Lieutenant Nguyen Van Duong, Reconnaissance Assistant of the Command of Da Nang Port Border Gate under Da Nang Border Guard High Command, and his teammates are both fighting on the front lines against COVID-19 around the clock, with a promise to his parents "When the pandemic is over, I will return home..."

Lieutenant Nguyen Van Duong (second, right) and his teammates are installing solar panels for lighting at the campsite. Photo: HONG QUANG

In 2019, Lieutenant Nguyen Van Duong was assigned to work at the Command of Da Nang Port Border Gate. With the enthusiastic spirit of youth along with dynamism and creativity, Lieutenant Duong always completed the assigned tasks excellently and actively participates in the Youth Union activities.

During this complicated COVID-19 resurgence, Lieutenant Duong has volunteered to perform tasks at the southwestern border at the call of his unit without hesitation. Since January, he has been assigned to strengthen the pandemic prevention and control tasks at the Vinh Dieu Border Guard Station, Kien Giang Province as the leader of Post No. 5, Cong Ca Hamlet, Vinh Dieu Commune, Giang Thanh District.

With the spirit of "Fighting the pandemic like fighting the enemy", officers and soldiers are on-duty at anti- COVID-19 and anti-illegal entry checkpoints during daytime and nighttime to protect the country’s borders, arrest any type of criminals and prevent the spread of the pandemic.

During the mission, most posts are stationed mainly in the rice fields being far from residential areas. Moreover, due to its inconvenient geographical location so officers have to ensure their own food by themselves. In order to ensure water source for daily life under hot weather conditions, Vinh Dieu Border Guard Station has prepared 20-liter water tanks, or drilled and dug right at the post to have pure water for personal hygiene.

In particular, Post no. 5 is located right in the middle of the field with the hash heat poured down on the corrugated iron roof all day time, so on-duty officers here have to go to the near bamboo grove to avoid the scorching heat.

Lieutenant Nguyen Van Duong (left) and his teammates hang Uncle Ho’s picture in the unit. Photo: HONG QUANG

Furthermore, nighttime is when mosquitoes and dangerous insects are raging, so officers and soldiers are equipped with insecticidal gel baits to ensure their health. When it comes to the rainy season, they face more hardships with slippery roads, windy weather.

However, “all officers and soldiers on the borderlines have together overcome any difficulties. No matter how difficult it is, my teammates and I will always be determined to fulfill the tasks assigned by the Communist Party, State and Vietnamese people," said Lieutenant Nguyen Van Duong.

During nearly one year of supporting the Kien Giang Province Border Guard in pandemic and illegal entry prevention tasks, Lieutenant Nguyen Van Duong regularly made phone calls to his parents and girlfriend whilst taking short breaks for relaxation.

All in all, Lieutenant Nguyen Van Duong as well as officers and soldiers of the Da Nang Border Guard High Command are always in a state of readiness to be on duty at the borderlines for COVID-19 prevention and control tasks, thus contributing to protecting our sea border, ensuring peace, safety and happiness for Vietnamese people.

Reporting by HONG QUANG- Translating by T.VY