Facing urgent needs of the war of resistance against the U.S. for national salvation, 50 years ago, the 673rd Air Defence Brigade (2 Army Corps), a successor to the 673rd Air Defence Division, was founded. Over the past 50 years, despite having to undertake many missions with increasingly high requirements and repeated changes in organisation and staffing, generations of cadres and soldiers of the Brigade have been united and unanimous in willpower and action and made every effort to surmount numerous difficulties, complete all assigned tasks, and establish the tradition of “lightning speed, boldness, determination to fight, complete victory”. The Brigade was awarded with the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces in 2000 and many noble prizes by the State in recognition of its excellent achievements.

Today, demands and missions of building the Army Corps and People’s Army as well as protection of the Fatherland in the new situation, especially developments of aerial weapons systems and operational methods, are setting more comprehensive, higher, new requirements for air defence units in general and the Brigade in terms of combat readiness, training, and control and defence of the airspace. Thus, the Brigade Party Committee and Commanders seek to promote leadership of building a representative, exemplary, comprehensively strong unit according to Directive No. 79/CT-BQP, dated 24/7/2022, of the Minister of National Defence and regard this as a regular, fundamental solution.

Making the unit politically strong is the most important measure, which provides a solid foundation for enhancing overall quality and combat power. Given this perception, the Brigade Party Committee and Commanders request its departments and units to closely follow requirements and missions; actively reform contents and methods of ideological, political education according to the Project of “Renewing political education in units in the new period”. Special importance is attached to making every cadre and soldier firmly grasp guidelines of the Party and policies and laws of the State on military and national defence as well as missions of the People’s Army and unit; clearly perceive sabotage plots of hostile forces as well as advantages and disadvantage during task execution. Also, ideological work must be done well to timely address soldiers’ ideological matters, bring about greater unity in awareness, refrain from surprise in ideology, and prevent “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” within the party, thereby making every cadre and soldier absolutely believe in the leadership of the Party and party committees and commanders at all levels; building their confidence in weapons systems, equipment, and operational art in the air defence front without being vague, passive, and surprised in any situation.

Combat trainng of the brigade

In addition, the Brigade attaches importance to making party committees, party organisations, and the corps of cadres and party members pure and strong in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organisation, and cadre; improving leadership capacity and combat power. The Brigade instructs party committees and party organisations to regularly review, supplement, and strictly implement working regulations and rules of leadership, especially the key ones; seriously uphold leadership principles; strengthen discipline in connection with promoting democracy in party meetings. During the implementation process, departments and units have constantly stepped up studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, morality, and style in association with realising the Resolution of the 4th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (13th tenure) on building and rectifying the Party and political system; Resolution No. 847-NQ/QUTW, dated 28/12/2021, of the Central Military Commission (CMC) on bringing into play dignities of “Uncle Ho’s Soldiers”, resolutely combating individualism in the new situation; campaigns and movements of levels and industries as well as the Determination to Win Emulation Movement. Therefore, over the past few years, 100 percent of cadres and soldiers have had political steadfastness, shown willpower and high resolution; united and coordinated with one another for the sake of collective achievements; been ready to undertake and accomplish all assigned tasks.

Apart from focusing on building a politically strong unit, the Brigade actively strengthens its organisation and staffing as stipulated by Decision No. 700/QD-TM, dated 8/5/2019, of the Chief of General Staff on promulgating the staffing, organisation table in peacetime of anti-aircraft artillery brigades of military regions and army corps, which aims to ensure that the brigades become adept, compact, strong, and suitable to their functions and missions. Recently, the Brigade has been heightening cadres’ and soldiers’ awareness of higher echelons’ resolutions, directives, and decisions on organisation and staffing, most notably Resolution No. 230-NQ/QUTW, dated 2 April 2022, of the CMC on leading organisation of Viet Nam People’s Army (VPA) in the 2021 – 2030 period and beyond, creating consensus in implementation.

