In recognition of the outstanding achievements in engineering assurance throughout the Northwest Offensive Campaign in 1952, Uncle Ho awarded the Engineer Corps a flag embroidered with four golden words: “Paving path to victory”. His commendation has become an action guideline and a driving force for cadres and soldiers of Brigade 279 to relentlessly strive and compete for thorough training and strict discipline to accomplish all assigned tasks.

Performing the resolution of the Politburo and the Central Military Commission and the plan of the Ministry of National Defence on restructuring the Army to satisfy all task requirements in the current context, since November 2022, Engineering Brigade 279 (under the Engineering Corps) has adjusted its organisation, structure, and tasks. Having been an engineering unit in charge of ensuring construction, the Brigade currently develops into a multi-purpose engineering unit that is tasked with training, combat readiness, construction of defence works, explosive ordnance disposal, river crossing support; search-and-rescue operations, and other unscheduled tasks. In parallel with the development regarding organisation and tasks, the Brigade has been reinforced and provided a wide array of modern military hardware and equipment, which facilitates the enhancement of overall quality and competencies in engineering support. However, there are numerous difficulties and challenges; meanwhile, the consolidation of restructuring of the organisation, as well as the implementation of tasks, have been conducted in the context of force and vehicle dispersal, harsh and dangerous environment, which have a tremendous impact on the cadres and soldiers.

Being deeply aware of the situation, the Brigade’s Party Committee and Commanders have conducted multiple guidelines and measures for leadership, which chiefly concentrate on stabilising and encouraging the work commitment of cadres and soldiers to bring into play the spirit of “Paving the path to victory” and surmount all difficulties so that all assigned tasks can be accomplished. In particular, immense importance has been attached to enhancing the quality of training and self-discipline.

Commander of the brigade speaks at a review of sport movement

Being deeply imbued with Uncle Ho‘s teachings saying that “Everything must be well-prepared”, the Brigade has placed great emphasis on thorough preparation for training. Due to the evolution of tasks, the Brigade training work has witnessed a seismic shift of subjects, contents, programmes, aspects of assurance, etc., which required thorough preparation across the board. For effective implementation, the Brigade has actively conducted preparatory work by formulating plans and training programmes, training cadres, compiling and ratifying lesson plans, cultivating cadres, and preparing materials and training grounds. In particular, training and cultivating cadres constitute the linchpin in accordance with the motto of “cultivating any inefficient content”. During the implementation process, the Brigade has performed multiple appropriate forms and measures for each subject; closely combined hierarchical collaboration in training with the participation of specialist instructors from educational institutions. Noticeably, in order to update and supplement knowledge to meet the evolving requirements and tasks, the Brigade has proactively invited lecturers from the Military Technical Academy, Political Academy, and Army College No.1 to organise training courses and provide comprehensive and in-depth knowledge for cadres. In parallel with its technical area, the contents on mastering modern weapons and equipment, and the transference of modern technologies to the cadres and technical personnel, the Brigade has proactively mobilised and ensured budgetary support for cadres and technical personnel who have been sent to Hanoi University of Science and Technology and Hanoi University of Civil Engineering to update new specialisation, thereby establishing teaching staff to further open training courses for the entire Unit.

Together with the thorough preparation of human resources, the Brigade has directed its agencies and units to conduct effective preparatory work on training grounds, teaching models, lesson plans, and documents concerning training management. Importance has been attached to consolidating and upgrading training grounds for explosive ordnance disposal and non-explosive obstacles, grounds for tactical training and combined driving, shooting ranges for AK shooting, grounds for combined physical exercises, etc. For great effectiveness, the Brigade has accelerated scientific research and initiatives on technical renovation to cater for training and mastering allocated equipment. In 2023 alone, the Brigade has introduced 15 initiatives and 5 electronic lesson plans that have been effectively applied to the training process. In particular, two of the initiatives have been duplicated throughout the Army.

