Division 390 under the Army Corps 1 is a cadres-based unit (staffed by cadres) mainly tasked with managing, re-examining and training reservists in the area of Thanh Hoa province and performing several other missions, including training new recruits. Over the past years, particularly in 2015 and 2016, the Division has been built into an exemplary comprehensively strong cadres-based unit under the Ministry of National Defence’s Directive 48, which has created a favourable condition for it to successfully fulfil the assigned tasks. However, the increasingly demanding mission requirements and difficulties in its organizational structure, strength, materiel, facilities, and logistics work, particularly limited organization and training capabilities of cadres at all levels have directly impacted on the performance of its tasks, especially the task of training new recruits. Against this backdrop, the Division’s Party Committee and Commanders have focused leadership and direction on carrying out its tasks with special importance attached to training new recruits via synchronous measures. Reviewing the work of training new recruits over the past years, the Division has drawn several lessons as follows.

First, regularly conducting the education work to raise cadres and troops’ awareness and responsibility towards the task of training new recruits. This is a matter of importance to achieve a sense of unity between awareness and action and promote the synergy so that each unit could successfully fulfil this task. Accordingly, the Division has determined that the education work must be conducted regularly on a focalized basis, in accordance with each group of troops. As for cadres, non-commissioned officers and soldiers, the Division has focused on introducing them to the situation and tasks of the Military, the Corps and the unit to render them fully aware of the importance and necessity of improving the quality of training new recruits as well as advantages, difficulties and requirements for this task. Thanks to the education work, it has built cadres and troops’ strong determination and high responsibility to promote exemplary role and actively overcome difficulties in performing the task. As for new recruits, significance has been attached to basic political, ideological education to create a change in troops’ awareness of ideal, faith and obligation to protect the Homeland as well as in their military life. Moreover, it has given troops instructions on study, self-improvement, observance of discipline and responsible living to deserve the title “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”.

To that end, the Division has stepped up the work of popularizing and introducing the Law on Military Service, regulations and tradition of the unit, localities, and training results of the previous year to build up a sense of honour, pride and responsibility of new recruits. Specifically, the Division has employed various forms and methods of education and propagation, and combined basic education with regular education and breakthrough education. At the same time, due regard has been paid to promoting the role of political cadres and unit cadres in meeting and talking with new recruits to grasp their thought and opportunely deal with the arising issues. As a result, the Division’s cadres and troops, especially new recruits have always kept their mind on their work, being determined to overcome difficulties and ready to undertake and successfully fulfil the assigned task.

AK shooting lesson 1 for new recruits

Second, attaching importance to renewing and improving the quality of combat training for new recruits in each phase. As new recruits are young and enthusiastic but inexperienced and unskilled in military operation, the work of training new recruits must be elaborately prepared. Annually, prior to each training season, the Division has consolidated the contingent of cadres in charge of training new recruits with significance attached to selecting those who have good qualities and capabilities in managing, commanding and training troops, ensuring that they are really good examples for new recruits to follow. However, due to the fact that the Division is a cadres-based unit, it has faced the shortage of cadres at platoon level and below. Against this backdrop, the Division has determined to assign superior cadres to inferior positions and hold training courses for this staff. Focuses of training courses have been placed on the methods to train new recruits, particularly in tactics, combat skills, military regulations and new contents which were not trained in previous years. Besides, the Division has directed its offices and units to proactively prepare training plans, programs, models, aids and grounds. Since 2016, the Division has consolidated, repaired and expanded the shooting range for the AK shooting lesson 1 while building the combined shooting range for AK shooting lessons and infantry gun shooting lessons, 4 company-level physical training grounds, 5 training grounds for infantry tactics and skills as well as training materials, aids and plans. This is an important basis for its units to provide high-quality training for new recruits.

During the training courses, the Division has asked its units to follow the guidelines “basics, practicality, thorough grasp” and attach importance to combining theory with practice, taking the latter as the main, and training troops from easy level to difficult level. A new point in training new recruits is that the Division has set up the models of “duo of progress” and “team of study” in an effort to create vibrant emulation atmosphere for study, self-improvement and observance of discipline. At the same time, it has actively renewed the work of inspection and evaluation of task performance on a regular, unscheduled basis, while resolutely saying no to “achievement disease” in training task. To comprehensively improve the training quality, the Division has directed its units to closely combine political education with military training, and basic training with extra-curriculum activities. As a result, the Division’s quality of training new recruits has ceaselessly improved. Since 2016, 100% of the Division’s new recruits have fulfiled the requirements for training, 82% of whom have achieved good and distinction levels.

Third, intensifying the work of education and training on regularity building and discipline maintenance for new recruits. This is an important element and requirement for the Division’s task of training new recruits, contributing to building revolutionary, regular, elite, gradually modern Army. To that end, right after receiving new recruits, the Division has rendered troops fully aware of basic contents of the Regulations on troop management, the Routine Regulations, the Regulations on the watch, and other regulations of all types. At the same time, it has directed the whole unit to “work according to the responsibilities – act under the regulations” and required cadres at all levels to be examples in regularity, manners and observance of discipline for troops to follow. The Division’s cadres have closely followed the motto “3 together-s with soldiers”, stepped up dialogue between commanders at all levels and new recruits, and fought against militaristic signs of both words and actions. Importance has been attached to renewing contents and forms of Soldiers’ Club and collective birthday party, thereby making new recruits keep their mind on their work and gradually mature in the military environment. Moreover, the Division has paid due attention to closely cooperating with local party committees and authorities in its stationed areas and the localities and families of troops to grasp their families’ situation and their thoughts and personal relationships to improve the quality of discipline maintenance and regularity building.

Fourth, attaching significance to improving material and spiritual life within each unit, creating a new driver for training new recruits. To do so, the Division has directed Logistics Office and units in charge of training new recruits to introduce all policies and entitlements for new recruits, with priority given to ensuring the best condition for troops’ daily activities. Due regard has been given to ensuring troops’ ration and preventing epidemics by the Division and its units. Units in charge of training new recruits have adopted measures to deal with hot and cold weather on the training ground, especially in the first training stage, and organized sports, cultural, artistic activities for troops. All policies and entitlements have been publicized and executed sufficiently and opportunely. Military medical staff at all levels have regularly given instructions on and inspected the work of preventing epidemics and cleaning up environment; stayed close to all operations of troops, particularly on the training ground; opportunely provided medical examination and treatment for sick soldiers. Besides, the Division has ensured sufficient weapons and technical equipment for training new recruits while making troops grasp the safety regulations during training process. As a result, units of the Division have always ensured absolute safety in both manpower and materiel during training process.

Bringing into play the tradition “United, serious, brave, victorious” and the lessons on training new recruits, the Division 390 will continue to actively, comprehensively renew training forms and methods to unceasingly improve the quality of training new recruits, meeting the mission requirements in the new situation.

Sr. Col. Le Van Dang, Commander of the Division