Also present at the airport were family members, relatives and friends of the returning personnel. Handshakes, embraces and the joy of reunion after a prolonged separation created a warm and emotional homecoming.
Earlier, on September 27, most officers and personnel of the L2FH Rotation 7 had completed their mission and returned to Viet Nam. The remaining 12 stayed in South Sudan to maintain the hospital’s operations and carry out the handover to the L2FH Rotation 8.
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Awaiting the return home of the last 12 personnel from the L2FH Rotation 7 |
During the final stage of the deployment, the 12 remaining military personnel faced a heavy workload across multiple areas. Each officer and staff not only performed duties within their trained specialty, but also took on multiple additional roles, covering medical examination and treatment, operations, external relations, logistics, and unit security and safety.
Together with their regular duties, the remaining personnel were also responsible for completing a comprehensive handover to the L2FH Rotation 8. This involved not only inventorying and transferring facilities, equipment and medical supplies, but also handing over professional procedures, operational mechanisms, and coordination arrangements with UNMISS authorities, international units and local partners. In particular, practical experience accumulated throughout the deployment in medical care, operations, logistics, military affairs, external relations and civil-military engagement was shared with the incoming personnel, helping ensure continuity in mission performance.
Carrying out multiple tasks simultaneously with limited personnel required every officer and staff to demonstrate a high level of responsibility, initiative and coordination. Beyond completing their own duties, the military personnel also directly guided their successors and shared the experience they had gained throughout the deployment, helping ensure a smooth transition for the incoming unit.
With the safe return of the last 12 personnel, 62 of the 63 officers and staff members of the outgoing hospital have now returned to Viet Nam. One officer remains in South Sudan to continue serving as part of the incoming hospital.
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The personnel of the L2FH Rotation 7 return home after completing their peacekeeping duties. |
The return of the final group marks the completion of the withdrawal and handover process for the L2FH Rotation 7 in South Sudan. As their deployment comes to an end, the Vietnamese military medical personnel have not only fulfilled their assigned mission but also passed on valuable experience, a solid foundation and the necessary conditions for their successors to continue the U.N. peacekeeping mission.
Translated by Quynh Oanh