Ideological work in the Army is an integral part of the Party’s ideological work and a fundamental aspect of Party and political work. It directly contributes to fostering and improving the theoretical, political, ideological and cultural knowledge and revolutionary ethics of cadres and soldiers, enriching their spiritual life and engaging in struggle on the ideological front, with the aim of building an Army strong in politics, ideology, ethics, organisation and personnel and successfully accomplishing all assigned missions. At present, in response to the increasingly demanding requirements of building the Army and safeguarding the Fatherland, further enhancing the effectiveness of this important work is a matter of strategic significance.

In recent years, ideological work in the Army has been carried out proactively and comprehensively through many innovative and effective guidelines and measures, closely following the leadership and direction of the Party, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence, as well as practical developments. It has contributed to firmly safeguarding the Party’s ideological position within the Army, enhancing the political steadfastness of cadres and soldiers, consolidating their confidence and determination, and strengthening their combat-readiness spirit.

Under the direction of the General Department of Politics, Party committees, commissars, junior commissars, commanders and political agencies at all levels have developed a proper understanding of ideological work and heightened their responsibility for leading, directing and implementing. Practical and effective guidelines and measures have been adopted, focusing on key missions, pivotal areas and periods when ideological issues are most likely to arise. Particular attention has been paid to political education and ideological leadership in association with implementing the guidance of General Secretary, President and Secretary of the Central Military Commission To Lam on the “Two Steadfast Commitments, Two Intensifications and Two Preventive Measures” and the “Five Firm Foundations”; closely combining ideological work with organisational and policy work; and integrating education, persuasion and moral influence with administrative measures and strict disciplinary action.

Sr. Lt. Gen. Truong Thien To addresses at the Military ideological and discipline management Review of 2025 (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Political education has been strongly renewed in both content and form towards the application of modern technologies and digital transformation. Traditional and modern methods have been flexibly combined, making educational content more visual, vivid and accessible to soldiers, particularly new recruits. At the same time, political and ideological education has been closely integrated with the Determined to Win Emulation Movement and the study and practice of Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts, ethics and style, thereby contributing to further highlighting the noble qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” in the new era.

In the coming period, the global and regional situation is expected to continue evolving rapidly, complexly and unpredictably. Military conflicts, disputes over maritime and island sovereignty, strategic competition among major powers and non-traditional security challenges are increasing, profoundly affecting the international peace and security environment. The rapid development of science and technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), big data and cross-border digital platforms, is exerting direct and multidimensional impacts on the awareness, thinking, psychology and sentiments of military personnel, especially the younger generations. Hostile forces continue to intensify attacks against the Party’s ideological foundation, stepping up “peaceful evolution”, information warfare and cognitive warfare through increasingly insidious schemes and tactics. The tasks of building a revolutionary, regular, elite and modern Military, safeguarding the Fatherland, and contributing to economic, cultural and social development raise many new and demanding issues, requiring ideological work to ‘stay one step ahead’ in orienting and unifying soldiers’ awareness. Therefore, agencies and units throughout the Army must continue to improve the effectiveness of ideological work through comprehensive and coordinated measures, with emphasis on the following key tasks and solutions:

First, to strengthen the leadership and direction of Party committees, political commissars, political officers and commanders at all levels over ideological work. Party committees, Party organisations, political commissars, political officers and commanders throughout the Army should continue to enhance their awareness of the important position and role of ideological work in building the Army in the new era, particularly in developing the political and spiritual factor among soldiers. At the same time, this work must always be placed under direct and regular leadership and direction, conducted scientifically and effectively, and supported by accurate identification and forecasting of multidimensional factors that directly affect soldiers’ ideology. On that basis, resolutions and plans should be developed and appropriate leadership and direction measures identified in accordance with the Party’s guidelines and viewpoints and the resolutions, directives and guidance of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence and the General Department of Politics, particularly Politburo Directive No.07-CT/TW dated 13 July 2026 on “Promoting the study and practice of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, ethics, methods and style in the new stage of development”; Directive No.676-CT/QUTW dated 26 June 2026 of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission on “Strengthening leadership and direction to promote the cultural values of Uncle Ho’s Soldiers in the new era”; Directive No.76/CT-BQP dated 28 April 2026 of the Minister of National Defence on “Strengthening political education, ideological management, discipline maintenance and safety assurance in the Vietnam People’s Army”; and Regulation No.775/QC-CT dated 12 May 2022 of the Director of the General Department of Politics on “Management of servicemen’s thought; monitoring and guiding public opinion in the Vietnam People’s Army”, among others. Ideological work must consistently remain closely aligned with mission requirements and the daily lives and activities of soldiers; be tailored to each type of agency, unit and target group; uphold Party-mindedness, combativeness, scientific rigour and practical relevance; and always lead the way, accompany implementation and follow up with reviews, while promptly and thoroughly addressing practical issues as they arise.

