Regiment 18 – Corps Le Truc (Division 325, Army Corps 2) is a full-fledged main unit, tasked with training, combat readiness and flexibly perform other assigned tasks. Faced with such requirements and tasks, over the years, the Regiment's Party Committee, commanders, officers and soldiers have always united, upheld responsibility, built high determination and initiative to overcome difficulties, be ready to take and well accomplish all tasks. In carrying out the tasks, besides the advantages, the Regiment has encountered many difficulties, especially the management and maintenance of discipline in the grassroots units, in the condition of uneven awareness of the soldiers, being affected by the negative side of the market mechanism, evils from social life and inaccurate information on social networks, etc.

Imbued with the teachings by President Ho Chi Minh: "An army without discipline is bound to lose" and "A powerful army is built on fruitful education, appropriate policies and strict discipline", the Party Committee and commander of the Regiment have been focusing on leading and directing the synchronous and comprehensive implementation of solutions to strengthen discipline education and management, to raise the sense of self-discipline to strictly abide by the State law, military discipline and safety assurance, and to make a comprehensive change in both awareness and actions of cadres and soldiers. Since then, improve the quality of regularity building, the strength, qualifications and combat readiness, etc. creating synergy for the Regiment to successfully accomplish the assigned political tasks.

First of all, the Party Committee and Commanders of the Regiment strengthen the leadership, direction and promotes the roles and responsibilities of the Party Committees and commanders at all levels for this important work. In the past time, there were limitations and shortcomings in the management, education and observance of State law, military discipline and safety assurance in agencies and units in the whole army in general and in the Regiment in particular. All the above violations are subjectively caused by the irresponsibility in the leadership, direction and management of the Party committees and commanders at all levels. Therefore, efficiently implementing this content and solution is decisive to the quality and effectiveness of management and education in law and discipline observance, safety assurance of each agency and unit. On the basis of thoroughly grasping and strictly implementing the directives, resolutions and instructions, especially the Resolution No. 27-NQ/DU, dated January 18, 2020 of the Division Party Committee on strengthening management, education in discipline observance and safety assurance, the Party Committee of the Regiment, Party committees and organisations at all levels have issued a thematic resolution on this work with specific contents and solutions which are stick to characteristics of each agency and unit and always considers it as a breakthrough and the focused content, both urgent and fundamental for a long time. At the same time, periodically evaluate the results of leadership and direction, promptly supplement contents and measures in accordance with the development of the situation, tasks and awareness of soldiers. Promote the role of presiding cadres at all levels in concretising the resolutions of the Party committees and organisations into plans, regulations and rules which are simultaneously conducted in the entire units; synchronously deploy measures to strengthen the management, education and observance of the State law, military discipline and safety assurance; promptly eradicate weak points and weak sides. The Regiment commander requests each agency and unit to promote the roles, responsibilities and creativity of the staff, especially those who are directly responsible for maintaining strict discipline, regularity and safety assurance in the units; at the same time, uphold the responsibility to set examples and models in abiding by the law and discipline for the soldiers to learn and follow.

A meeting of the Regiment's Party Executive Committee on Party building and rectification

In order to create a change in awareness and responsibility of cadres and soldiers in law and discipline observance as well as safety assurance, the Regiment focuses on fruitful political education in association with law dissemination. Therefore, along with well implementing the compulsory content and programs of political education and law dissemination, agencies and units also focus on teaching new legal documents, disseminating directives, guidelines and regulations on education of law, discipline, regularity building and safety assurance. The focus is on: Directive No. 103/CT-BQP, dated November 28, 2019 of the Ministry of National Defence on continuing to strengthen education on discipline observance and safety in Vietnam People's Army; Directive No. 22/CT-TM, dated July 5, 2019 of the Chief of the General Staff on strengthening measures in education of the State law, military discipline observance and security assurance in Vietnam People's Army; Official Dispatch No. 1740/CT-TH, dated September 1, 2020 of the General Department of Politics on strengthening leadership in education, ideological management, preventing serious violations of law and discipline, suicide in military units, etc. Thereby, creating a strong change in awareness, responsibility, self-consciousness of cadres and soldiers in performing this important task.

