As one of the main and mobile units of Military Region 2, Tank and Armoured Brigade 406 is tasked with training, combat readiness and other ad hoc tasks assigned by superiors. In recent years, although its infrastructure, especially its barracks, has yet to be synchronised, its system of weapon, equipment and vehicles have gradually degraded after long years of use, weather conditions and diseases happen complicatedly, etc., the Party Committee and commanders of the Brigade always proactively overcome difficulties, synchronously deploy policies and solutions to improve the quality of all working aspects, in which training and combat readiness were paid with much attention and have achieved many positive and comprehensive results. As a result, the results of training and combat readiness of the Brigade have become better year by year. It was awarded the "Excellent Training Unit" Flag by the Ministry of National Defence for 5 consecutive years (from 2018 to 2022), the Military-wide leading unit in the determined to win emulation movement Flag, together with other certificates of merit and commendation from the Ministry of National Defence, the Command of Military Region 2, the Command of the Tank and Armoured Corps and the local Party Committees and authorities where it is based.

Those results were attributed, first of all, to the fact that the brigade always strengthens its leadership, direction, education, and brief of training and combat readiness tasks. Determining that training and combat readiness are the central political tasks, a breakthrough, a prerequisite for the Unit to successfully complete all tasks, the Party Committee and commanders of the Brigade focus on leading, directing, and effectively implementing the resolutions, directives and instructions of higher echelons, focusing on Conclusion No. 60-KL/QUTW, dated January 18, 2019 of the Central Military Commission on continuing implementing Resolution No. 765-NQ/QUTW; Resolution of the Party Committee of Military Region 2 on improving the quality of training in the period of 2013 - 2020 and beyond; training orders, combat readiness orders of the Commander of Military Region 2, and the targets, requirements, ... that the brigade aims for. Every year, its Party committees at all levels issue thematic resolutions on leadership of training and combat readiness tasks, which clearly define specific leadership guidelines and measures relevant to each task, subject of training and area features in order to completely overcome the limitations and shortcomings. At the same time, they direct agencies and units to concretise into programs and plans for combat training - political education, and implement synchronously throughout the brigade.

Conducting river crossing practice

Second, the brigade makes careful preparations for training and combat readiness tasks. Fully aware that preparation is the first step - the determinant to the results of training, and the level of combat readiness, the Brigade directs its agencies and units to actively coordinate with each other to make all-round preparation in humans, facilities, and  training grounds. In terms of human preparation, together with the consolidation of a full-staffed framework of training units at all levels, according to the new regulations of the Ministry of National Defence, the Military Region and the Tank and Armoured sector, the Brigade conducts training and retraining to improve the level and capacity of training, managing, commanding the combat-ready units for its officers. At the same time, it strictly maintains the weekly in-service training, encourages its staff to  conduct self-study, self-research, and self-practice to improve their professional expertise and training methods. As a result, 100% of its staff are able to conduct training according to decentralisation, including over 90% of battalion-level cadres, 80% of company and platoon-level cadres achieving excellent and good results.

In preparing the facilities and training ground, the Brigade promotes the intelligence of officers and soldiers in conducting research and  innovation of training tools and materials, in order to reduce costs, labour of troops and improve the quality of training. At the same time, it actively builds and upgrades the training ground in the area of ​​defence land, and coordinates with the locality to renovate and make use of some ground for training and drills.

Third, the brigade focuses on renewing and improving training quality and level and capacity of combat readiness. Party committees and commanders of the brigade focus on leading and directing its agencies and units to drastically innovate training programmes and methods with scientific and creative solutions. It conducts training under the motto of "basic, practical, solid"; attaches importance to synchronous and intensive training; applies 3 points of view, 8 principles, and 6 combinations in training; increases physical training, night training, basic and advanced shooting exercises on tank and armoured vehicles, scenario-based training, and weapons and equipment training.

In order to make training intensive and steady, the Brigade comprehensively renewed the mechanism of direction, management and administration in the direction of "concentration, unity, synchronisation, and efficiency"; carries out full content and time of training for subjects; flexibly operates, and adjusts training content, methods, and locations to suit each time and task, especially in time of harsh weather conditions and disease; encourages cadres at all levels to step up the application of information technology in management, administration, and practice of training. At the same time, it strongly renovates the work of festivals, checking and evaluating training results in the direction of "objective, honest, resolutely say no to fake achievements". As a result, in recent years, the training quality of the brigade has been increasingly improved; 100% of objects are rated satisfactory in the annual test of the training content, including 83.5% good and excellent results; it successfully carried out exercises with absolute safety of people, weapons, equipment and vehicles; and scored good results in contests, which was highly appreciated by the Command of Military Region 2 and the Command of the Tank and Armoured Corps.

In addition, the Brigade maintains the regime and routine of combat readiness seriously and increases patrolling and guarding to protect the safety of the unit; closely coordinates with local Party committees and authorities to firmly grasp the political security, social order and safety situation in the area for building, adjusting and supplementing the system of combat documents and plans for combat readiness, natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue, fire and explosion, etc. to make them relevant to practical requirements and the units ready to promptly and effectively handle situations.

Finally, the brigade makes technical and logistical supplies for training and combat readiness in an adequate and timely manner. As a tank and armoured unit staffed with old-generation vehicles degraded after many years of use while spare parts for repair and replacement are scarce, the brigade attaches great importance to technical assurance for training and combat readiness tasks. It actively implements many measures to improve the quality of implementation of the Campaign "Management and exploitation of weapons, technical equipment durably, safely, economically and traffic safety"; maintains the daily and weekly maintenance regimes; strictly manages the quantity and quality of weapons and technical equipment, ensuring that they are safe for use without risk of damage, loss, fire or explosion. Besides, it actively encourages its technical staff to promote research and application of initiative, make the most use of scarce materials and components in repairing and maintaining tanks and armoured vehicles. As a result, the Brigade always keeps the technical coefficient at 1.0 for combat readiness tasks and 0.95 and above for training tasks. It also achieved good results in the Army-wide tank and armoured technical competition.

When it comes to logistics, the brigade ensures adequate and timely logistics supply for tasks, with priority given to training and combat readiness. It pays attention to the healthcare for its troops, ensuring that over 99% of them participate in study and work. At the same time, it promotes farming production, implements the emulation movement "Army logistics sector follows Uncle Ho's teachings", contributing to improving the life of troops, ensuring that the unit maintains high overall quality, and high level of combat readiness, ready to receive and successfully complete all assigned tasks.

Senior Colonel VU MINH THANG, Brigade Commander