Imbued with President Ho Chi Minh’s guidance: “The Commando means special work and a special honour, requiring special effort,” the 429^th  Commando Brigade promotes its traditions to build a comprehensively strong, “exemplary and typical” unit to fulfil all requirements and tasks.

Founded, stationed, and battled in the Southeastern region during the fiercest phase of the resistance against the US for national salvation, the 429 Commando Brigade overcame countless hardships and dangers to rapidly build and fortify its forces, train elite troops, and apply effective, unique, and creative tactics to execute hundreds of battles, achieving resounding victories that shocked and terrified the enemy. The notable battles include Dong Du, Tec Nich, Ba Den Mountain, Chon Thanh, Trang Lon, Lai Khe, Bu Bong, and Kien Duc (1969 - 1975). Especially, during the Spring Offensive of the Lunar Year of the Rooster (1969), the strategic offensive in 1972, and the General Offensive and Uprising in Spring 1975, the Brigade fought in numerous battlefields, such as Southeast, Southwest, and Cambodia, with high efficiency in many battles, significantly contributing to the entire Party, people, and army in completely liberating the South and unifying the country. In the war to defend the nation and international duties (1975 - 1989), the Unit was always at the forefront of challenging missions, organised numerous important battles, and achieved many military feats to enhance its tradition of “Self-reliance, self-strengthening, boldness and courage, deep penetration for surprise attacks, and unity for victory.” Thanks to its extraordinary achievements and feats throughout 55 years of building, fighting, and maturing, the Brigade and two collectives and eight individuals have been honoured as Heroes of the People’s Armed Forces and many other prestigious awards.

In recent years, along with improving quality of training and combat readiness, the Brigade’s task to firmly protect assigned key targets poses new and higher demands. Therefore, to successfully accomplish all tasks, especially key political ones, the Brigade Party Committee and commanders have focused on leading and directing the implementation of comprehensive policies and solutions. Among these, promoting learning and following Uncle Ho’s teachings is a crucial solution, motivating cadres and soldiers to uphold traditions, overcome difficulties, and triumphantly complete all tasks, especially in building a comprehensively strong “exemplary and typical” unit according to Directive No.79/CT-BQP, dated 22 July 2022, by the Minister of National Defence, through multiple rich and highly effective methods.

The 55th anniversary of foundation of the Brigade

Heeding Uncle Ho’s words: “Military without politics is like a tree without roots, useless and harmful,” the Brigade has focused on building a politically strong unit as the foundation for enhancing overall quality and combat strength. Initially, agencies and units have intensified political and ideological education to forge cadres and soldiers with solid political resolve, always trusting in the Party’s leadership and ready to receive and excellently complete assigned tasks. Implementing the Project titled “Innovating political education at units in the new phase” and Directive No.2423-CT/QUTW, dated 9 November 2023, by the Central Military Party Commission’s Standing Committee “On innovating and enhancing the quality of political education in the new phase” and through a diverse combination of forms and methods, the Brigade has paid attention to educating the soldiers on the basic contents of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts, the Party’s guidelines, the State policies and laws, the Fatherland protection tasks, the traditions of the Army, Corps, and Brigade, plots and schemes of hostile forces, etc. It has promoted learning and following Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts, ethics, and lifestyle and the movement titled “Promoting traditions, dedicating talents, and being worthy of the title of ‘Uncle Ho’s Soldiers’ in the new era” associated with the implementation of Resolution No.847-NQ/QUTW, dated 28 December 2021, by the Central Military Party Commission on “Promoting the qualities of ‘Uncle Ho’s Soldiers’ in resolutely combating individualism in the new situation.” Meanwhile, it has effectively carried out ideological work under the principle of “being close to the soldiers, understanding the soldiers, and trusting the soldiers” and actively propagated good people and good deeds, “using the good to eliminate the bad”, “using the positive to repel the negative”, and timely detecting and resolving issues and preventing the emergence of negative thoughts.

To enhance the leadership capacity and combat strength of party organisations at the grassroots level and the quality of cadres and party members, the Brigade has made breakthroughs in building party cells according to the “4 goods” criteria; attached importance to educating, managing, and training cadres and party members and maintaining the principles of democratic centralism, collective leadership, and individual accountability; and strengthened inspection and supervision under the principle of “Broad supervision and focused inspection”. As a result, the leadership capacity of party committees and organisations, and the responsibility of party members have been enhanced. From 2020 to 2023, 100% of party committes at all levels completed their tasks well and excellently. 100% of party cells completed their tasks, with over 88% completing well and excellently. The percentage of party members completing tasks well and excellently reached over 90%, with 20% achieving excellently.

