Division 390 of the 12th Corps is a peacetime downsized unit with the core political tasks of training, combat readiness, management, resource control, review of reserve training and performing other tasks. In the process of carrying out its tasks, the Division has always received the attention, leadership and direction of the Party Standing Committee, the Command and the agencies of the Corps, along with the support and assistance of local Party committees, authorities and people. However, due to the adjustment of the organisation and staffing, there have been fluctuations in the staffing levels, the qualifications, capacity, methods and working style of some cadres are still inadequate; the work of ensuring weapons, technical equipment and barracks has yet to meet the requirements of the new organisation and staffing, etc. In order to successfully complete the assigned tasks, the Division has united to overcome difficulties, focused on making itself a comprehensively strong "exemplary and typical" unit according to Directive No. 79/CT-BQP, dated 22 July 2022 of the Minister of National Defence, achieving important results. In particular, the work of building a politically strong agency and unit and adjusting the organisation and force has been comprehensively and effectively implemented; the overall quality and combat strength of the Division have been raised to a new level; the work of regularity building, discipline and law enforcement, logistics and technical assurance has been carried out synchronously and creatively. Thanks to that, the Division has quickly stabilised in all aspects, promoting its overall strength to successfully complete all assigned tasks.

Leader of Military Corps 12 checks the training work of the Division

To achieve the above results, first of all, the Division has focused on making each agency and unit strong in politics and ideology and always considers it the most important factor to ensure that soldiers are ready to take and complete all assigned tasks, especially in the context that the unit is simultaneously adjusting its organisation and force, and having to perform multiple tasks while the number of cadres is still inadequate. Accordingly, the Division's Party Committee and Command have attached importance to leading and directing its agencies and units to focus on doing well the work of political and ideological education, propaganda, dissemination, and legal education, enhancing the efficiency of Party work and political work; raising soldiers’ awareness, consciousness, responsibility and self-reliance to overcome difficulties and successfully complete their tasks. During the implementation process, the Division concentrated on thoroughly grasping and concretising Directive No. 2423-CT/QUTW, dated 9 November 2023 of the Central Military Commission Standing Committee "On innovating and improving the quality of political education work in the new period"; focusing on innovating the content, form, and methods of education in line with the characteristics of the tasks and awareness of each subject. The educational content is aimed at thoroughly grasping the tasks and traditions of the Division; the plots and tricks of "peace evolution" of hostile forces; the political security, social order and safety situation in the area; the basic contents of State law, military discipline, regulations of units and localities; the targets, requirements, contents, and measures to build a comprehensively strong agency and unit that is "exemplary and typical", etc. On the other hand, the Division has closely combined regular education with education according to requirements and tasks to create changes in soldiers’ awareness and actions. Cadres and commanders at all levels regularly grasp, manage, orient and resolve soldiers' thoughts, promptly handle difficulties and problems that arise from the beginning and resolutely fight against wrong perceptions, thoughts of being afraid of difficulties and hardships, or being beyond satisfied with achievements.

Along with doing well in political education, the Division focuses on perfecting and improving the leadership capacity and fighting strength of Party committees and Party organisations at all levels; building clean and strong Party committees and Party cells at all levels in conjunction with building comprehensively strong, "exemplary and typical" agencies and units. Regularly review, supplement and strictly implement working regulations and leadership regulations of Party committees, especially in key areas of work. Maintain the quality and effectiveness of the Emulation Movement, associated with promoting the study and following of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style, and the Campaign ‘Promoting tradition, contributing talents, and being worthy of the title of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new era’. Thanks to that, in recent years, the Division’s Party Committee has always successfully fulfilled its tasks, with 100% of the annual political awareness tests meeting the requirements, of which over 75% are good and excellent; 100% of officers and soldiers are assured of their work, have a good sense of duty, are dedicated and committed to building the unit.