Troops of Division 301 visit its traditional room (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Ideological work should be conducted proactively, comprehensively and synchronously across all areas, stages and steps, closely combining relevant forces and means and never underestimating any stage, step or component. This process must remain closely aligned with the Regulations on the Management of Servicemen’s thought and the monitoring and guidance of public opinion in the Vietnam People’s Army. Grassroots cadres are the force directly responsible for conducting ideological work among soldiers; therefore, particular importance should be attached to directing, guiding, training and passing on practical experience to this contingent. At the same time, the quality of advice, guidance and implementation provided by political agencies and Party committee members responsible for ideological work should be improved; weaknesses and shortcomings should be actively addressed; and the ideological position should be firmly maintained so that agencies and units are never caught passive or unprepared. Inspection should be intensified to proactively prevent and correct misguided perceptions and improper conduct at an early stage. Preliminary and final reviews and lessons-learned activities should be conducted effectively to ensure substantive assessment of results. The outcomes of ideological work should be used as a criterion for assessing the competence of cadres, Party members and Party organisations, while exemplary collectives and individuals achieving outstanding results in ideological work should be promptly commended and rewarded.

Second, to continue to renew content, diversify forms and flexibly and creatively apply methods of conducting ideological work. Agencies and units should remain sensitive to practical developments, further strengthen their initiative while maintaining principled steadfastness, continuously renew content and flexibly and creatively apply appropriate forms and methods of ideological work. The objective of consistently upholding, safeguarding and promoting the “Four Steadfast Commitments” set out in Regulation No.19-QD/TW dated 8 April 2026 of the Party Central Committee on political and ideological work within the Party, together with General Secretary and President To Lam’s guidance on the “Two Steadfast Commitments, Two Intensifications and Two Preventive Measures” and the “Five Firm Foundations”, should serve as the guiding orientation for ideological work, ensuring absolute political and ideological consistency in all activities of Party organisations, officers and soldiers. Accordingly, a strong breakthrough is needed in comprehensively renewing ideological work through effective application of scientific and technological achievements and digital transformation, thereby enhancing its persuasiveness while remaining appropriate to existing conditions, capabilities, facilities and equipment and closely aligned with practical requirements, target groups, missions and the characteristics of each agency and unit. Communication and education on Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought, the theory of the Party’s renewal policy, the Party’s guidelines and policies and the State’s laws should be intensified, particularly the Resolution of the 14^th National Party Congress, the Resolution of the 12^th Congress of the Military Party Organisation, and resolutions and directives of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat. Through these efforts, the Party’s ideological foundation should continue to be affirmed and creatively applied, ensuring that Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought retain their absolute guiding role in the political and spiritual life of officers and soldiers throughout the Army. At the same time, patriotism, national pride and national dignity should be continuously nurtured; new understandings of the tasks of building the Army and safeguarding the Fatherland and of the schemes and tactics of hostile forces should be clarified; and firm political steadfastness and the determination to fight and win should be cultivated to ensure a high level of combat readiness and victory in all situations. The effectiveness of communication and mobilisation should be enhanced so that they become sharp and pioneering weapons on the ideological and theoretical front, proactively building steadfast determination among officers and soldiers in the face of every difficulty and challenge and ensuring that they remain ready to undertake and successfully accomplish all assigned missions, including those in the most arduous conditions.

Third, to proactively forecast and grasp ideological developments and promptly orient and guide soldiers’ actions in performing their missions. At present, amid the explosive growth of the internet and social media, the rapid development of artificial intelligence, and complex global and regional developments, officers and soldiers are exposed to an enormous volume of multidimensional and difficult-to-control information, posing significant challenges to ideological monitoring and management. This reality requires Party committees, political commissars, political officers and commanders at all levels, particularly Steering Committee 35 and core forces throughout the Army, to proactively monitor and accurately forecast ideological developments so as to provide timely orientation and guidance for soldiers’ actions. To achieve this, official information channels and internal pages, groups and social networks should be maintained effectively; administrative management should be closely combined with ideological monitoring through cultural and sporting activities, daily routines and after-hours exchanges; and cadres should accompany, listen to and share with soldiers, helping resolve even the smallest concerns arising in their daily lives. Ideological monitoring must not stop at observable manifestations or only begin after an incident has occurred, but should pay close attention to sensitive groups such as new recruits, personnel performing missions in difficult and complex areas, along borders and on islands, and servicemen facing exceptional family circumstances. Party committees and commanders at all levels should also proactively and sensitively anticipate negative impacts arising from the adverse side of social media, artificial intelligence, public opinion and age-related psychological changes, and develop response plans from an early stage and from afar so as never to be caught passive or unprepared in any situation.

