Thoroughly grasping the Party’s viewpoint on the two strategic tasks, namely Homeland construction and protection, over the past years, besides the central task of social-economic development, Phu Tho Province has always attached great importance to performing the military and defence tasks, and building the all-people defence, the all-people defence posture in association with the people’s security, focusing on building strong armed forces.

Reserve forces in a fire training (photo: baophutho.vn)

First and foremost, the Province has focused on building politically and ideologically strong armed forces to make them really loyal, credible, and fighting forces of the local party committee, authority and people. The Military Command of the Province has directed its organs and units to focus on raising cadres and troops’ awareness of the Party’s military and defence views and guidelines, the State’s policies and law, and the locality’s military and defence task, clarifying hostile forces’ plots, tricks and “self-evolution” strategy in the area.

By taking synchronous measures, since 2010, the Province has built 277 commune-level military party cells and brought into play their role; admitting 138 new party members who are militia, increasing the percentage of party members within the militia and self-defence forces up to 17.3%. The Province is now focusing on close leadership and direction over studying and grasping the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress and the Resolution of the 10th Army Party Congress. On that basis, it continues concretizing goals and measures to enhance the quality of implementing the resolutions of the Party Congress at levels for 2015-2020, completing the party committee cadre staff in line with building cadre-in-charge staff, strengthening inspection and supervision to timely prevent and overcome leadership limitations, in accordance with the spirit of the Central Resolution No.4 (11th tenure) on the Party building, in association with the implementation of the Politburo Directive No.5 on acceleration of studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle, preventing “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” within the units.

Also, the Province has focused on building organizationally strong armed forces with proper, high-quality structure and quantity. Active troops are built into “revolutionary, regular, seasoned, gradually modern” force. Annually, the Military Command of the Province closely works with functional organs of the Military Region to make plan on training, appointing and assigning cadres at levels, complete the organizational structure of organs, units and localities in accordance with regulations, giving priority to the units performing the training, combat readiness, and A2 tasks, and those stationed in focal areas of defence and security. Up to now, the organizational structure of active troops of the Province has reached 95% of its demand, maintaining a balance between cadres and professional officers, organs and units. This is an important basis for organs and units to promote their key role in implementing the military and defence task.

The reserve forces have been built into “seasoned, lean, strong” ones, being ready to be mobilized when necessary. To increase the percentage of military professional officers and to deal with the shortage of platoon commanders and specialist, technical reserves, the Province has attached importance to assigning the quantity of new recruits to districts and cities, preparing and training reserves. The Military Command has recommended the Province to use local budget to train reserve officers. With synchronous measures, the personnel structure of reserve units of the Province has reached 95%.

The militia and self-defence forces are built into “strong, extensive” ones, with appropriate quantity, component, and increasingly high quality. The Province has frequently attached great importance to completing the military command of communes, organs, and organizations, enhancing and building sufficient, qualified militia and self-defence cadres. Over the past 10 years, the Province has sent 512 military command cadres at commune level to colleges, universities to study. Thus, it can have sufficient qualified cadres for positions at the military command of communes, and enhance the quality and the efficiency of building the militia and self-defence forces.

To enhance the total quality and combat readiness of the armed forces, over the past years, the Military Command of the Province has directed its organs, units and localities to successfully conduct the task of training and combat readiness. It has carried out training comprehensively, close to task, area, operational plans and organizational structure of each force, and budget of localities. As for commanders and organs, the Province has focused on improving their capabilities and working methods in commanding, preparing and conducting operations; improving their knowledge and method to counsel local party committees and authorities to lead, command and conduct area defensive operations and conduct area defensive exercises, flood and storm prevention and control, search and rescue, forest fire prevention and control exercises. As for units, they have focused on training troops infantry tactical skills at platoon, company and battalion levels in independent and combined operations in local defensive area, strengthening physical training and improving the collaboration with the public security forces to maintain political security, social order and safety, and protection of the area.

Snr Colonel Nguyen Hong Thai

Standing Member of Phu Tho Provincial Party Committee

Commander of the Provincial Military Command