Division 7 (under Army Corps 4) is tasked with training reserve forces in provinces namely Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, and Tien Giang. This task requires close coordination between units and the localities in each and every stage and flexible application of appropriate measures throughout the training. To accomplish all assigned tasks, the Division has thoroughly grasped the resolutions, directives, and conclusions of the Central Military Commission and the Division’s Party Committee on training work, which concentrates on leading and directing each agency and unit to enhance the quality of training reserve forces. The encouraging outcomes are manifested in the awareness of conducting the task among cadres, soldiers, and reservists; considerable attention and thorough preparation for teaching plans, training grounds, and teaching tools and models; the renovation of training contents, forms, and methods that fit targets and operational areas; movements to bring into full play the renovation of teaching models and tools for training; competitions, inspections, and evaluations of training results that have achieved the set objectives and requirements. Annual training goals have been fully met, with 80% or more achieving a good or excellent rating; exercises using blank ammunition and explosives and live-fire exercises at company and platoon levels for reserve forces conducted with absolute safety. This contributes to the building of high-quality and well-prepared reserve forces with the readiness to fulfil the requirements and tasks of defending the Fatherland when necessary.
On the foundation of the aforementioned outcomes and the practical experience gained from years of training reserve forces, the Division has drawn some fundamental experience to continue the effective application in the upcoming time.
First and foremost, bringing into full play the role and responsibility of party committees and commanders at all levels and raising the awareness of reservists regarding the task of training is the top measure. To ensure unified, transparent, and effective leadership and direction for this important task, the Division’s Party Committee has issued thematic resolutions to improve the quality of training with a focus on determining the objectives, contents, and requirements as well as the tasks and measures to enhance the quality of training reservists in the new situation. Simultaneously, agencies and units have been directed to specify leadership resolutions and develop plans in accordance with the features, targets, and localities to ensure suitability for the current situation. Annually, the Division requires party committees and commanders at all levels to review and supplement leadership regulations, training content and objectives to guide and ratify training contents and programmes; assign members of party committees to inspect and take responsibility for the training quality within their units. As a result, the roles and responsibilities of party committees, organisations, and commands at all levels toward leadership, direction, and management of training are greatly promoted; party work and political work in training have been effectively carried out. Additionally, the Division has also placed immense importance on improving the quality of planning, scheduling, management, administration, inspection, and evaluation of training in a “focused, unified, synchronous, efficient, and non-overlapping manner”. In particular, the focus has been on innovative approaches to both regular and unscheduled inspections and evaluations to prevent virtual achievements, assess actual results, and promptly address all shortcomings.
To enhance reservists’ awareness of the task of training, the Division has directed the Political Department to keep abreast of the results of political education and awareness of reservists to lay a foundation for designing scientific and appropriate plans for political education. Simultaneously, the Division has also directed Frame A and Frame B to stringently implement the plans for political education, with a focus placed on key contents such as the Law on Reserve Forces; Decree No. 03/2020/NĐ-CP issued on July 3rd, 2020 by the Government on "Regulations on mobilising reserve forces when not reaching the extent of total or partial mobilisation"; Decree No. 78/2020/NĐ-CP issued on July 6th, 2020 by the Government on "Reserve officers of the Vietnam People's Army"; requirements to build strong reserve forces; challenges and hardships of the training process and the traditions of the Army, the Army Corps, the Division and the localities through appropriate forms and methods. As a result, the awareness of reservists of the task of training has created a seismic shift that motivates them to overcome difficulties, actively and voluntarily participate in training, and be ready for mobilisation.
Being fully aware of the decisive roles of the training process toward the breakthrough in improving the quality of training reservists, the Division has given attention to training and enhancing the qualification and competence of cadres in charge of training by sending them to military academies and schools. The Division has effectively conducted training exercises and development programmes to ensure that cadres have competence in management and training; emphasised new contents and weaknesses, particularly young cadres and those newly assigned to the unit. For cadres from Frame A, the focus has been placed on developing approaches to organise training, testing, and simulations in training; simultaneously, encouraging and creating favourable conditions for cadres to engage in self-learning and research to improve their qualifications and knowledge in support of training and managing reserve units. As for cadres from Frame B, before mobilising reserve forces for 7-10 days, the Division has organised training programmes related to the military expertise and management of soldiers. Subsequently, trained cadres together with those from Frame A have managed, maintained, and trained reserve units as planned. Currently, all cadres from Frame A can conduct training; Over 80% of cadres from Frame B can conduct training; cadres at the platoon, section, and group levels can fulfil their task of managing and maintaining the training as stipulated.
Due to the varying levels of education, military expertise, age, and physical health among reservists, the Division has placed emphasis on innovating training content, forms, and methods that are suitable for each target. Adhering to the motto of "Quality, practicality, effectiveness, focus, and key points" in training, the Division has directed its units to standardise comprehensive and in-depth training programmes and contents with a focus on the practical situation in the three provinces. This includes a focus on tactical and technical proficiency from individual to platoon level; mastering weapon and technical equipment, especially new weapons and equipment; achieving proficiency in specialised technical and tactical skills, independent and combined combat. Additionally, the Division has directed units to flexibly combine training methods and forms. To associate training with managing, the Division requires cadres from Frame A to train those from Frame B, and cadres from Frame B to train reserve units according to their hierarchical levels. Throughout the implementation process, the Division has directed units to strictly follow the training procedures; closely combine theory with practice with a major focus on practice; organise comprehensive training so that each content can be thoroughly grasped; etc.
One of the characteristics of training reserve forces is the short training time; therefore, the Division has placed a great emphasis on synchronous, in-depth and focused training. Accordingly, units have determined to take technical training as the foundation, tactical training as the focus, and unit training as the key point to lay a foundation for combined training and combat coordination at the battalion level. Additionally, the Division has required its party committees and commanders at all levels to intensify inspections and promote democracy in training. After each training session, the Division organised competitions to provide objective and accurate assessments of the results; duplicated creative and effective approaches; prevented any manifestation of subjective attitudes and virtual achievements in training. In parallel with the training, the Division has also placed special emphasis on conducting tactical exercises with the use of blank ammunition, explosives and live-fire exercises at the platoon, company, and battalion levels to enhance the qualifications of cadres and reservists. As a result, the quality of training has significantly improved over the years.
In addition to the aforementioned measures, the Division has directed its agencies and units to strictly implement the "Four Togethers" principle (eating together, living together, working together, sharing) with reservists, thereby keeping track of the ideological situation, promptly orientating, and resolving negative thoughts that may arise, while fostering a strong sense of unity and high consensus throughout the training process. Simultaneously, the Division has ensured facilities for living, eating, and healthcare as well as the implementation of policies and regulations for reserve forces to build motivation and determination to participate in training and achieve the highest results to meet the task requirements of safeguarding the Fatherland.
Senior Colonel MAI CHI KHANH, Commander of Division 7