Lt. Col. Do Thi Hieu was an instructor at the Military University of Culture and Arts and head of the Department of Foreign Languages for many years.
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Deputy Chief of the General Staff Sr. Lt. Gen. Phung Si Tan hands over the State President’s decision on deployment to MINUSCA to Lt. Col. Do Thi Hieu. |
The officer said that at MINUSCA, her trainees are freshly-deployed staff officers and military observers from different countries with different cultures. To help them be more aware of their tasks, adapt to new environment with complex security situations and harsh weather conditions, take response actions, and grasp other local situations, she innovates her lectures in a diverse and vivid manner.
She said that malaria is always a “nightmare,” among other diseases for any MINUSCA’s staff. Some new officers contracted severe malaria and unfortunately died in the first weeks of working. So, the role of a training staff officer is vital and necessary in a field environment with many risks. Their practical lectures give new staff ways to avoid them. Thus, training staff officers become spiritual fulcrum for new staff and the one-week-long refresher course on the basic knowledge is essential.
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Lt. Col. Do Thi Hieu’s lessons are vivid, rich in contents and practical. |
“I know that my job is not only to give methods and share experience, but also to build trust, inspire courage and confidence for officers who will directly carry out tasks at the mission, contributing to the peacekeeping mission,” said the Vietnamese female officer.
In the refresher course, new staff at MINUSCA is provided with knowledge of the U.N. Mission, tasks of peacekeeping forces, local culture, situation handling skills, communication methods in multicultural environments, issues related to security and humanitarian protection, among others.
Officer Hieu is often called “Madam Hieu” by the trainees. They shared their good feelings for her thanks to her enthusiasm and practical lecturing methods.
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Lt. Col. Do Thi Hieu gives lessons to freshly-deployed staff at MINUSCA. |
New officers are often most worried about the two final writing and interviewing exams. With the Vietnamese female officer' encouragement and sharing of test-taking experiences, study materials and interview methods from the first days of the course, most of them passed the test. Hieu recalled that one officer, leaving the exam room joyfully and saying that he would never forget that moment, expressed thanks to her and stressed that Hieu’s image would always be engraved in his heart.
Many trainees later became her colleagues. Hieu said that she has many nice memories of the trainees. That was the friendship, international solidarity, sharing, support among colleagues at the U.N. Mission, she stated.
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The Vietnamese female officer (second from right) and international peers |
Officer Hieu’s professionalism, good relationship with staff at MINUSCA have helped spread the good image of Uncle Ho’s soldiers, Vietnam, its people to international friends.
Many trainees and Vietnamese and international colleagues called Hieu an inspiring person since her high sense of responsibility and passion for work spread positive energy to them to contribute more to the noble peacekeeping mission.
Translated by Mai Huong