Promoting the studying and following of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, ethics, and style is a motivational issue that creates a comprehensive strength for each agency and unit to successfully fulfil all assigned tasks. For the 1^st  Commando  Brigade  - a unit engaged in "special tasks", implementing this content well, in general, and improving the quality of training and combat readiness, in particular, is of significant importance and requires high determination and multiple synchronous and effective solutions.

The 1^st Commando Brigade (hereinafter referred to as the Brigade) (formerly the 1^st Commando Battalion ) was established on April 15^th, 1968 and then became one of the three core forces of the Commando Corps to mark a new development in the organisation of forces and the art of combat of the Commando Forces and meet the urgent requirements of combat tasks in the new period of the anti-US resistance war for national salvation. With a deep understanding of President Ho Chi Minh's teaching that "Commando operations  mean special work, special honour, and it requires special efforts... Any task, any special work, must be fulfiled well", over the course of 55 years of building, fighting, and development, using the tactic of magical transformation, generations of cadres and soldiers of the Brigade have always promoted the offensive revolutionary spirit, unity, unification in will and action, and steadfastly holding onto their areas to proactive, resourceful, and creative to make efforts, overcome countless hardships and sacrifices, and fulfil tasks well. They have gained the trust of the Party and State, the love of the people, the respect of friends, and the fear of enemies. With outstanding achievements, the Brigade has been awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the State in 2008, the Third-class Fatherland Protection Medal in 2023, and many other prestigious rewards.

Currently, in response to the increasingly high demands of the mission of protecting the Fatherland, the Brigade’s tasks have new developments, especially A2-plan combat readiness tasks, terrorism prevention, defence of key targets and major political events of the Party and the State, and disaster prevention and control, rescue and relief. To fulfil the tasks, the Brigade Party Committee and Command have advocated for promoting the studying and following of Ho Chi Minh's thought, ethics, and style in all aspects of work to create comprehensive strength in the implementation of the unit's political tasks. Specifically, importance has been attached to breakthroughs in studying and following of Uncle Ho's teachings on improving the quality of training and combat readiness - a very important content that needs to be implemented with many synchronous and effective solutions.

Commander of the Commando Corps awarded the "Excellent Training Unit" of 2022 for the Brigade

Deeply embracing President Ho Chi Minh’s point of view that "To achieve good results in learning, one must have the right attitude", the Brigade has strengthened education to raise awareness and sense of responsibility among cadres and soldiers towards training and combat readiness. Accordingly, the subordinate agencies and units have paid attention to educating and thoroughly communicating the superiors’ resolutions, directives, and orders on training and combat readiness to, thereby, unify their understanding and build determination and a sense of responsibility among cadres and soldiers throughout the Brigade towards the specific operational conditions of the  Special Commando Forces with various age groups, complex and dangerous training content, high intensity training, and some specialised fields in harsh environments, occurring both on land and in the air. Currently, under the superiors’ direction and guidance, the Brigade is vigorously implementing Resolution No.1659-NQ/QUTW, dated December 20^th, 2022, of the Central Military  Commission on improving the quality of training during the 2023 - 2030 period and beyond and strengthening education for soldiers to fully recognise the position, significance, and importance of training and combat readiness and to grasp the characteristics of tasks, contents, programs, targets, and requirements to be achieved. In the implementation process, the Party committees and commanders of agencies and units have focused on strongly innovating forms and methods of education towards substance, effectiveness, and suitability to the combat targets, tasks, and areas. They have closely combined basic education with specialised and thematic education, regular education with education on training tasks of each month and phase, combat readiness tasks, and irregular tasks, and education with soldier ideological orientation and management. They have also regularly grasped the political quality of the training subjects and promptly and thoroughly solved arising issues. At the same time, they have carried out well Party work and political work in training, drills, and combat readiness to create a healthy and democratic cultural environment for the soldiers to work with peace of mind, dedication, responsibility, and cohesion in unit building, improve the perception, awareness, and proper sense of responsibility, and build determination and confidence in victory for cadres and soldiers, create consensus and unity in perception and action to overcome difficulties and challenges and strive for the successful implementation of the central political task of training and combat readiness.

