Every year on March 3, Vietnam commemorates the Traditional Day of the Vietnam Border Guard and the All People’s Border Defence Day. The date marks the founding of the force in 1959 and honours generations of soldiers who have safeguarded the country’s land and maritime frontiers.

For more than six decades, soldiers in green uniforms have served on the frontlines, in remote mountain passes, along dense forest borders, and across vast stretches of sea, protecting national sovereignty and maintaining border security.

A force established to protect sovereignty

The Vietnam Border Guard was established on March 3, 1959, originally under the name People’s Armed Police. Its mission is to manage and protect national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security across land borders, islands, and international border gates.

The mission has become increasingly demanding in today’s complex regional and global environment. Beyond traditional defence tasks, border guards must address transnational crime, illegal migration, smuggling, drug trafficking, and human trafficking.

Senior military leaders, including General Hoang Xuan Chien, emphasised the need to build a revolutionary, regular, elite, and gradually modernised border guard force capable of responding to emerging security challenges while firmly defending national sovereignty.

Border security and the “people’s heart”

Border protection in Vietnam is not solely a military responsibility. It is built upon a people-based defence posture - a system that combines professional forces with community participation.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Anh Tuan, Secretary of the Party Committee and Political Commissar of the Vietnam Border Guard, underscored the force’s mission and spirit while addressing a communications conference dedicated to the Border Guard.

He affirmed that safeguarding national sovereignty and border security, alongside maintaining close ties with local communities, remains the central and consistent mission of the force. According to him, border management and protection are inseparable from efforts to strengthen public trust and solidarity between border guard officers and the people.

In many remote villages, local residents cooperate closely with border units, helping protect boundary markers and reporting illegal activities. Fishing communities at sea also maintain constant communication with maritime border forces. In this way, each village and fishing vessel becomes a living landmark contributing to national security.

Beyond security: Supporting border communities

As Vietnam’s core force in safeguarding national sovereignty, the Vietnam Border Guard plays a critical role in protecting the country’s land and maritime frontiers. Yet their mission today extends far beyond conventional law enforcement and patrol duties. In isolated mountainous areas, border posts often serve as community anchors.

Soldiers assist residents with agricultural production, poverty reduction initiatives, literacy programmes, and free medical services. Many units sponsor disadvantaged students under programmes such as “Supporting Students to Stay in School” and “Adopted Children of Border Posts,” helping create sustainable educational opportunities in remote regions.

During natural disasters, border guards are frequently among the first responders involved in repairing post-storm homes, delivering food supplies to isolated villages, and rescuing fishermen caught in rough seas.

At the recent national programme “Border Spring Brings Warmth to Villages,” State President Luong Cuong highlighted the humanitarian contributions of the force, noting that their work strengthens solidarity and reinforces trust between the armed forces and border residents.

Quiet dedication at the nation’s edge

Life along Vietnam’s borders remains challenging. Many soldiers spend holidays away from their families, stationed in remote outposts where living conditions are modest and weather conditions harsh.

Yet their mission remains constant: to protect national sovereignty and ensure stability from the country’s outermost edges.

On March 3, Vietnam not only commemorates a military milestone but also expresses gratitude to those who serve far from the spotlight. In peacetime, they may not stand on conventional battlefields, but they continue to confront risks, from organised crime networks to extreme weather conditions, so that life in cities and villages is secure and prosperous.

More than a ceremonial date, March 3 is a reminder that national development rests upon the quiet resilience of those who guard the nation’s frontiers.

Border guard reinforces national sovereignty amid new development momentum

VOV.VN - As Vietnam advances toward a new era of development, prosperity, and deeper global integration, the role of the Vietnam Border Guard remains both foundational and forward-looking.