Signal Brigade 205 under the Signal Corps is a General Communication Station of the Headquarters of the Ministry of National Defence, acting as a centre for connecting and operating the exploitation of the army-wide communication system. Currently, the Brigade is assigned to manage and use a wide variety of the most modern signal equipment of the Military. It is responsible for directly managing and exploiting nearly 3,000 kilometres of copper and optical cables of various types installed in a large area with a high population density and heavy traffic. To successfully fulfil the assigned tasks, the Brigade’s Party Committee and Command have formulated a lot of guidelines and measures, with a focus on enhancing the Emulation Movement of “Clever Mass Mobilisation.” Via the execution of the Movement, the Brigade has drawn several lessons which have been effectively applied as measures.

First of all, strengthen all-level party committees’ leadership over “clever mass mobilisation” work to ensure the safety of cable lines. The Brigade’s Party Committee and Command as well as party committees and commands of offices and units have grasped and implemented higher echelons’ resolutions, directives, guiding documents, programmes, and plans on mass mobilisation. At the same time, the Brigade Party Committee has promulgated and strictly executed Regulations on leadership over mass mobilisation work and a Plan for realising the Emulation Movement of “Clever Mass Mobilisation” and building “Good Mass Mobilisation Units.” It has also identified contents, forms, and methods of mass mobilisation to ensure the safety of the Brigade’s cable lines. It has well carried out the work of education and propagation to render cadres, party members, and the masses fully aware of mass mobilisation work’s role of special importance to guaranteeing the safety of cable lines. Doing so has enabled all staff members to clearly understand that safety assurance for cable lines is a routine task and acts as a determinant to the Brigade’s successful fulfilment of central political missions. Moreover, the Brigade has required all-level party committees and commands to strictly maintain substantive inspection and evaluation of the effectiveness of mass mobilisation work in ensuring the safety of cable lines, clarify weaknesses, causes, lessons, and responsibility of each collective and individual, and work towards effective guidelines and measures in accordance with their tasks.

Cadres of the Brigade carrying out the work of “people’s information”

Second, effectively carry out the work of “people’s information.” This is a creative model created during the performance of the Signal Force’s tasks, aimed at encouraging the people to take part in ensuring the safety of signal stations and cable lines against human impacts and natural disasters, serving as an important part of management, command, and operation work, directly making contributions to ensuring the stable, solid operation of the military communication system. Therefore, the Brigade has issued guiding documents and regulations on the work of “people’s information” in a detailed, close, scientific manner, while considering this work as a crucial component of “clever mass mobilisation.” All cadres, employees, and soldiers of the Brigade have been responsible for “people’s information” work, with the decentralisation of this work from Brigade Command to team levels. All staff members and units of the Brigade have been asked to adopt various methods of communication with local authorities, offices, unions, and citizens to collect information about the characteristics of cable lines, propose coordination for protection, and reach agreement on methods of reporting incidents. In the process, the Brigade has required its cadres, employees, and soldiers to stringently observe regulations on the relationship between the Military and the people, remain flexible and clever, respect the people, and apply methods of mass mobilisation relevant to each group of citizens. Contents of “people’s information” work must be sufficient, detailed, easy to understand, easy to remember, and expressed in writing. Besides, while encouraging all citizens to participate in protecting cable lines, the Brigade has concentrated on disseminating the Party’s guidelines, the State’s laws and policies, the Signal Force’s tradition, and regulations on managing defence works amongst the people. Doing so has contributed to cementing solidarity between the Military and the people and enabling local authorities, offices, unions, and citizens to actively take part in safeguarding the Brigade’s cable lines.

Third, flexibly diversify and use forms, methods, and forces for mass mobilisation to protect cable lines. Amidst the complex developments of COVID-19, being stationed in 11 positions of 7 districts of Hanoi Capital City, the Brigade has flexibly employed forms and methods of mass mobilisation to ensure the safety of cable lines. When the pandemic has been basically under control, forces of the Brigade have patrolled and supervised cable lines, adopted direct communication, carried out the work of propagation, delivered notices, and signed documents with local offices, units, and citizens. In addition, the Brigade has taken advantage of local meetings and review conferences to grasp the situation and reach agreement on methods of coordination to safeguard cable lines.

As the majority of cadres and employees of the Brigade live in Hanoi Capital City, the Brigade Party Committee has required its party members to attend their residential areas’ party meetings. Party members of the Brigade living within vulnerable cable areas, in construction sites, in soil and rock exploitation places, or with households having excavators and bulldozers as well as household businesses along cable routes have actively conducted the work of education and propagation to render citizens fully aware of the Brigade’s tasks and the importance of cable lines so that the people would proactively, responsibly employ methods of safeguarding the Military’s cable lines.

Additionally, the Brigade has directed its offices and units to align the execution of the Emulation Movement of “Clever Mass Mobilisation,” the building of “good mass mobilisation units,” and methods of mass mobilisation for cable protection with the study and following of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics and lifestyle. Contents and targets of mass mobilisation work have been included in the Determination to Win Emulation Movement and other movements and campaigns, such as “the Military joins hands to build new-style countryside,” “the Military joins hands for the poor lest no one be left behind,” “pay debt of gratitude,” “day for the poor,” “all people unite in building cultural lifestyle within residential areas,” and “all people unite in building new-style countryside and civilised urban areas.” The Brigade has actively taken part in socio-economic development programmes, helped the people with hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and epidemic prevention and control, and organised exchange and twinning programmes. Doing so has encouraged the Brigade’s cadres, employees, and soldiers to actively carry out mass mobilisation work and helped diversify “channels” for mass mobilisation aimed at safeguarding cable lines.

Fourth, improve cadres, employees, and soldiers’ knowledge and skills in conducting mass mobilisation work. There is a fact that persuading and encouraging citizens, offices, and organisations in the capital city of Hanoi to participate in protecting the Military’s cable lines represent a difficult task; therefore, persons in charge of mass mobilisation must have great capacity and flexible, proper skills and methods. Being fully aware of that, the Brigade’s Party Committee and Command have frequently focused on leading and directing offices and units to better mass mobilisation capacity of staff members, particularly party committee members, cadres, and soldiers in charge of mass mobilisation. Emphasis has been placed on improving staff members’ awareness, responsibility, knowledge, experience, and principles concerning mass mobilisation work, particularly regulations on the relationship between the Military and the people. At the same time, due attention has been paid to improving staff members’ skills in grasping the people’s customs, thoughts, and aspirations and bettering cadres and soldiers’ communication skills and capacity to persuade the people and especially deal with unexpected situations. Cadres and soldiers performing mass mobilisation work have all been educated to be fully aware that in any circumstance it is vital to respect the people, help the people, and protect the people. Last but not least, they have been frequently trained to grasp the diagram and quality of cable networks and crucial cable positions as the basis for flexibly applying forms and methods of mass mobilisation and making contributions to ensuring the safety and smoothness of cable lines and satisfying the requirements set by the Homeland protection in any situation.

Col. NGUYEN HUY DUNG, Deputy Commissar of the Brigade