Tens of thousands of young people nationwide will say goodbye to their families and friends to join the military service in ceremonies held across the country from March 3 to 7. 

Newly-recruited soldiers from Hanoi at a see-off ceremony last year. (Source: anninhthudo.vn)

A see-off ceremony for the newly-recruited soldiers is scheduled to take place in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang on March 3. 

Similar events will be held in Hanoi, Hai Phong city, Phu Tho and Hung Yen provinces in the north, Gia Lai province in the Central Highlands and the central province of Thanh Hoa on March 5. Other localities will organise ceremonies before March 8. 

The Ministry of National Defence has asked People’s Committees of cities and provinces nationwide to abide by guidelines of the Party, policies and laws of the State, and regulations on military recruitment, ensuring democracy, equality, transparency, safety and thrift in the work. 

Priority should be given to recruiting those holding university, college and vocational degrees in order to improve the quality of the armed forces, the ministry said. 

Meanwhile, military units have been requested to prepare facilities for training new soldiers, and ensure material and spiritual life of the soldiers. 

Military service in Vietnam is compulsory for Vietnamese males between 18 and 25 (extended to 27 for those who applied for a delay to obtain higher education degrees) years of age.

The revised Law on Military Service that took effect on January 1 2016 opened the door for Vietnamese women to join military service on a voluntary basis.-VNA