The intense physical training session at Naval Training Center Region 2 in Nhon Trach District of Dong Nai Province on the morning of February 20 left the new recruits' backs soaked in sweat.
During his lunch break, Mai Hoang Huy, 2005, residing in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 12, a soldier of Company 2, Battalion 2, took out a small diary from his bedside and began to write: “After physical training, my teammates and I feel like we can eat even more rice than we did at home. Today, we had stir-fried water spinach—my favorite dish—which reminded me of the times my mother would call us to the table. It’s just the same here, except now it’s the squad leader calling us, and his voice is definitely not as gentle as my mother’s!”
Hoping to build discipline, patience and physical strength to further his passion for football, Huy volunteered for the army. Barred from contacting relatives, he kept a diary so the first call home could update his mother on his recent experiences.
The young man shared that it was the first time he experienced the sound of the trumpet calling people to eat. He often finds himself reminiscing about the small things he observed in the unit as he knew that after these 2 years, they will never happen again.
In his diary, Huy documented the abrupt shift of his life: the army's disciplined routine of dawn exercises, lessons on military etiquette, and strict regulations replaced his former habits of sleeping in and late-night phone use.
Anothern young soldier, Nguyen Quang Hung, who was born in 2006 in District 12, shared a room with Huy. Prior to his military service, he was a garment worker. Before enlisting, Hung's life was work-focused and solitary. The transition to military life, however, was a significant departure. Reflecting on his first day, Hung revealed that being a shy and introverted person, he was anxious about adapting to a dormitory with so many people.
The atmosphere transformed on the fourth evening. While Hung longed for his family, a fellow soldier produced a guitar and began to play. The room resonated with the opening chords and the lyrics, "My life is a military march..." One by one, the soldiers joined in, singing together, arms linked, and faces lit with smiles.
During their heartfelt discussions, the soldiers shared their dreams - some aspired to long military careers, while others hoped to become accomplished chefs. The initial sense of strangeness and homesickness had dissipated, replaced by a palpable joy and camaraderie, he said.
At 4:30 a.m., before the sun had risen, the bell in the barracks of new recruit Hoang Tuan Anh hailing from Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province rang. It was not the unit's alarm, but the new soldiers had set an early wake-up time to fold their blankets together.
"Since we weren't accustomed to it, the blankets weren't folded neatly at right angles - they were still wrinkled and not completely flat, even though we tried our best," Tuan Anh explained. "So we decided to wake up a little earlier to fold the blankets more precisely and tidily."
That was the discipline the 19- and 20-year-old recruits were building.
Newly enlisted personnel are undergoing rigorous physical training. In the grueling months ahead, they will be forged in body and spirit, emerging as seasoned, steadfast defenders of the Fatherland.
Colonel Nguyen Huu Luong, Party Secretary and Political Commissar of the Naval Region 2 Training Center, said that the center's Party Committee and Command have consistently recognized the critical importance of providing encouragement and support to new soldiers during their period of initial adjustment. Consequently, commanders at all levels regularly monitor and remind to maintain attentiveness and meticulousness, while setting exemplary standards for their subordinates, adopting a gentle and approachable demeanor akin to that of an elder sibling to ensure the soldiers' sense of security and well-being.
Following the initial training period, Colonel Nguyen Huu Luong expressed the hope that the new soldiers will emerge with good health, an optimistic outlook, strong determination, and the courage to tackle life and work challenges. He added that the recruits will also possess the fundamental skills needed to confidently execute tasks in the next phase of their training.