In order to improve the effectiveness of propaganda and education, agencies and units have actively fostered a contingent of political teaching officers, reporters and law propagandists with good moral qualities and always be exemplary in performing their duties, mastering basic legal knowledge and having good pedagogical methods. Thus, select the educational content which is close to the tasks of agencies and units, suitable to the characteristics and perception of each object, ensuring "easy to understand, easy to remember, easy to implement"; using flexible methods which are suitable for individual soldiers, small forces who are performing tasks outside the barracks, or in independent units. In order to increase the attractiveness, persuasion, and to prevent boredom, agencies and units are always flexible and creative in using methods and forms. In particular, focus on combining education and propaganda with ideological orientation, discipline management and training through the radio system, slogans, message boards, photo boards, seminars, forums, contests to learn about the law and the practice of military training and combat readiness. At the same time, maintaining and promoting the effectiveness of Law Day, Political and Spiritual Culture Day at grassroots level, activities of "psychological and legal consulting team"; promptly notify and thoroughly grasp the situation of law and discipline observance of the whole army on a monthly and quarterly basis; building up bookcases and bookshelves with books of law in the library, in the Ho Chi Minh rooms; actively collect and supplement all kinds of books, newspapers, legal journals, legal documents, etc. for research and study. As a result, cadres and soldiers are provided with comprehensive legal knowledge and appropriate awareness of the role and position of education, discipline management and safety assurance.

In order to ensure quality, substantive efficiency and maintain firm stability in law and discipline observance and safety assurance, the Regiment attaches great importance to the synchronous implementation of the stages to manage and orient soldiers’ ideology in association with maintaining strict observance of the law, discipline, orders and regular regime. The Regiment requests agencies and units to grasp, analyze, assess, manage, forecast, orient and well handle soldiers’ ideology. Focus on training and fostering to improve knowledge, skills and experience in handling arising problems for staff, especially those who are directly in charge of soldier management. The process of grasping and managing thoughts must be comprehensive to collect both political background, family situations, moral qualities, lifestyle, working capacity, task completion results, thoughts, aspirations and social relationships of the soldiers, especially those who are different. On that basis, provide soldiers with proper ideological orientation, especially at sensitive times; At the same time, proactively orient information and public opinion on social networks, prevent malicious information from affecting the soldiers’ ideology and psychology. Well implement the Regulation on Grassroots Democracy, effectively promote cultural institutions, entertainment activities, culture, arts, physical training and sports during breaks, holidays, etc. to create a democratic, frank and open atmosphere for soldiers to express their thoughts, feelings and aspirations, as well as difficulties and problems. Regularly coordinate closely with the authorities, local mass organisations and families to educate, grasp and closely manage the ideology and social relationships of soldiers; proactively forecast, warn and effectively prevent cases of violation of law, discipline, insecurity, be active in preventing social evils from penetrating into the units.

Along with that, agencies and units actively review, supplement and promulgate a system of plans, guidelines and specific regulations on regularity building and discipline management in accordance with the military training requirements; strictly maintain daily/weekly orders and regimes, soldiers’ behaviours, working responsibilities and actions. Strengthen measures to strictly manage the activities of military personnel, both during and after working hours; promote the responsibilities of the Steering Committee 50 of the Regiment; strictly maintain patrol and military control to ensure the safety of people, facilities, weapons, technical equipment, especially vehicles participating in traffic. In the case of violations, strictly punish soldiers based on the process and regulations; review, clearly identify the causes and responsibilities of individuals to ensure the fairness in treating soldiers’ violations, not to cover or conceal shortcomings. At the same time, proactively do well in ideological work, stabilise the units, create conditions for soldiers who have committed violations to strive, overcome and correct shortcomings.

With synchronous and effective solutions, the Regiment has made several positive changes in management and education of law and discipline, regularity building and safety assurance; the soldiers’ sense of law and discipline observance has been significantly improved. Since 2020, the Regiment has been absolutely safe with no serious incidents. The normal discipline violation rate has decreased to less than 0.2%. The Regiment has always been the leading unit in the Emulation Movement of the Division. This is an important basis and premise for building the Regiment to be comprehensively strong, "exemplary and typical" with high quality, powerful combat strength, ready to take and successfully accomplish all assigned tasks.

Lieutenant Colonel LE HONG BINH, Regiment Commander