Officers of Regiment 19, Division 968, Military Region 4 meets with and encourages new recruits (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Fourth, to resolutely combat and refute false and hostile viewpoints and firmly safeguard the Party’s ideological position within the Army. Accordingly, the entire Military should continue to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement Politburo Conclusion No.89-KL/TW dated 25 July 2024 on continuing the implementation of Politburo (12^th Tenure) Resolution No.35-NQ/TW dated 22 October 2018 on “Strengthening the protection of the Party’s ideological foundation and combating and refuting false and hostile viewpoints in the new situation”. Party committees, Party organisations, officers and soldiers throughout the Army, especially key and leading cadres at all levels, should identify the protection of the Party’s ideological foundation and the struggle against false and hostile viewpoints as a long-term, important and regular task of the Army. Accordingly, leadership and direction should be strengthened, and comprehensive and in-depth research and proposals should be developed on the content and measures needed to safeguard the Party’s ideological foundation.

It is necessary to proactively identify, resolutely expose and refute false and reactionary viewpoints advanced by hostile forces against the Resolution of the 14^th National Party Congress; distortions and incitement aimed at undermining the revolution to streamline and strengthen the State apparatus; the policy of making breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation; attempts to deny the achievements of 40 years of the Party-led renewal process; efforts to promote internal “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” and the “depoliticisation” of the Army; and distortions of the image and noble qualities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers” intended to diminish the position and prestige of the Army, among others. Through these efforts, a high degree of unity in will and action should be created, helping officers and soldiers maintain absolute confidence in the Party’s leadership and the State’s management and administration, while strengthening their resilience and generating comprehensive improvements in awareness and responsibility for mission performance. At the same time, different forms of struggle should be closely combined to achieve broad coverage and establish the predominance of positive information in cyberspace. Attention should be paid to building increasingly “elite” forces for this struggle, particularly core and specialised forces, while fully promoting the role of experts and scientists with strong theoretical expertise and practical experience in producing sharp and compelling articles, thereby contributing to protecting and firmly maintaining the Party’s ideological position within the Army.

Finally, to promote the role of organisations and forces, particularly political agencies and political cadres, in conducting ideological work. The subjects of ideological work in the Army include all officers and soldiers and all organisations and forces within agencies and units throughout the Army, together with the people in areas where units are stationed. Therefore, the entire Military should further harness the combined strength of organisations and forces, especially Party organisations, command organisations, mass organisations and servicemen’s councils, in conducting ideological work. At the same time, close coordination should be maintained among military agencies and units, local Party committees and authorities, and the families of officers and soldiers so that every serviceman develops correct awareness, strong determination, decisive action, solidarity and strict discipline, and remains ready to undertake and successfully accomplish every assigned mission. In addition, the pioneering role of military press, literature and arts agencies and of military writers, artists and journalists on the ideological front should be effectively promoted.

Political agencies and political cadres at all levels should further enhance their core role in conducting ideological work; firmly grasp its position, role, principles, objectives, tasks, guidelines and orientations; and demonstrate initiative, acumen and sensitivity in advising and proposing measures to strengthen ideological work. They should provide comprehensive and effective direction and guidance within each agency and unit so that ideological work genuinely reaches all target groups, is conducted extensively and in depth, and achieves substantive results. At the same time, every cadre and Party member, particularly key and leading cadres at all levels, must properly fulfil their responsibility to set an example, continuously study, cultivate and train themselves, maintain strict self-discipline, and genuinely serve as exemplary models of qualities and competence for officers and soldiers to follow.

The comprehensive and resolute implementation of the above measures will contribute to further enhancing the quality and effectiveness of ideological work and building a strong political and spiritual foundation throughout the Army. This is the fundamental basis for building a revolutionary, regular, elite and modern Vietnam People’s Army that remains an absolutely loyal and reliable political and combat force of the Party, the State and the People and successfully accomplishes every mission in the new era.

Senior Lieutenant General TRUONG THIEN TO, Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Chief of the General Department of Politics, Vietnam People’s Army