Setting determination and choosing the role models

Implementing the task of building the unit straightforward to modernity while its affiliates are garrisoned in  17 provinces in the North and Centre of Vietnam with several independent posts are located in far flung areas and its troops still suffer from hard living conditions, the Party Committee and Commandant of the Signal Brigade 134 have adopted a number of synchronous, drastic, creative measures in which focusing on the 4 breakthroughs in building an all strong unit is considered an important, permanent and long term task, contributing to the successful accomplishment of its assigned tasks.

Installing communication line for Command 86

Choosing and implementing the breakthroughs

First, building the unit politically strong. This content is of primary importance, serving as a premise for the enhancement of its overall quality and combat power. Therefore, the Brigade attaches importance to strengthening political and ideological education; enhancing the efficacy and effectiveness of the Party and political work; actively manage troop’s ideology and protect internal security, etc. At the same time, it seriously adheres to the Project of “Renewing political education at units in the new period”, focuses on renewing the model and method of education and communication; combines closely basic education with thematic education, new task briefing with tradition education to make its troops proud of being a signal soldier; accelerate the Determine to Win Emulation movement and the Drive of “Promoting tradition, dedicating talents, deserving Uncle Ho Soldier” in the new period and the Directive No. 05-CT/TW of the Politburo (12^th tenure) on strengthening the studying and following of Uncle Ho’s thoughts, ethics and style, contributing to nurturing and educating the morality and lifestyle for its cadres and soldiers. Thereby, 100% of its cadres and soldiers have firm political steadfastness and absolutely believe in the Party’s leadership. They have shown strong determination, and are always ready to receive and accomplish all assigned tasks.

In addition, the Brigade attaches special importance to Party building work and considers this the key content in building the unit politically strong. In this regard, it focuses on enhancing the leadership capability and combativeness of party organisations and developing a staff of party members and cadres on par with task requirements. Thoroughly conduct supervision and checking over party organisations and party members in their implementation of the directives and resolutions of the Party, the regulations on prohibitions for party members to prevent and repel the degradation in politics, morality, lifestyle, and the manifestations of internal “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”. Thereby, in 2019, the Brigade’s Party Organisation was rated as a notable, clean and strong one, and the Brigade was awarded with the Emulation Flag by the Ministry of National Defence. This is the basic and decisive factor for the Brigade to successfully accomplish its assigned tasks.

Second, enhancing the quality of training, combat  readiness as ground for the enhancement of its overall quality and operational power. The Brigade has briefed and strengthened the implementation of the Resolution No. 765-NQ/QUTW of the Central Military Commission and the Resolution No. 599-NQ/ĐUBC of the Signal Corp’s Party Committee on “Enhancing the training quality in the 2013 – 2020 period and beyond”; actively renewed and enhanced the efficacy and effectiveness of leadership, direction, management and operation of training with a number of suitable methods and models. In particular, the Brigade attaches special importance to the tasks of: maintaining communications for A2 mission; disaster control and prevention, search and rescue; defensive area exercises. At the same time, it seriously adheres to the regularity order and duty regulation at all levels, including the remote posts; regularly supplements and perfects the system of documents and plans for combat readiness at all levels suitable with the plans of the Corps. As a result, training outcomes of the Brigade have been improved; communication rates reach over 99.8%, meeting the requirement of communication assurance in all situations. In 2019, the Brigade was awarded the Certificate of merit by the Minister of National Defence in the PC-19 and the COVID-19 prevention and control exercises (March 2020).

Third, building regularity and discipline to form sense of self-discipline for its cadres and soldiers. First, the brigade thoroughly conducts education and briefing to raise awareness and sense of self-discipline for its cadres and soldiers. At the same time, it seriously maintains daily and weekly schemes; strengthen measures for managing troops, weapon and vehicles. All of its staffs are required to act according to their areas of responsibilities and military regulations. Senior officers and party members are required to behave exemplarily for their juniors to follow. In addition, the Brigade focuses on enhancing the effectiveness of its Youth Union, Military men’s Council, Women’s Union and drives these unions towards the implementation of the breakthroughs through the models of: “Four-good Signal Post follow Uncle Ho’s teaching”, “Exemplary Signal Women follow Uncle Ho’s teaching”, “Three B Model” of the Battalion 41, “Four-good Signal Station” of Company 8, Battalion 88, etc., with high effectiveness. The implementation of these models has become daily routines of its cadres and soldiers. Thereby, duty and patrol regimes have been seriously adhered to; no cadre or soldier breaches signal disciplines or leaks information deliberately. With its achievements, in 2019, the Brigade was awarded with the title “All strong unit” by the Ministry of National Defence.

Fourth, improving technical and logistics support work. As managing and exploiting diverse and unsynchronised systems of weapons and equipments, the Brigade directs its junior units to thoroughly follow the Drive of “Managing and exploiting weapons and technical equipment in an efficient, durable, safe and cost-effective manner and traffic safety”; improve expertise, skill and sense of responsibility of its cadres and soldiers, especially its engineers and technical staffs. Its organs and units have seriously adhered to the maintenance regime; regularly grasped their quantity, quality and the uniformity of their platforms in serve for training and operational readiness tasks. As a result, its weapon systems and equipment always meet technical requirements, ensuring the smooth communication in all situations. In 2019, the Brigade was presented with the Leading Unit Flag in the Emulation movement of “Military logistics sector follows Uncle Ho’s teaching”.

Lessons learnt     

Through the implementation of the breakthroughs, the Brigade 134 has drawn some lessons to make it more effective in the coming time as follow: First, regularly conduct propagation and briefing to make its cadres and soldiers fully aware of their task requirements; choose and decide the focal areas of breakthrough; agree on the awareness, raise responsibility and set out determination for implementation. Second, bring into play the synergy from different organisations and forces of the unit; uphold democracy, avoid imposing individual opinion; flexibly apply suitable ways of doing for each specific unit. Promote the role of commanding officers and pioneering spirit of the youth. Third, regularly pay attention to improving the living standard of cadres and soldiers, especially those who work at remote and extreme hardship posts. Fourth, thoroughly conduct review to opportunely praise and multiply the role models and good ways of doing in the unit. Fifth, stick to the situation of its task, consult upper levels and instructions of political organ; strengthen supervision and checking while combining with the Determine to Win Emulation movement and other campaign launched by upper levels.

Colonel NGO KIM DANG, Brigade commander