Infantry Regiment 209, formerly known as Regiment 112, under Division 312, Corps 1, was established on September 2, 194. With the illustrious Lo River victory, it was awarded the title “Lo River Regiment” by President Ho Chi Minh when it was less than a year old.

Being founded in the early days of the resistance war against the French colonialists, the regiment conducted both fighting and and force development to become one of the first main regiments of our Army. After 75 years of establishment, combat, and development, generations of officers and soldiers of the Regiment have always stayed united, overcome difficulties, hardships and sacrifices to achieve resounding victories. What special was that the victories of the Regiment were always related with important and outstanding campaigns, marking the maturity and growth of the Vietnam People's Army, such as: Viet Bac Autumn - Winter in 1947, Border in 1950, Dien Bien Phu in 1954, Plain of Jars - Xiangkhouang in 1972,... and the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975, as well as outstanding achievements during the period of national construction and defence, contributing to embellishing the tradition of “Unity, heroism, victory”. With its outstanding feats and achievements in fighting, building and defending the Fatherland, the Regiment was honoured with the title Heroic Unit of the People's Armed Forces and many noble rewards by the State.

At present, the Regiment is a fully-staffed unit and tasked with training, combat readiness and other ad hoc duties as assigned. In recent years, although the Covid-19 pandemic happened complicatedly, and the regiment is prone to negative sides of the market mechanism as it is stationed in urban areas, the Party Committee and commanders of the Regiment have always been proactive in dealing with the difficulties, synchronously implemented guidelines and solutions to improve the quality of all aspects of work, in which, the building of an all-strong, “exemplary and typical’ unit is often focused and has achieved many positive results. From this practice, some lessons have been drawn as follow:

First of all, it focuses on building its agencies and units strong in politics and ideology as a ground for building an all-strong, “exemplary and typical” unit. To make its troops dedicated and committed to their tasks, the Party Committee and commanders of the Regiment require its agencies and units to focus on political education, ideological orientation, task briefing to raise awareness, responsibility, and self-reliance for cadres and soldiers. Educational contents are comprehensive but focus on the Party's military and defence viewpoints and lines; the task of defending the Fatherland in the new situation; tradition of the Army, the Corps and the Regiment; conspiracies and tricks of “peaceful evolution” of hostile forces; the situations of political security, social order and safety in the area where it is stationed, especially, the criteria, requirements, contents and measures to build an all-strong, “exemplary and typical” unit, ... as a basis for performing tasks.

Political education at the Regiment

In addition to political education, the Regiment regularly pays attention to consolidating and improving the leadership capacity and combat strength of Party committees and organisations at all levels; building typical, clean and strong Party committees and cells at all levels in tandem with building all-strong “exemplary and typical” agencies and units; promptly detects, prevents, and resolutely fights against negative manifestations to purify its staff. Besides, it regularly briefs and effectively implements Conclusion No. 01-KL/TW, dated May 18, 2021 of the Politburo on continuing to implement Directive No. 05-CT/TW on promoting learning and following Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality, and style in tandem with the implementation of the Determine to win emulation movements; timely commends typical groups and individuals with outstanding achievements to motivate the others. As a result, in recent years, the Regiment's Party Committee has always successfully completed its tasks; 100% of results of political awareness tests are satisfactory, in which 83.5% are good and excellent. All of its troops are satisfied, dedicated, and committed to their work.

In order to create synergy to meet the requirements and tasks, the Regiment focuses on improving the quality of training and the level of combat readiness. Thoroughly grasping the Resolution No. 449-NQ/DU, dated March 9, 2013 of the Party Committee of the Corps, Resolution No. 258-NQ/DU, dated May 6, 2013 of the Party Committee of the Division on “Improving the quality of training for the period between 2013 and 2020 and beyond” and the directives, plans and instructions of higher echelons, every year, the Regiment Party Committee issues a thematic resolution on leading the training tasks with specific targets, requirements, contents, measures, and breakthroughs that are scientific and suitable to the characteristics and tasks of the unit. In order to make training effective, it combines structure consolidation with training and retraining to improve the qualifications and training methods for its staff; makes careful preparation and supplies sufficient facilities. Besides, it promotes the research and application of initiatives on improving training tools in order to reduce the cost and labour of troops, while still improving the quality of training. Moreover, it actively coordinates with local party committee and authority to prepare enough ground for training and drill to make it relevant to real war conditions.

In training, its units always stick to the motto of “basic, practical, thorough”; attach importance to synchronous and intensive training for troops. Every year, the Regiment conducts training with full content and time according to the program and plan, focusing on night training, field-training, and weaponry training. At the end of each training stage and topic, it holds tests, contests, sports festivals, and drills that are relevant to reality, and suitable to situations and combat plans. 100% of annual testing results are satisfactory, in which 82.5% are good and excellent.

In addition, the Regiment strictly maintains the regime and routine of combat readiness; regularly reviews, supplements and promptly adjusts the system of documents and combat plans close to requirements and tasks, and conducts training thoroughly as required. Besides, it actively participates in and successfully accomplishes the tasks of preventing, combating and overcoming consequences of natural disasters, search and rescue, which was highly appreciated by the Division and local Party committees, authorities and people.

Moreover, the Regiment attaches great importance to the work of regularity construction, discipline training and always considers it an important breakthrough for the building of all-strong, “exemplary and typical” agencies and units. Accordingly, it focuses on investing in building and strengthening “bright, green, clean and scenic” units. Its barracks are regularly reinforced, renovated and synchronised. All of its staff are required to work according to their responsibilities, and act according to orders. Superiors are required to set examples for subordinates, agencies are required to set examples for units, and officers are required to set examples for soldiers. Cadres and commanders at all levels observe the State law, Army discipline, and regimes and regulations of the unit very strictly. All cases of violations are firmly grasped and promptly and effectively handled in accordance with regulations. Agencies and units associate regularity construction and discipline training with building a clean and healthy cultural environment, promoting the spirit of democracy, solidarity, and self-disciplining. As a result, in recent years, it has witnessed positive and steady changes in regularity construction and discipline training. The regiment is secured in all aspects.

In addition to the above solutions, the Regiment focused on ensuring good logistics and technical supply for tasks. Its agencies and units regularly adjust, supplement and renew material reserves, logistical equipment for tasks. Priorities are given to combat readiness, training and maneuvering tasks; the emulation movement “Military logistics branch follows Uncle Ho's teachings” is promoted in tandem with agricultural production, etc., contributing to the improvement of troops’ rations. For technical assurance, the Regiment strictly implements the Campaign of "Good, durable, safe and economical management and exploitation of weapon and technical equipment and traffic safety”, strictly manage the quantity and quality of weapon and technical equipment, ensure absolute safety without damage, loss, fire or explosion. Besides, it combines fostering and improving the qualifications and capacity of professional and technical staff with promoting research and application of technical initiatives and improvement to meet requirements and tasks. Since 2013 to date, it has recorded 162 technical initiatives and improvements, a number of which were appreciated by agencies of the Ministry of National Defence and the Corps, and have been replicated throughout the Army.

Upholding the tradition of the Heroic Unit, generations of officers and soldiers of Infantry Regiment 209 will continue to strive to further improve the quality of building an all-strong, “exemplary and typical” unit, contributing to the successful completion of all missions.

Colonel VU XUAN MANH, Regiment Commander