Following Uncle Ho's teaching that "Whatever you do, it must be well prepared", the Brigade has placed great importance on preparation and support work to serve the combat readiness training for the special forces and considered it a top priority. To accomplish this task in conditions where technical equipment is not synchronised, training grounds are cramped, and direct training cadres may be inexperienced and face demanding requirements, the Brigade has proactively invested in purchasing, repairing, upgrading, and renewing the training materials and equipment with correct and sufficient quantity as required; regularly coordinated closely with other units and localities in assuring the training grounds and exercise areas that are suitable for each training theme and content; and strengthened the inspection, verification, and monitoring of the quality of technical equipment according to standards to ensure absolute safety during training. Along with the preparation of material facilities and training grounds, the preparation of human is also regarded  as a determinative factor by the Brigade. Therefore, the Brigade has paid special attention to completing the organisational structure of units before and during the training process in accordance with the new combat conditions, especially the units trained for counter-terrorism missions and executing well the rotation of cadres among units and agencies and assigning military training and political education cadres in a tight and appropriate manner, according to each person's ability. In particular, it has focused on building a contingent of comprehensive and competent direct training cadres and organising training and fostering to improve the level and capacity of training, management, and maintenance of combat readiness units ready for cadres before entering training, especially for those directly engaged in training and newly graduated cadres. The contents of training and fostering have been focused on ununified issues, new and difficult topics, high-risk safety aspects, and so on. As a result, 100% of training cadres are capable of conducting the training as decentralised. In particular 80% of company-level cadres and 75% of platoon-level cadres achieve good or excellent grades (over 50% excellent).

Inscribed with President Ho Chi Minh's teaching that training should be "more practical and conscientious than just ambitious", the Brigade has directed agencies and units to actively innovate their training content, programs, organisation, and methods. Every year, closely following the "Basic Training Program for Commando Units", the agencies and units have determined comprehensive, but prioritised and focused training contents and programs with importance placed on synchronised, specialised training to be close to the targets in the combat areas where high-tech weapons are used; applied and developed creative artistic techniques for Commando Forces combat in general, and Special Commando Forces in particular, for each content, focusing on improving the quality of counter-terrorism training and task-based training, taking squad and company training as the centerpiece and cadre training as the key’; organised training for the targeted groups along the motto of "Basics, Practicality, and Solidity" flexibly applying viewpoints, principles, and combinations in training, especially practical training, night training, and focusing on enhancing mobility in long-term operational situations; and combined training with physical fitness training and high-intensity training in various terrains, suitable for the organisation, staffing, technical equipment, functions, and task requirements of each unit to enhance the survival and combat readiness of the soldiers. Through training and exercises, cadres and soldiers all have exploited, used, and mastered various existing technical equipment; grasp and be proficient in special operations techniques and tactics, skilled in special warfare, personal shooting techniques, martial arts, command, physical fitness, long-distance marching with heavy loads, and teamwork within the higher-level unit. Every year, 100% of the content and items have tested and met the requirements, with over 75% achieving good and excellent results (including over 50% excellent), ensuring absolute safety for personnel and technical equipment. For three consecutive years (from 2020 to 2022), the Brigade was awarded the title of "Excellent Training Unit" by the Ministry of National Defence.

Together with the focus on improving the quality of training, the Brigade Party Committee and Command have paid attention to leading and directing the improvement of the combat readiness level in response to task requirements in all situations. With a deep understanding of President Ho Chi Minh's training directive: "always raise vigilance, be ready to fight and crush all enemy plots", the Brigade has regularly communicated and comprehensively implemented the superiors’ combat readiness orders and instructions; proactively coordinated with agencies, units, and localities in studying and grasping the local situation and the combat targets assigned; and regularly checked, reviewed, developed, adjusted, and promptly supplemented combat plans and options according to the tasks and organised training to achieve good quality. The Brigade's affiliated agencies and units have maintained seriously, strictly, and orderly commanding, office, and professional duty regimes; regularly organised training on counter-terrorism and fire prevention and control; and maintained patrols and guards to ensure safety in the area where they are stationed, especially during holidays, festivals, major political events of the Party, State, and the Military, and foreign affairs activities. Through the superiors’ inspection, the Brigade is evaluated as fully capable of receiving and performing tasks well in any situation.

Exploiting the achieved results, the cadres and soldiers of the 1^st  Special Commando Brigade continue to promote the studying and following of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, ethics, and style through specific and practical actions to contribute to improving the quality of training and combat readiness and creating a solid foundation to enhance the overall quality and combat strength of the Brigade to fulfill tasks well, not falling into any passive situation.

Senior Colonel TA THANH TRUNG, Brigade Commander