Attending the ceremony were former Deputy Prime Minister and former Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan; former Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen; former Vice President Truong My Hoa; Lieutenant General Phan Trung Kien, Hero of the People’s Armed Forces and former Deputy Minister of National Defense; and former Deputy Minister of National Defense Vo Minh Luong.
Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, Deputy Minister of National Defence, attended the ceremony and delivered a directive address.
Also in attendance were Lieutenant General Le Xuan The, Commander of Military Region 7; and Lieutenant General Tran Vinh Ngoc, Secretary of the Military Region 7 Party Committee and Political Commissar of Military Region 7.
The Southern Military Cadet School, under Military Region 7, was established pursuant to Decision No. 444/QD-BQP dated January 27, 2026, issued by the Ministry of National Defense. The school is located in Nhuan Duc Commune in Ho Chi Minh City and comprises six functional divisions, five specialized faculties, and eight cadet management companies.
At the ceremony, the Command of Military Region 7 announced the decision to establish the Southern Military Cadet School and presented the “Determined to Fight, Determined to Win” flag of the Vietnam People's Army to the institution. The decision on the establishment of the School’s Party Committee was also announced, along with the introduction of its Executive Committee comprising 15 members. Colonel Tran Viet Nhuan, Political Commissar of the Southern Military Cadet School, was appointed as Secretary of the Party Committee.
The Southern Military Cadet School is tasked with providing education and training, imparting cultural knowledge, and nurturing outstanding students who meet the required standards in political qualities and military aptitude. In addition, it aims to foster revolutionary ideals and cultivate patriotism, discipline, moral integrity, physical fitness, and essential life skills for the younger generation.
The school operates as a boarding institution, offering general education from Grade 6 to Grade 12, while international students are admitted from Grade 10 to Grade 12. Each year, the school enrolls students in accordance with assigned quotas, primarily targeting children from ethnic minority communities, policy beneficiary groups, and families with meritorious service to the revolution facing particularly difficult circumstances within Military Regions 7 and 9. It also provides training for international students from Laos, Cambodia, and other eligible groups in line with prevailing regulations.
The school has been modernly invested and constructed to meet the learning, living, and training needs of approximately 1,000 students. In the 2026–2027 academic year, the school will enroll two Grade 6 classes with a total of 100 students.
Having once studied at the Nguyen Van Troi Military Cadet School, Mr. Nguyen Thien Nhan expressed his emotion at attending the ceremony. According to him, the establishment of the Southern Military Cadet School holds great significance in building a contingent of successor human resources for the Vietnam People’s Army and contributing to the cause of national construction and defense in the new context.
Delivering a directive address at the ceremony, Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang underscored that the establishment of the Military Cadet School is of great importance and necessity, as it provides students with early opportunities to study and train in patriotism, strong will, and resilience, thereby creating a source of human resources to contribute to the Vietnam People’s Army and the nation in the new revolutionary period.
In preparation for the opening ceremony of the 2026–2027 academic year, he requested the Party Committee and the Command of Military Region 7 to promptly consolidate the organizational structure and staffing, ensuring a contingent of cadres, teachers, and personnel with high professional qualifications in line with military standards.
Additionally, he called for continued efforts to strengthen infrastructure, upgrade barracks, and supplement teaching equipment; to finalize curricula and training content in accordance with a modern, smart school model; and to coordinate the organization of enrollment in a public, transparent manner, ensuring the right beneficiaries and compliance with prevailing regulations.