Absorbing Uncle Ho’s teachings on the training work “Better to be practical and meticulous than to overextend,” the Brigade has led and directed practical, breakthrough solutions to improve training quality to meet new requirements and tasks. For effectiveness, before training, the Brigade has directed the completion of the contingent of cadré, especially those for specialised technical training frames; organised training and fostering of cadres, and developed training programmes, plans, schedules (monthly and phase), closely following the Corps’ training orders and suitable for the target audience, ensuring standardisation, unity, and scientific approach. The regimes of teaching plan and lecture approval have been strictly implemented. In training, the principle of “basic - practical - solid” has been adhered to, emphasising training that is “integrated, specialised, and realistic to combat”. Field training, night training, and training under complex terrain and weather conditions have been strengthened to help soldiers improve their endurance, mobility, survival skills, and adaptability under commando combat conditions. Subjects such as martial arts, tactics, parachuting, shooting, and the use of new weapons have been intensified in duration. Along with this, the Brigade has enhanced the quality of soldier training, detachment training, and specialised training of infantry commando, counter-terrorism, communication, reconnaissance, fire support; logistics, physical fitness, etc. Accordingly, cadres and soldiers have mastered various technical equipment and become proficient in techniques and tactics of commando combat, A2, counter-terrorism, air assault, etc., meeting the task requirements well.

Practising riot-countering

“Always enhance vigilance and readiness for combat” is Uncle Ho’s teaching and wish for the armed forces in general, and the Commando soldiers in particular. Absorbing this spirit, the Brigade has strictly implemented the Corps’s combat readiness directives and orders. Regular inspections, reviews, construction, adjustments, and timely additions to combat plans according to tasks have been conducted, along with organised proficiency training. It has also proactively coordinated with other agencies, units, and localities in studying and thoroughly grasping the situation, ensuring the safety of assigned targets and areas. Agencies and units, especially counter-terrorism and combat-ready detachments, have maintained strict and tight command duty, duty shifts, and professional readiness, always ready to successfully handle situations.

Heeding Uncle Ho’s advice: “An army without discipline is bound to lose in battle,” the Brigade has enhanced regularity building and discipline management, and always considers it as a critical breakthrough. Accordingly, agencies and units have intensified the implementation of principles of duty-based working, regulation-based acting, superiors setting examples for subordinates, agencies setting examples for units, and cadres setting examples for soldiers. Cadres and commanders at all levels have actively communicated and educated on the conscientious observance of state laws, military discipline, unit regulations, and policies to all military personnel. Moreover, they have strictly maintained routines of daily activities, study, work, and tight control over personnel and technical equipment; closely combined proactive prevention with strict handling of violations for education and deterrence; linked regularity building and discipline training with the creation of a cultural environment and construction and consolidation of “regular, green, clean, beautiful” barracks for soldiers to feel content and attached to the units. As a result, in recent years, the Brigade has made positive shifts in regularity building and discipline training, ensuring absolute safety in all aspects.

The operational characteristics of the Commando are that they not only occur under difficult, arduous, and fierce conditions but also require tight, precise coordination with many forces, using various sophisticated and modern weapons and technical equipment, demanding comprehensive and meticulous logistical and technical support. Following Uncle Ho’s teaching: “Providing enough guns, bullets, food, and clothing for the troops ensures victory in battle,” the Brigade has consistently performed well in logistical and technical support for tasks; emphasised timely and sufficient provision of materials and logistical equipment to meet training and combat readiness needs, prioritising counter-terrorism tasks and exercises; and organised the reception of reserve soldiers, considering this as an important, decisive link to the quality of task completion by the Unit. Agencies and units have strengthened the emulation movement titled “Military logistics follow Uncle Ho’s teachings” and promoted dynamism and proactivity in logistical support for all tasks. Along with this, they have strictly implemented the Ministry of National Defence and Corps’ orders on technical work; promoted the Campaign titled “Good, durable, safe, economical management, and exploitation of weapons and technical equipment and Traffic safety”; ensured timely, synchronised provision of qualified weapons and technical equipment for tasks, especially training and combat readiness ones; strictly maintained regimes and routines in management, preservation, maintenance, storage, inspection, and quality control of weapons and equipment, especially specialised weapons and technical equipment for forces ready for combat A2, A3, and counter-terrorism tasks, always ready to ensure operational tasks.

Currently, in line with the policy of building an elite, compact, efficient, and modern Army, the promotion of learning and following Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts, ethics, and lifestyle has become a regular activity and an important motivation for cadres and soldiers of the 429^th Commando Brigade to continue promoting traditions, striving to build a comprehensively strong “exemplary and typical” unit, contributing to enhancing overall quality and combat strength, successfully accomplishing all assigned tasks.

Colonel DAO XUAN DUNG

Brigade Commander