From the “Skilful Mass Mobilisation” emulation movement to the “Good Mass Mobilisation Units” model, the Viet Nam People’s Navy has developed numerous innovative and effective initiatives, affirming its pivotal role in consolidating the people’s solidarity in the frontline waters of the nation.
A support in open sea
Across fishing grounds from north to south, the sight of naval officers and soldiers accompanying fishermen has become familiar. Through the “The Viet Nam Navy – a support for fishermen reaching out to sea” programme, naval units regularly disseminate legal knowledge, guide sustainable and lawful fishing practices, and provide information on maritime safety. Sailors also deliver fuel, food, and fresh water, and directly engage in search and rescue efforts whenever fishermen or vessels encounter accidents at sea.
Between 2021 and 2025, the Navy has conducted nearly 890 search and rescue operations, saving more than 1,000 people, towing and assisting nearly 180 distressed fishing vessels, and guiding tens of thousands of boats to safe storm shelters. During Typhoon Yagi in 2024 alone, naval units rescued 29 people and assisted several fishing vessels to safety. These figures stand as vivid evidence of the close-knit bond between the military and the people amidst the waves.
Beyond their presence at sea, naval officers have quietly nurtured seeds of hope among disadvantaged fishing families. Since 2022, the initiative “The Viet Nam Navy Sponsors Fishermen’s Children” has spread widely and proved highly practical. Units directly support the education of children from struggling fishing households, particularly those orphaned after their parents perished at sea. Each scholarship, each act of care not only enables the children to continue their schooling but also reinforces the trust of fishing families in the Navy.
Another significant highlight of mass mobilisation work has been the organisation of voyages and flights carrying tens of thousands of people from across the country, including overseas Vietnamese, to visit officers and soldiers in the Truong Sa Archipelago (Khanh Hoa Province) and the DK1 platforms on the southern continental shelf. Each journey is a sacred pilgrimage helping people to better understand life on the frontline, deepening their love and pride for naval soldiers, and spreading the image of a modern, humane, and dedicated Navy.
Nurturing strength of solidarity
Under the leadership of the Party Committee and High Command of the Navy, the “Skilful Mass Mobilisation” movement has been translated into diverse and creative models across units.
Lieutenant Colonel Bui Xuan Binh, Political Commissar of Naval Region 4, said: “Every deed of ours, no matter how small, is aimed at helping fishermen feel secure in venturing out to sea, while reinforcing the bond of blood between the military and the people. It is both our duty and our honour as naval soldiers to always be there ‘when the people need us, when the people are in difficulty’.”
Every deed of ours, no matter how small, is aimed at helping fishermen feel secure in venturing out to sea, while reinforcing the bond of blood between the military and the people. It is both our duty and our honour as naval soldiers to always be there ‘when the people need us, when the people are in difficulty’.
Lieutenant Colonel Bui Xuan Binh,
Political Commissar of Naval Region 4
In recent years, naval soldiers have repaired hundreds of kilometres of roads, supported the construction of hundreds of “Comradeship Houses” and “Great Unity Houses”, assisted Mekong Delta provinces in coping with drought and salinity intrusion, provided free medical check-ups and medicines for tens of thousands of people, and donated hundreds of thousands of masks and bottles of sanitiser during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the Navy successfully organised the 2024 “Skilful Mass Mobilisation” contest at service level and achieved outstanding results at the 2025 national contest — honouring exemplary collectives and individuals and affirming its determination to build “Good Mass Mobilisation Units”.
Through such efforts, the Navy has strengthened the unity between the military and the people, laying a firm foundation for the protection of national sovereignty at sea and on islands.
Mass mobilisation work also contributes to improving the material and spiritual lives of coastal communities, while countering attempts to sow division within the great national unity bloc. Senior Colonel Nguyen Cong Thang, Deputy Head of the Navy’s Political Department, stressed: “The success of the ‘Skilful Mass Mobilisation’ movement and the building of ‘Good Mass Mobilisation Units’ is measured not only in figures but also in the trust the people place in the Navy. That trust is our driving force to continue renewing our work and upholding the spirit of ‘Uncle Ho’s soldiers – Naval soldiers’ in all circumstances.”
According to Senior Colonel Nguyen Ky Anh, Head of the Mass Mobilisation Department under the Navy’s Political Department, between 2021 and 2025, 20 collectives and seven individuals were commended by the Ministry of National Defence and the General Department of Politics of the Viet Nam People’s Army, while 54 collectives and 32 individuals received certificates of merit from the Navy High Command for outstanding achievements in the “Skilful Mass Mobilisation” movement and in building “Good Mass Mobilisation Units”.
In the coming period, the Navy is determined to further advance these two movements in tandem with its core political tasks. Exemplary models will continue to be researched and replicated, while mass mobilisation officers will be trained in legal knowledge, social skills, and professional competence.
Every naval officer and soldier must adhere to the principle of “respect the people, stay close to the people, understand the people, learn from the people, and be responsible to the people”. With such resolve, the Navy and the people will always stand united, together building a strong front of solidarity to firmly defend the nation’s maritime sovereignty.
