Wearing blue berets and carrying backpacks, Captain Hoang Huu Cong Thanh and his wife, Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Thi Nguyet Ha, along with their colleagues from Engineering Unit No. 3, are embarking on a mission to maintain peace in Abyei, South Sudan.

Under the warm autumn sun of September, the peacekeeping soldier's uniforms fill the airport of the 371st Division under the Air and Air Defense Force as they prepare for deployment.

This marks the largest troop rotation for Vietnamese peacekeeping forces in 2024, with 184 officers and staff from Engineering Unit No. 3 replacing Engineering Unit No. 2 at the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei.

Level 2 Field Hospital No. 6, consisting of 63 members, will take over from Level 2 Field Hospital No. 5 at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

Celebrating wedding anniversary in Africa

Amid warm farewells and gifts, Thanh and Ha walk hand in hand.

Their relationship has developed while serving in the same unit, and Ha credits mutual understanding and respect for strengthening their bond.

Both are eager to embark on this journey to Africa for their mission.

Thanh said that he served as a military observer in South Sudan from 2022 to 2023.

A year after completing that mission, he invited his 'comrade wife' to join him on this new peacekeeping endeavor.

During this rotation, Thanh will serve as a civil-military coordination and communication officer, while Ha will handle administrative tasks at Engineering Unit No. 3.

"We are the first couple from Engineering Unit No. 3 to go on a mission together," Thanh said. "I am thrilled that through this experience, my wife will gain valuable knowledge and practical skills related to military personnel work."

Having been married for nearly a year, they plan to celebrate their wedding anniversary in Africa on Monday.

"This will be our most memorable anniversary -- a significant milestone in our life," Thanh said.

As part of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department, Ha witness her fellow soldiers leave for missions each year, which has fueled her desire to embark on her own journey.

“I really want to gain a deeper understanding of the peacekeeping missions my comrades are involved in," she said.

"With the knowledge and practical experience I acquire, I hope it will benefit my work when I return to our unit."

A special keepsake

Captain Bui Anh Dong, an engineering assistant at Engineering Unit No. 3, is also preparing for his second peacekeeping mission, embracing his wife and young son before departure.

Dong is bringing a sentimental blue pillow gifted by his son.

The support from his wife and child is his greatest motivation as he undertakes this important assignment.

"My son is too young to fully grasp the significance of my trip," Dong said.

"Hopefully, he imagines it as a special mission.

"Dad will be away for a few months but will return to you both."

Aware of the challenges ahead in this year-long mission, Captain Dong hopes to continue assisting Abyei’s local communities facing numerous hardships.