Infantry Division 4, under Military Region 9, is a permanent frame unit that is tasked with training, combat readiness, and reserve force training to meet the requirements of the Ministry and Military Region’s reserve mobilisation when needed. In implementing the tasks, besides the advantages, the Division has also encountered many difficulties due to the scattered stationing of units, decrease in the number of staff experienced in directing and organising training, limitations in practical training experience and skills of young and well-trained cadres, insufficient investment in training fields and grounds, poor living conditions of cadres, soldiers, and reservists, and increasingly demanding requirements and tasks. In that context, the Division Party Committee and commanders have strengthened solidarity and unity, brought into full play endogenous capacity and collective intelligence, and well implemented all aspects of work to improve the overall quality and fulfil the tasks. Particularly, focusing on improving the quality of reserve force training has been paid with special attention.
Firstly, to strengthen the leadership and direction of the Party committees and commanders at all levels over the reserve force training is an essential, directional, and leading solution throughout the process of training reserve forces. Based on thoroughly grasping the superiors’ resolutions, directives, and orders on the reserve force training, especially Conclusion No.60-KL/QUTW issued on January 18th, 2019 by the Central Military Party Commission on continuing to implement Resolution No.765-NQ/QUTW on “Improving the quality of training for the 2013 - 2020 period and beyond”, the Division Party Committee has actively developed leadership resolutions in which, the objectives, content, and requirements to be met in reserve force training have been clearly defined. At the same time, it has directed agencies and units to concretise into leadership resolutions and implementation plans at their respective levels to make it relevant to their tasks and specific areas of operation. Annually, the Division has requested the Party committees and commanders at all levels to promptly review and supplement leadership training regulations, contents, and targets; directed and approved training contents, programs, and ideas, planning drills, etc.; and assigned the Party commissioners to preside and inspect the training contents and take responsibility for the training quality of the units. In addition, the units have enhanced education to raise awareness about training for the objects and promoted emulation movements in training and drills. As a result, the Division’s planning, scheduling, management, and administration of the reserve force training have been conducted closely, approved based on decentralisation, and implemented consistently. The construction and management of training programs have been strictly implemented at all levels. The Division's training regimes for reservist training have been well-organised, in-depth, and highly appreciated by the Military Region and the Ministry of National Defence.
As the Unit's reservists reside in different localities and often work far away from home, the mobilisation and training of the force are facing multiple difficulties. Therefore, to improve the quality of training, the Division has closely coordinated with localities in well performing the management work and preparing all aspects for the reservist training. Annually, besides doing well in source inspection and management, before training, the Division directs its agencies and units to do well in preparing the training from planning and scheduling to fostering of staff, compilation and approval of lesson plans, and active application of information technology in compiling of electronic lesson plans; prepare learning materials, models, and tools and consolidate training fields and grounds, etc.; and organise the reservist training in accordance with the targets, contents, and time as planned. Therefore, the quality of reserve force training at the Unit has been increasingly improved.
To meet the requirements and tasks in the new situation, in 2016, the General Staff and the Military Region Staff directed to implement the pilot scheme that Hau Giang Provincial Military Command sends reservists to the Division for training. The Division Party Committee and commanders agreed upon undertakings and measures for leadership and direction and promoted the roles of agencies and units in well performing this important task. During the training period at the Division, even though they were far from their families, the reservists strictly obeyed the mobilisation orders and training regimes. The number of troops participating in training reached over 95%. Thanks to the centralised training organisation and more favourable conditions of accommodation, facilities, training grounds, etc., the maintenance of the living orders and regimes, military style, and discipline management were more formal; meanwhile, the reservists’ learning and working morale and attitude were more self-conscious and positive. By 2018, the Division continued to be tasked to organise two-level unilateral agency-command drills with an infantry battalion (missing 2 companies) mobilised and live-fire training. Through mobilisation, training, and testing, it was noted that the reservists, after receiving concentrated, basic, and rigorous training, could fulfil their tasks well and were eligible to be supplemented to combat-readiness units. This was also an important basis for the Division to improve the quality of reservist training in the subsequent years.
Along with that, the Division has regularly renovated the contents, methods, and organisation of training. The agencies and units have closely followed the training contents as defined in the Ministry’s programs; regularly supplemented and timely updated new documents; associated technical and tactical training of individuals with that of detachments in the topological conditions of watery delta. In addition to focusing on training from basics to mastership of techniques for reservists, the units have also organised training in firing of different guns, using explosives, throwing grenades on boats and ships, etc. In the process of tactical training, the units have trained in maneuvering to approach the targets and develop field combat, instructed and organised formation maneuver practice, and developed river combat, especially the techniques of passing muddy terrains for individuals and maneuvering formation by canoe, boat, and ships for detachments. In addition, the renovation of the training organisation and methods in each agency and unit has been carried out in accordance with the organisation, staffing, and qualifications of the reservists and combat areas. Importance has been attached to practical training, night training, and training in long-term camping conditions. The agencies and units have promoted innovation and improvement of the quality of general round drills at company and battalion levels with attention paid to the training of independent commanding capacity for company and battalion cadres and the coordination and cooperation among the detachments in the live-fire drills. They have also actively applied simulation models, videos, automatic targets, and night training signal lights into reservist training to contribute to improving their ability to absorb and understand technical and tactical content. Accordingly, the reservists’ combat readiness ability and level have been constantly improved, especially the ability to handle combat situations, to ensure the fulfilment of assigned tasks.
Along with the above-mentioned contents and solutions, the work of training assurance has also been concerned and directed by the Division Party Committee and commanders. Due to the units’ dispersal garrisoning, to assure adequate supplies to improve the quality of training, the units have regularly communicated and educated the cadres and reservists to improve the sense of responsibility in preserving and using the facilities provided. Concurrently, the Division has mobilised all resources to invest in procurement, construction, and gradual perfection of shooting ranges, infantry combat technical training grounds, tactical training grounds for infantry squads and platoons, and company and battalion-level general physical training fields and equipment for physical training and sports activities with a total budget of more than VND 26.5 billion. Besides, the agencies and units have deducted over VND 3.5 billion from gardening and production funds to invest in renewing and consolidating learning models and tools and training grounds and fields; promoted technical initiatives and improvements to apply well in training to meet the requirements in quantity and quality; and assure adequate supplies for training, examination, and drills to contribute to improving the quality of reservist training.
The achievements in the past time are an important basis and premise for the Division to continue improving the quality of reserve force training to meet the requirements and task of firmly protecting the Fatherland.
Senior Colonel NGUYEN VAN DUC, Division Commander