Combat training and readiness, key to outcomes of building a representative, exemplary, comprehensively strong unit, have drawn the leadership of the Brigade Party Committee and Commanders. On deeply grasping Conclusion No. 60-KL/QUTW, dated 18/01/2019, of the CMC on further carrying out the CMC’s Resolution No. 765-NQ/QUTW dated 20/12/2012 on improving training quality in the 2013 – 2020 period and beyond as well as resolutions, directives, and plans of the Army Corps, the Brigade usually makes good preparations and develops training management plans in a way that is close to its soldiers, characteristics, and missions. The Brigade Party Committee and commanders request their departments and units to grasp and well carry out the motto of “basicness, practicality, and soundness” as well as three viewpoints, eight principles, and six combinations; attach importance to in-depth, synchronous training, especially hand-on training; pay attention to increased knowledge and command and control training of cadres at all levels. Military training is to be closely connected with political education and technical, logistical training. Technical training is associated with training in tactics, military regulations, and physical fitness. Soldiers are trained to become agile and flexible and able to keep secret according to scenarios. Examination is intensified in order to assess intrinsic training results. Apart from training, the Brigade requests its departments and units to regularly review and supplement their concepts of operation and operational plans; strictly maintain duties of guarding, most notably the 10 regulations on combat readiness of the Air Defence Force; well implement the “four-know” regulation in the management of airspace and the “four-support” rule in operations; regularly practise concepts of operation to improve soldiers’ ability to respond to contingencies. In 2022, the Brigade conducted examinations in specialised techniques. 100% of soldiers were graded as competent, of which 83% were rated good and excellent. It also carried out a one-sided, single-level, command-department exercise, an integrated exercise, and the KT-22 exercise, ensuring absolute safety.

Promoting good order, discipline compliance, and safety is a vital solution, which has drawn the Brigade Party Committee’s and Commanders’ effective, regular leadership. On grasping directives and regulations on promoting order and complying with law and discipline, most notably Directive No. 1842/CT-BTL, dated 09/12/2019,  of the 2nd Army Corps Command on continuing to enhance discipline management and education and guarantee of safety, the Brigade requests its departments and units to regularly review and improve working regulations; strengthen examination and supervision with the aim of timely rectifying signs of non-compliance with or omission of working mechanisms; strictly maintain daily, weekly activities, military personnel’s regulations on uniform, and rule for keeping their units neat and tidy. Commanders at all levels promote inspection of the implementation of regular order, discipline compliance, regulations on keeping units secure and managing soldiers, especially during their spare time, days off, and working out outside barracks, and so on. Violations are seriously punished. Leading cadres will have to be responsible for their units’ violations of law and discipline and insecurity. Commanders at all levels are to timely draw experience and work out measures to address weaknesses and signs of simplicity and formalism in complying with mechanisms and regulations on promoting order and discipline management. Thus, in recent years, soldiers’ compliance with State law and military discipline has witnessed steady progress.

In addition to the above solutions, the Brigade Party Committee and Commanders attach importance to leadership of logistical, technical work. Accordingly, the entire unit carries out campaigns such as “The Military Logistics follows Uncle Ho’s teaching,” “Building of good messes, good management of military supplies,” “Building of five-good military medical units,” prevention and response to diseases, timely conduct of medical examination and treatment, and so forth. The unit, therefore, always provides sufficient catering for soldiers, ensuring that the number of strong and healthy soldiers always meets and exceeds the target. Apart from successful conduct of logistical work, departments and units always step up the Movement of “managing and exploiting weapon systems and technical equipment in an economical, safe, durable, good manner and traffic safety”; strictly adhere to rules for storage and maintenance; promote inspection and technical competitions in order to ensure that all weapon systems and technical equipment are in high combat readiness and capable of meeting requirements and missions.

On the basis of the aforementioned outcomes, the 673rd Air Defence Brigade Party Committee and Commanders have drawn some experience, which serves to lead and instruct the building of a “representative, exemplary,” comprehensively strong unit” in the time to come. First, there needs to enhance comprehensive leadership and combat power of party committees and party organisations. Party committees and commanders at all levels must deeply grasp their higher echelons’ resolutions, directives, regulations, and instructions on building comprehensively strong units; have correct perception and high political resolve to coordinate execution. Second, all content and target of building a “representative, exemplary,” comprehensively strong unit” must be realised synchronously and completely, of which taking the building of politically strong units as the foundation; taking training, combat readiness, and compliance with order and discipline as the breakthrough; taking good conduct of logistical, technical work as a vital content, ensuring that the units accomplish every task successfully. Third, it is necessary to bring into play overall power of organisations and forces; promote the role and responsibility to set an example of cadres, especially the leading one at all levels. Fourth, it is important to pay attention to cadres’ and soldiers’ spiritual, material life; leverage traditions of a Heroic Unit to surmount difficulties and successfully complete all assigned tasks.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN HUY CUONG, Brigade Commander