Attendees included Lieutenant General Vu Trung Kien, Commander of the Vietnam Border Guard; Lieutenant General Nguyen Anh Tuan, Political Commissar of the Vietnam Border Guard; and Major General Pham Van Ty, Deputy Director of the Department of Search and Rescue under the General Staff and also Head of the Vietnamese contingent to Venezuela.
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Lieutenant General Vu Trung Kien, Commander of the Vietnam Border Guard, speaks at the event. |
Following the directives of the Defense Ministry, the Vietnam Border Guard Command deployed forces from the Border School No.24 to join the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security’s working delegation for search and rescue operations in Venezuela. The team consisted of 10 officers, handlers, and eight service dogs with previous domestic (Nu village, Lao Cai province) and international (Türkiye and Myanmar) rescue experiences.
During their 11-day mission (June 29 to July 9), the team discovered and marked 89 suspected victim locations. They coordinated to recover 42 bodies from the rubble, handing them over to local authorities and families, while transferring 49 other locations to local forces for further search. The team also assisted residents in relocating their belongings and donated USD 1,200 to support disaster recovery.
In recognition of these meaningful efforts, the Venezuelan Acting President awarded the Meritorious Service Medal to the service dog team, while the Commander of the Venezuelan Presidential Guard awarded them the Second-class “Hero of Venezuela” Medal.
Domestically, one collective and three individuals were honored with the Third-class Fatherland Protection Order. Additionally, the Government awarded Certificates of Merit to two individuals; the Defense Ministry commended five individuals; and the Vietnam Border Guard Command awarded certificates of merit to four collectives and 13 individuals.
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Authorized by the Prime Minister, Lieutenant General Vu Trung Kien presents the Prime Minister’s Certificates of Merit to two individuals. |
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Defense Ministry’s Certificates of Merit presented to five team members |
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The Vietnam Border Guard Command commends personnel participating in the earthquake relief mission in Venezuela. |
Highly valuing the efforts of the working team and the school, Lieutenant General Vu Trung Kien emphasized the crucial role of service dogs as sharp weapons in border patrols, crime-fighting, and search and rescue missions. He noted that their effective performance during disaster recovery efforts reaffirmed the college’s training quality and the handlers’ dedication.
Lieutenant General Vu Trung Kien requested the school to continue enhancing political education, ensuring troops are ready to accomplish all assigned missions under any circumstances. He also urged the college and the entire force to prepare for even more challenging tasks ahead.
The outstanding performance of the Border Guard force’s officers, handlers, and service dogs further highlighted the noble image of Uncle Ho’s soldiers to international friends, demonstrating Vietnam’s responsibility and prestige in global search, rescue, and disaster response operations.
Translated by Minh Anh