Partners in safety: Mr. Tran Van Nam (left) guides NPA/RENEW EOD team member Nguyen Duc Hoa to a discovery site in Xuan Hoa Village.

GIO LINH — On Wednesday, February 25, 2026, the NPA/RENEW EOD team successfully conducted five consecutive emergency tasks in Gio Linh Commune. The operations resulted in the recovery of six items of unexploded ordnance (UXO), showcasing a vital shift in community behavior from risk-taking to proactive reporting.

A Lesson in Safety: The Power of Education

This 60mm mortar was found and marked by a 10th-grade student. Reporting such items is crucial in preventing accidents.

Among the morning’s urgent callouts, a discovery in Xuan Hoa Village highlighted the life-saving impact of Mine Risk Education (MRE). A 10th-grade student spotted a suspicious object in a barren garden near his home while on his way to school. Applying his safety training, the student used an old helmet to clearly mark the location, informed his parents, and used his mobile phone to call the provincial hotline managed by the Quang Tri Mine Action Center (QTMAC).

Because the student had marked the spot so effectively, the NPA/RENEW EOD team was able to locate the item quickly upon arrival. The team was met by the student’s father, Mr. Tran Van Nam (born 1985), who guided the technicians to the marked spot where a 60mm mortar was recovered. Mr. Nam then led the team to a second location near a village fish pond, where an additional 81mm mortar was found. Both items were secured for safe disposal.

Context: Breaking the Cycle of High-Risk Behavior

The student’s decision to mark and report represents a crucial change in community behavior. Data from QTMAC regarding the former Quang Tri Province (prior to its administrative merger with Quang Binh) underscores the gravity of the risks still present. Between 2022 and 2024, five male residents—aged 15, 34, 43, 44, and 50—fell victim to UXO accidents.

Tragically, three of these accidents were fatal. Data shows that in four out of these five cases, the victims had deliberately touched or attempted to dismantle the ordnance while foraging or digging. Notably, the youngest victim in these records was 15 years old—the same age as the student who safely reported the ordnance in Xuan Hoa. This contrast proves that MRE is successfully turning potential victims into community lifesavers and serving as a vital early warning system for the QTMAC-coordinated network.

This life-saving behavior is the result of a long-standing commitment to safety in the province. Since 2015, the Government of Ireland has provided sustained funding for Project RENEW’s MRE programs. This decade of support has ensured that an entire generation of children—like Mr. Nam’s son—has grown up with the knowledge and skills to stay safe in an environment still impacted by war legacies.

Chronology of a Busy Morning: Safeguarding Homes and Livelihoods

The NPA/RENEW EOD team’s high-activity day actually began earlier that morning in Long Hai Village. Following a hotline report, the team first met 21-year-old Le Hoang Khanh, who discovered two massive 155mm High Explosive (HE) artillery shells while clearing his family’s back garden. With his parents working in another province, Khanh took the initiative to ensure his home was safe by calling for professional help.

High-explosive threat: Team Leader Hoang Kim Chien inspects two massive 155mm artillery shells found in a residential garden in Long Hai Village.

Following the tasks at Mr. Nam’s house in Xuan Hoa, the team responded to two more reports:

• Construction Safety: Also in Xuan Hoa Village, Mr. Le Anh Quoc discovered a 105mm artillery shell lying immediately adjacent to a busy village road while clearing land for a new building. He approached the EOD team directly in the field to report the finding.

• Livelihood Support: In Truc Lam Village, Mr. Tran Xuan Hieu discovered a 60mm mortar shell exposed in the mud while draining a fish pond for a new crop. The team’s rapid response allowed Mr. Hieu to continue his work safely.

By midday, all six explosive items had been successfully recovered and transported to the central demolition site for safe disposal. The partnership between vigilant residents, QTMAC coordination, and the NPA/RENEW EOD team remains the foundation of a safer future for the people of Gio Linh.

We sincerely thank the Government of the United States 🇺🇸 through the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, the Government of Norway 🇳🇴, and the Government of Ireland 🇮🇪 through the Embassy of Ireland in Vietnam for their valuable support to our meaningful humanitarian mission in Vietnam 🇻🇳.

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