Brigade 279, recently, has been chosen as the role model for the implementation of renovating training contents and programmes for non-commissioned officers. To accomplish all assigned tasks, the Brigade has firmly adhered to the guidance of higher echelons and the current situation of the units and directed its Staff Office to coordinate with units and agencies to conduct research and propose plans for the appropriate renewal of training contents and programmes in accordance with the units’ functions and tasks. In particular, the focus has been placed on renovating and improving the quality of commanding and advising, especially in operations and training; and updating new contents to fit the task requirements and characteristics of each specialisation. As for forces conducting river crossings, to enhance manoeuvrability, secrecy, and practicality in association with intensifying physical training and durability for soldiers, the Brigade has made a breakthrough in night training to foster courage, mobility, and adaptability to challenges and complicated conditions. As for Engineering forces in charge of construction, due to the dispersal of forces and insufficient quantity of teaching models, the Brigade has implemented the motto of “Utilising construction works as training fields” and combined training with executing works; organised training at construction sites in groups, teams and rotate the training in accordance with the workload and progress of the construction; at the same time, the focus has been also put on cross-arm training and specialised training. In addition, the Brigade has stepped up the reorganisation of competitions, exercises, etc. in order to inspect and assess the actual training results, promptly conduct after-action review sessions, and surmount all existing shortcomings. In 2023, the Brigade organised 18 competitions and contests that reached the set goals and requirements; especially, the Brigade successfully organised 2 one-side-two-level map-based command exercises that combine actual troops and maps with scale models, which have been highly appreciated by the Engineering Corps and functional agencies. The Brigade has been chosen as the model to duplicate.

Technical equipment training

Due to the peculiarities of tasks, the cadres and soldiers of the Brigade have to manoeuvre, carry dispersal operations, and encounter numerous difficulties on a regular basis. Particularly, performing the restructuring and adjustment of an appropriate station in accordance with the strategic posture of the Ministry of National Defence, the Brigade will be relocated. The aforementioned factors have a direct influence on soldiers' thoughts and sentiment and the building of regularity and discipline management of the units. Therefore, in parallel with enhancing combat training, the Brigade has concentrated on leading and directing the breakthrough in improving the quality of building regularity and self-discipline. In actuality, the building of regularity and self-discipline is an all-pervasive content involved in each service member’s daily life; the quality and effectiveness of this work are only attained when all service members possess the proper awareness and act conscientiously. With this awareness and the execution of the principle of transforming awareness into consciousness and self-motivation for cadres and soldiers in compliance with laws and discipline, the Brigade has directed its agencies and units to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement the documents of the Ministry and the Corps on the building of regularity and management of discipline. The focus must be placed on Directive No. 79/CT-BQP issued on 22^nd July, 2022 by the Minister of Defence on the building of an all-strong, “exemplary and typical” unit; strictly maintaining the regimes, responsibilities and tasks of commanders, working regimes on a daily, weekly, monthly basis, etc. During the implementation process, the Brigade has attached importance to combining education and persuasion with administrative measures; intensifying guidance and inspection of commanders and agencies; regularly disseminating tasks and anticipating situations to all command levels so that “subordinates can keep track of superiors’ plans, while superiors can keep track of their subordinates”, thereby ensure the work commitment of cadres and soldiers. In addition, the Brigade has intensified democratic dialogue sessions, effectively maintained Days of politics, culture, and spirit and Suggestion boxes, and meetings to popularise the disciplinary violations throughout the Army. The model entitled “Each violation is a topic in ideological meetings” has also been well implemented. A recent notable point in the management of discipline at the Brigade is that along with the flexible application of measures to inspect and keep abreast of the units’ situation, the Brigade has placed immense importance on bringing into play the role model of the contingent of cadres, especially cadres directly managing soldiers to strengthen internal unity between superiors and subordinates, cadres and soldiers. At the same time, regular coordination with local party committees and authorities to keep abreast of the situation and manage the relationships of service members to employ prompt countermeasures for any manifestations of disciplinary violations. On the other hand, disciplinary violations have been strictly and promptly handled without cover-ups, leniency, or avoidance to ensure the effective execution of education, admonition, and prevention.

With a deep sense of reverence, high political determination, and scientific and creative measures, studying and following Uncle Ho’s teaching have truly become a pivotal measure and a significant driving force for the Brigade to effectively conduct training and build regularity and self-discipline. The annual training assessment achieves encouraging results; all training cadres at all levels are qualified to conduct training; the rate of minor violations remains below 0.15% and no serious violation has been recorded, which ensures the unit's absolute safety in all respects. Particularly, in 2022, the Brigade was honoured with the “Excellent Training Unit” Flag for five consecutive years. The Brigade is also a leading unit in the Determined-to-Win Emulation movement of the Corps. This is a cornerstone and driving force for the Brigade to continue its striving for the building of an all-strong, “exemplary and typical” unit, thereby enhancing its overall quality and combat power to readily accept and accomplish all assigned tasks. This contributes to beautifying the tradition of “Paving the path to victory” of the heroic Engineering Soldiers.

Senior Colonel HA DINH HUONG, Commander of Engineering Brigade 279