roads were damaged, fallen trees blocked the path. However, the soldiers almost always maintain patrols day and night. The patrol road was rough, but the brothers said that there was never a night without the footsteps of soldiers. They quietly do their duty in the middle of the forest, all for the peace of the border. Many sleepless nights, both staying awake and guarding in the middle of the forest to do combat duty. Forest patrol When we arrived at Cha Lo international border gate, Minh Hoa district, Quang Binh province, the first rains of the season came pouring down. The weather in the western part of the Vietnam-Laos border began to change erratically, and border guards began patrolling through the forest at night. Nightfall. At exactly 18 o’clock, after a meal with wild vegetables, a loud shout of patrol command from Captain Phan Van Phap – Chief of checkpoint No. 1 of Cha Lo International Border Gate – sounded, all ready. for a night patrol in the jungle at the border. Night patrols through the forest by officers and soldiers of the Quang Binh Province Border Guard on the rugged terrain of the border Photo: HOANG PHUC After the rain, the dirt road on the hillside became more slippery and muddy. Following in the footsteps of border patrol officers and soldiers, we had to cling firmly to each precarious stone in the deep, treacherous forest and absorb the hardships and dangers that the soldiers here face every day. As soon as he left, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Cong Huu, a reinforcement officer at Cha Lo International Border Gate Border Guard Station, said that the weather in the border area this season is very erratic. During the day, the sun is hot, but at night it rains. While patrolling in the rain, the brothers had to hide in the rock shelters, wait for the rain to stop and continue patrolling. According to the French captain, at night in the deep forest, patrolling dozens of kilometers of mountain roads was not easy, everyone was sweating after climbing over steep, precarious slopes. “When they were too tired, the soldiers took turns taking a nap on the stone for 5-10 minutes and then continued to patrol. Every time they went on patrol, the soldiers had to face countless dangers lurking” – French captain talk. “We patrolled through many high-sloping mountain peaks, had to cling to trees to go up, especially when it rained, when going down the mountain, we had to go backwards, but we had to patrol continuously day and night, determined to stop the enemies. illegal entry across the border,” said Lieutenant Colonel Huu. The guarding and patrolling of the brothers here is carried out 24 hours a day. During the day, the force was divided into 2 groups, one stayed at the guard post and the other group patrolled. At night, they take turns to go on duty, just take turns eating and cleaning. “Work has been tight for more than a year now when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out,” said the French captain. The weather in the border areas this season is very harsh, in the morning it is sunny and in the afternoon, it makes many soldiers fall ill, but they always share and encourage each other and all maintain the spirit of “fighting the epidemic like fighting the enemy” to always perform well. assigned. Colonel Trinh Thanh Binh, Commander of the Border Guard Command of Quang Binh province, said that the whole province has more than 222 km of border lines adjacent to the two provinces of Kham Muon and Sa Van Na Khet (Laos). Facing the situation of the Covid-19 epidemic, the unit has implemented measures to manage, protect the border and prevent epidemics and strengthen the force for the Cha Lo and Ca Roong international border gate guards. “With the policy of locking down borders, locking down trails and openings, strictly controlling border gates on land and seaports to prevent illegal entry and exit, ensuring the prevention of Covid-19 epidemic. , we are determined not to let the subjects enter our country’s border. There are still hardships and hardships, but for us – the soldiers on the front lines of the fight against the epidemic – we will be determined no matter what the circumstances. to the end, overcome all to complete the task well “- Colonel Binh expressed. (Continue)

Rain
Nguyen Cong Huu