(BGO) - Amid difficulties in the Central African Republic where gunfire sounds can be heard at any time, along with extreme climate and weather, Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Lien (born in Lieu Nham village, Tan Lieu commune, Yen Dung district in 1981), an officer from the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, has quickly overcame worries and homesickness to perform the soldier's duties with bravery and dedication.
Beautifying the image of Uncle Ho soldiers
At the end of 2022, for the first time, Vietnam sent officers to the EU Military Training Mission in the Central African Republic (EUTM RCA). The dispatched are Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Lien and Captain Le Nhu Tien from the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations. On the occasion of the founding anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army on December 22, 2022, Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Lien and her teammate boarded a plane, leaving Hanoi for the Central African Republic.
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Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Lien (second from left) and other female officers prepare to go abroad on duty. |
Putting aside her personal feelings and temporarily shelving the role of a woman in the family, she carried along the soldier's spirit and the kind heart and love of the Vietnamese people to perform the tasks assigned by the Party, State and army. Lien said that this was a special experience and an honor for herself in her military life.
Lien used to be a French teacher at the Vietnam Military Medical University before working at the Graduate Department of the Military Technical Academy for 10 years. “During my time working at the Military Technical Academy, I saw many of my colleagues participating in the United Nations peacekeeping missions, I admired them and hoped to have such an experience in my military life,” she confided. Her wish came true when in 2020, she was officially recruited to the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
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The Vietnamese flag flutters with those of many countries inside and outside the European Union. |
After many training courses at home and abroad, she was officially selected to join the EUTM RCA. As a training advisor, Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Lien is responsible for training officers of the Central African Army and giving advice to the Commander of the Officer's School on the cirricula and criteria for testing and assessment of students' training results...
Lien said: "In the morning of December 30, 2022, at the launching ceremony organized by the EU Military Training Mission in the Central African Republic, the national flag of Vietnam fluttered along with those of many EU and non-EU countries. I and my male teammate were extremely moved. In the Central African Republic, I was called “female lieutenant colonel” and “Vietnamese soldier”. I feel very happy".
Giving love to poor children
Always proud to be a peace-loving Vietnamese, in her luggage, Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Lien carried, along with the spirit of a Uncle Ho soldier, charming conical hats and Ha Dong silk scarves as gifts for international friends.
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Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Lien (right). |
During a New Year celebration in the Central African Republic, she introduced special dishes of Vietnam, sang a quan ho (love duet) folk song, invited international friends to watch videos about Vietnamese traditional martial arts and dances, thus promoting Vietnam as a beautiful, peace-loving country which has a patriotic tradition and a rich and unique culture.
When accepting the assignment, she wondered about her family work, but her husband, who also works at the Military Technical Academy, sympathised with and encouraged her. Temporarily setting aside the role of a woman in the family, Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Lien encouraged her family to try to overcome difficulties during her one-year absence.
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Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Lien visits and gives gifts to orphans in the Central African Republic. |
Referring to her hometown of Bac Giang, Lien is always choked up. Born in a poor village into a family of six girls, her difficult childhood forged Vu Thi Lien with a strong will to surf difficulties.
Arriving in a new land, she choked: “Central Africa is now as poor as my hometown in the past. My wish is that besides performing the mission, I can also do something useful to help the children here, like I was assisted in the past."
As a dynamic and strong woman, Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Lien also carries constant kindness, compassion and sentimentality. Overcoming the homesickness, she gave love to the poor Central African people. Wishing female officer Vu Thi Lien to successfully fulfil the tasks assigned by the Party, State and army.
