Officers and soldiers of the Làng Mô Border Guard Station in the remote border commune of Trường Sơn Commune in the central province of Quảng Trị help local residents build sturdy new homes. VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG TRỊ — Amid the sweeping peaks of the Trường Sơn range, villages in the remote border commune of Trường Sơn are undergoing a quiet revival, shedding their past as one of the province’s poorest areas and gaining fresh confidence in the future.

At the heart of that change are the steady efforts of officers and soldiers from the Làng Mô Border Guard Station under the Quảng Trị Border Guard Command. In addition to safeguarding national sovereignty, they have worked closely with residents to overcome hardship, develop livelihoods, reduce poverty and strengthen the frontier.

Stationed along the border in Trường Sơn Commune, the unit manages and protects 43.928km of the national borderline and 16 border markers. The area includes nine hamlets and 19 villages with 2,156 households and 8,484 residents, among them 4,292 people from the Bru–Vân Kiều ethnic group.

In recent years, the commune’s border area has recorded noticeable progress as poverty reduction efforts have been prioritised and living conditions gradually stabilised. However, given its mountainous terrain and border location, economic life remains difficult, particularly for the Vân Kiều community.

To help improve living standards while maintaining firm border security, the Làng Mô Border Guard Station has adopted a practical approach, guiding residents step by step in developing livelihoods, building roads and houses and upgrading local infrastructure.

Lieutenant Colonel Phạm Văn Hào, head of the station, said that in carrying out socio-economic development and poverty reduction tasks, the unit has proactively coordinated with local authorities and relevant agencies to survey, design and replicate suitable economic models. Officers have directly instructed residents in animal husbandry techniques, crop care and disease prevention.

Between 2015 and 2025, the station built 16 lighting projects, 135 community sanitation facilities and seven loudspeaker systems, and provided more than 50 agricultural machines worth over VNĐ3 billion, approximately US$120,000. It also implemented 26 livelihood models, four organic vegetable garden models and 16 clean water projects, with total support exceeding VNĐ2.5 billion.

Officers and soldiers of the Làng Mô Border Guard Station help border residents harvest peanuts. VNA/VNS Photo

The station has actively mobilised sponsors and benefactors to organise social welfare activities, improve education and health care services and implement a child sponsorship programme supporting disadvantaged students to attend school. Zero-cost markets have also been organised during the Lunar New Year in remote villages. These efforts have improved both material and spiritual well-being, encouraging residents to engage confidently in production and build better lives.

The Làng Mô Border Guard Station has built 83 houses for poor households and policy beneficiary families, and repaired or rebuilt 100 temporary and dilapidated homes in Trường Sơn Commune. Officers and soldiers carried bricks, mixed mortar and constructed sturdy houses to replace fragile thatched shelters. These solid homes provide a firm foundation for families to gradually shape new lives, settle securely and contribute to safeguarding the nation’s frontier.

Trusted and cherished by the people

The station’s initiatives may be quiet and unassuming, but their impact is tangible and far-reaching. The presence of border soldiers has become a steady source of support for local communities, strengthening bonds between the military and the people. Their dedication has helped transform once-barren land into green gardens and stable homes for border residents.

With the unit’s support, many households across Trường Sơn’s villages have sustainably escaped poverty, with incomes rising significantly. Production mindsets have gradually shifted from subsistence farming to market-oriented production, fostering stronger community links.

Inside a newly built house still fragrant with fresh paint, Hồ Văn Kiu from Cây Sú Village in Trường Sơn Commune said: “In the past, my family lived in a small thatched hut. When it rained, water leaked everywhere, and cold winds blew in from all sides. It was very hard. Thanks to the officers of the Làng Mô Border Guard Station, we now have a sturdy home.

“They carried bricks and mixed cement themselves. This year, celebrating Tết (Lunar New Year) in a solid new house has brought immense happiness to my whole family.”

Kiu added that the border guards also provided seeds, piglets and chickens and patiently taught his family farming and breeding techniques to secure food and income.

“Now my pigs have given birth to their first litter, the hens lay eggs every day, and our vegetables are growing well. Our life has clearly improved,” he said.

Hồ Thị Thư, head of Cây Cà Village in Trường Sơn Commune, noted that the Bru–Vân Kiều people hold deep affection for the border guards.

“They care for us with responsibility and sincerity, like family. They not only protect the border but also help our people gradually overcome poverty and improve living standards. They are not just soldiers guarding the frontier. They are our brothers, teachers and trusted friends,” he said.

Hoàng Mạnh Hà, Deputy Secretary of the commune’s Party Committee and Chairman of the communal People’s Committee, said that beyond supporting socio-economic development, the border guard force has worked closely with local authorities to strengthen the political system along the frontier.

According to Hà, through effective coordination, village elders and respected community figures have played an increasingly important role as bridges between the Party and the people, helping ensure compliance with Party guidelines, State laws and local regulations.

These efforts have strengthened public trust in the Party, reinforced military–civilian solidarity and improved the effectiveness of crime prevention and security management in the border area.

Lieutenant Colonel Phạm Văn Hào affirmed that protecting national sovereignty and supporting socio-economic development are consistent and central tasks of the unit.

Above all, safeguarding border sovereignty and security remains the top priority. At the same time, standing side by side with the people to improve their lives provides the firm foundation on which the station can fulfil its mission of defending the nation’s frontier under any circumstances. — VNS