Located in the Xuân Nha and Chiềng Sơn communes of Sơn La province, the Chiềng Sơn Border Guard Station, under the Sơn La Provincial Border Guard Command, currently manages and protects over 11km of border with neighboring Laos.

Officers and soldiers of Chieng Son Border Guard Station intensified patrols and protected the border and boundary markers during the Lunar New Year holiday.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, the task becomes even more challenging as criminals often take advantage of the time when people are celebrating the New Year to carry out their activities. In such circumstances, the officers and soldiers here have put aside their homesickness and longing for loved ones, standing firm on the front lines, maintaining peace and security for the border.

With his home nearly 100km from his unit, this is the first year Corporal Lo Van Bac is celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year) away from his family. In the spring patrol formation, amidst the cold border region, the young soldier's footsteps remain steady on the trail leading to the border marker.

Putting aside homesickness and longing for loved ones, each officer and soldier remains steadfast on the front lines, maintaining peace on the border.

"Putting aside my longing for loved ones, I am determined to patrol and protect the border to ensure that our people can have a warm and happy Tet holiday; I am very proud to be carrying out this duty," said Corporal Lo Van Bac.

Alongside their duties of patrolling and protecting the border, the border guards of Chieng Son also bring the spirit of spring to the ethnic communities along the border.

In the border forests, patrol teams from the Chiềng Sơn Border Guard Post silently trek through the woods and cross streams.

Lieutenant Bui Ninh Thuan, Team Leader of the Reconnaissance Team, shared that on each patrol, the team takes the opportunity to visit households, wish them a Happy New Year, and encourage them to maintain security and order and work together to protect the border. The joy of the local people is also a motivation for the team members to successfully complete their nhiệm vụ.

"We patrol to manage and protect the national border, including visiting villages in the area, participating in spring celebrations and Tet festivities with the locals, and joining them in games and festivals to further strengthen the bond between the military and the people in the area," Lieutenant Bui Ninh Thuan said.

Every officer and soldier is determined to successfully fulfill their duty to protect the peace and security of the nation's border.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Van Quang, Commander of Chieng Son Border Guard Station, the Lunar New Year is a sensitive time when crimes such as smuggling, illegal immigration, and drug trafficking tend to increase.

The Chiềng Sơn border guard station has deployed 100% of its personnel at all stations and villages, strictly controlling trails, openings, border markers, and the border line.

Therefore, the unit developed a combat readiness plan, deployed 100% of its personnel at stations and checkpoints; intensified patrols and strictly controlled trails, openings, border markers, and border lines... determined to successfully complete the mission and ensure a warm and safe Lunar New Year for the people.

Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Van Quang, Commander of Chieng Son Border Guard Station, encourages officers and soldiers before they set off on patrol during the Lunar New Year holiday.

"For the officers and soldiers of the unit performing duties in the area during Tet, everyone wants to go home to their families. However, due to the demands of the mission, the Party Committee and the Command of the outpost have proactively carried out ideological work and encouraged the officers and soldiers to rest assured while on duty during Tet, to complete their tasks well, and to ensure political security and social order in the area, so that the people can celebrate Tet in a warm and peaceful atmosphere," Lieutenant Colonel Dinh Van Quang said.

The trust and joy of the local people are the motivation for the unit's members to successfully complete their mission.

Spring has arrived along the border roads of Chieng Son. Amidst the fading pink of wild peach blossoms in the cold wind, the footsteps of patrolmen continue to leave their mark.

The silent sacrifices of the border guards here have contributed and continue to contribute to maintaining peace on the nation's frontier, ensuring that spring in the border villages is more complete and prosperous.

Tran Long/VOV-Northwest