Implementing President Ho Chi Minh's instruction that: "The current task of the army is to strive to become a regular army. This is a new task,... we must strive to study politics and techniques to become a regular army", Division 968 ceaselessly strives for good training and strict discipline, meeting the requirements of the task in the new situation.

In recent years, Division 968 under Military Region 4 has received all-round investments in human resources, weapons, equipment, training grounds, facilities, etc. to implement the Party's policy on building an "elite, compact, strong" army, advancing towards modernity.  This is such an advantage for the Division to improve its overall quality and combat strength. However, it still faces many difficulties and challenges as the tasks of training and combat readiness are very challenging. Moreover, most of its units operate without soldiers and limited strength, in large areas and harsh weather and climate conditions. To cope with this issue, the Party Committee and Command of the Division have been implementing many policies and solutions. In particular, one of the key contents that it focuses on is to promote the study and following of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality, and style according to Conclusion No. 01-KL/TW, dated 18 May 2021 of the Politburo (13^th tenure), Resolution No. 847-NQ/QUTW, dated 28 December 2021 of the Central Military Commission in order to generate a combined strength to make a breakthrough in improving the quality of training, disciplining, and building an all-strong, "exemplary and typical" unit.

A live-firing exercise conducted in 2024 by the Division

First of all, deeply imbued with Uncle Ho's teaching that: "Good results of training are attributed to the right attitude and method", the Division strengthens education and briefing to raises awareness and responsibility for its cadres and soldiers regarding training and disciplining tasks. Accordingly, it requires its agencies and units, first and foremost, the Party Committees and commanders to thoroughly grasp resolutions and directives on training work as a basis for promoting political and ideological education to make their soldiers fully understand the situation and tasks of the Army, the armed forces of the Military Region and the Division, as well as the goals, targets and requirements in training at each level and each sector, the difficulties, challenges and new requirements, thereby they would foster sound awareness, strong will and determination, being ready to overcome difficulties and successfully complete tasks. Its agencies and units closely combine education with management and orientation of ideology for soldiers; regularly grasp the political quality of cadres and soldiers; promptly and thoroughly resolve arising issues. At the same time, they actively hold exchanges, traditional-story telling, visits to historical relics to arouse pride and motivate their soldiers to actively and voluntarily cultivate, practice, and improve their awareness in all aspects. The Division strives for the goal that 100% of its cadres and soldiers deeply understand the position and role of training, discipline training, building a regular routine, and develop high awareness, responsibility, and determination. This is crucial for the Division to continue to successfully realise the goal of "good training, strict discipline", building an all-strong, "exemplary and typical" Unit.

Considering training as a central and regular political task, a direct measure to improve its qualification, combat readiness, and combat strength, the Party Committee and Command of the Division promote innovation and enhancement of the quality of training and exercises. Based on Resolution No. 775-NQ/DU, dated 15 February 2023 of the Military Region Party Committee, the Division Party Committee issued Resolution No. 629-NQ/DU, dated 25 February 2023 on "Improving the quality of training in the period of 2023 - 2030 and the following years", focusing on innovating the leadership, direction, management, and operation of training and the content, conduct, and methods of training and exercises at all levels. To achieve its goals and requirements, the Division thoroughly implements Uncle Ho's teaching that: "Make thorough preparation before whatever you do", and proactively makes careful and all-round preparations before training. Accordingly, it reviews, adjusts and consolidates the force involved before each  training season begins. Imbued with the viewpoint that "Cadres are the root of all work"; "All success or failure of work depends on the capacity of cadres", the Division put special emphasis on re-training the contingent of cadres at all levels, especially those directly involved in training. To make it highly effective, the Division strictly maintains training according to hierarchy and strengthens field training. At the same time, it continues to make thoughtful preparation in training grounds, facilities and equipment for training, and lesson plans. Besides, it promotes the scientific research movement, technical innovation initiatives to improve training work. Since 2020 to date, it has built and renovated 01 shooting range, 14 training grounds and completed 227 initiatives for improving training models and tools. In particular, in 2024, it successfully deployed remote-controlled aircraft as flying targets in exercises, remote-visible targets, and 3D target systems, which was highly appreciated by leaders of the Military Region and leaders of the General Staff’s agencies. Basing on this, it strives to ensure sufficient training grounds and training models for specialised fields in a formal and modern direction as a way to improve its training quality.

In order to bring about a comprehensive and solid improvement in training, the Division encourages innovation in the content, conduct and method of training. Closely following the goal and target of "good training" and the training command of the Military Region Commander, the Division directs the elaboration of training plans and schedules for subjects in a comprehensive but focalised direction. Imbued with Uncle Ho's words that: "Conduct sequential training, little by little, from easy to difficult, from low to high level,... Conduct practical training. Theory should be closely linked to practice", the Division promotes innovation in training methods in a practical, effective, and relevant direction. To meet the combat requirements in the Homeland protection war, it takes basic technical training as the basis, tactical training as the centre, cadre training as the key; attaches importance to practical training, night training, and training of new shooting exercises. Moreover, it focuses on training to improve mobility and combat coordination; combines military training with political education and discipline training, etc. As a result, the training results of the Division have been constantly improved. In the past 3 years, it had 28 units ranked as excellent training units; agency command exercises combined with reservist mobilisation are graded excellent in technique, good in tactics with absolute safety.

Building a bright, green, clean and scenic barrack

Promoting the achieved results, in the coming time, the Division will focus on improving the quality of training for the subjects; combine concentrated training with sectorial training for each type of subjects; increase the extra practice after working time; implement mentorship and careful practice of contents in groups. In addition, it will frequently hold contests, sports festivals, competitions and exercises, especially tactical drills with live-firing, and participate in defensive area exercises, etc., to make steady improvements in this important work.

Together with improving the quality of training, the Division focuses on improving the quality of formality building and discipline management. Following Uncle Ho's teaching that: "A strong army is attributed to appropriate education, sound policies and strict discipline", it directs subordinate agencies and units to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement instructions and guidance of the superiors on formality building and discipline management, focusing on Directive No. 79/CT-BQP, dated 22 July 2022 of the Minister of National Defence on building an all-strong, “exemplary and typical" unit; strictly maintains the order, regime, responsibilities, tasks of the commander and the daily, weekly, and monthly working regimes, etc.; maintains the Political and Cultural Day, Feedback Box, etc., in an orderly and effective manner; promptly grasps and thoroughly resolves arising issues so as to make soldiers happy with their work. In particular, imbued with Uncle Ho's teaching that: "A living example is worth more than a hundred propaganda speeches", the Division upholds the exemplary role of cadres, especially those directly manages soldiers at all times and in all places; strengthens internal solidarity and high unity between the superiors and the subordinates, and between officers and soldiers. Moreover, it regularly coordinates closely with local Party committees, governments and soldiers' families for management and education; promotes the role of the reserve force in grasping the local situation, managing the relationships of soldiers so that it can actively forecast and prevent risks of disciplinary violations, contributing to maintaining discipline in the entire Division. It strives for the goal that the rate of common disciplinary violations of agencies and units is always kept below 0.15%, with no serious one committed, and the unit is kept absolutely safe in all aspects.

Thanks to high political determination and scientific and creative solutions, the studying and following of Uncle Ho's teachings has become an important measure and a great spiritual motivation for the Division to carry out training, formality construction, and discipline training successfully, contributing to improving its overall quality and combat strength, meeting mission requirements in the new situation.

Senior Colonel LE CHIEN THANG, Division Commander