For the improvements in overall quality and combat strength, the Division has made a breakthrough in enhancing the quality of training for the subjects. Based on thoroughly grasping and seriously implementing Resolution No. 1659-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2022 of the Central Military Commission, Resolution No. 33-NQ/DU, dated 15 January 2024 of the Party Committee of the 12th Corps on "Improving the quality of training in the period 2023 - 2030 and the following years", the Military Work Order of the Corps Commander and the instructions of the superior agencies, the Division focused on improving the quality of combat training at all stages, suitable for each subject from recruits, first-year soldiers to reserve forces. Before entering training, the Division sent cadres to attend training courses of the Corps and organised training for subjects at the unit to improve the qualifications and training methods for the cadre teams with the focus on the A-frame cadres, platoon and company cadres those directly participating in training recruits and first-year soldiers. At the same time, proactively built up training plans and schedules at all levels, prepared sufficient quantity, ensured the quality of lesson plans, teaching aids, training grounds and training fields, etc. Adhering to the motto of "basic, practical, solid", the Division focused on improving the quality of training from contents and programmes to the management and organisation of inspections, competitions and assessments of training results for each subject. For recruits, the Division directed agencies and units to focus on training in command, physical strength, individual tactics, teams, squads in combat, and proficiency in infantry combat techniques. The units, those are responsible for training recruits and reserve forces, attached importance to training infantry combat tactics and techniques, ensuring that soldiers develop similar quality and are proficient in using provided weapons and technical equipment. The Division regularly organised competitions in training and comprehensive drills with live troops for units and squads, etc. Up to now, 100% of the Division's cadres have been trained according to the hierarchy, with 100% of annual training results meeting requirements, of which over 80% are good and excellent; participation in drills, competitions and events organised by the Corps regularly achieved high results.

Maintaining technical work after training

In addition, the Division has maintained strict discipline and combat readiness regulations at all levels, such as command duty, shift duty, combat readiness duty, patrol and guard duty, military control, and special duty during holidays, Tet, and important events of the Army and the country. The system of documents and combat readiness plans is regularly supplemented in a timely manner and these plans are thoroughly practiced. The Division also proactively coordinated with local Party committees, authorities, and military agencies in natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue, and handling of defence and security situations in the area, ensuring that there would be no passivity or surprise in any situation.

As a new unit with increased force and strength but the unit still has to be concentrated in the old barracks, and most of its officers stay far from their families, etc. The above factors have made it difficult for the Division to build itself a regular, safe and exemplary unit. Faced with that situation, the Division has taken various measures to create breakthroughs in regularity building, discipline and law enforcement, and ensuring traffic safety. Based on thoroughly grasping and strictly implementing the directives on regularity building and discipline enforcement, the Division has promoted the movement of "4 no, 3 yes, 3 should", linking regularity building and discipline enforcement with building a positive and civilised cultural environment, guiding soldiers to voluntarily comply with daily or weekly regimes and routines; focusing on building living environments and supplementing the system of forms and signs, etc. At the same time, the Division has strictly handled cases of disciplinary violations, violations of traffic rules, safety orders in training, drills and fire prevention, etc. Therefore, the quality of regularity building, discipline and law enforcement of the Division has been increasingly improved, awareness and sense of responsibility of officers, soldiers and reserve forces have been enhanced, the rate of common disciplinary violations is below 0.2%; there are no deserters, no serious disciplinary violations, and no traffic accidents due to subjective errors.

In addition to the above contents and measures, the Division has provided adequate and timely logistics and technical support for the tasks. Regarding logistics support, the Division focused on maintaining adequate and synchronous logistics reserve materials for regular and unscheduled tasks, especially combat readiness, training, drills, competitions and events; strictly managing and appropriately using financial resources, general construction investment, gasoline, electricity and water, etc. Additionally, the Division has closely combined the provided resources with self-produced resources to improve soldiers’ lives and fully and promptly ensure materials for reserve forces during training and officers and soldiers on duty at the unit. Thanks to that, up to now, 100% of the units in the Division have met the standards of "Good Unit in terms of cuisine practice and military supply management" with good military medical, ensuring hygiene, epidemic prevention and food safety; over 98.7% of soldiers are physically strong to be ready to successfully perform all assigned tasks.

Regarding technical support, in addition to ensuring adequate, timely, and synchronised weapons and technical equipment for training and combat readiness tasks, the Division has appropriately taken over, distributed, transferred, and handled technical equipment when restructuring the organisation and staffing. Along with exploiting and mastering new weapons and equipment, the Division has efficiently carried out the work of maintaining and repairing and prolonging the use of old weapons and equipment; strictly maintained the technical requirements and absolute safety for warehouses, stations, and technical areas. Agencies and units regularly disseminate and effectively implement Resolution No. 1656-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2022 of the Central Military Commission on "Leading technical work until 2030 and the following years" and the 50th Movement.

The Division is still facing numerous difficulties in organising and conducting the implementation of tasks. However, with the right awareness, high determination, and promoting the achieved results, officers and soldiers of Division 390 will strive to better fulfil the targets of building itself to become a comprehensively strong "exemplary and typical" unit, ready to take and excellently accomplish all assigned tasks in the coming time.

Senior Colonel PHAM VAN CHUC, Division Commander