Implementing the policy on building the Signal Corps straight to modernity, and the Strategy on developing the system of military communication in the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2045, in recent years, Signal Brigade 134 has strengthened its organisation and staff; received, exploited and used many new-gen and modern vehicles and equipment such as the photoconductivity devices using DWDM, Vibe, Vsat, Trunking technology, the digital e-switchboards, softswitch devices, etc. This is a favourite condition for the Brigade to improve the quality of communication support, but also makes many difficulties and challenges for the Brigade because its task of support is large and covers many groups and posts being stationed dispersedly in remote areas; the Brigade has both managed and used the old equipment systems, and exploited and mastered the new and complicated ones. Meanwhile, the skills and competence of cadres and technicians have not always caught up with the development of technology and the tasks. In this situation, in order to maintain the “blood vessel” of thorough and stable communication, the Brigade’s Party Committee and Command have intensely led and directed the synchronous implementation of solutions, aiming to execute the target of good training and high combat readiness.

Communication assurance in the PT-23 Exercise

To reach this target, at first, the Brigade has enhanced the grasp and education to improve the cadres’ and soldiers’ awareness and responsibility for the tasks of training and combat readiness. Communication support requires being on regular, constant and stressful duties with many serious demands, a time of neglect and distraction could lead to unexpected results. Therefore, the Brigade has directed offices and units to grasp and educate soldiers to fully understand the resolutions, directions and instructions on training and combat readiness; focusing on Resolution No. 482-NQ/ĐU, dated 30 March 2023 by the Corps’ Party Committee on improving the training quality in the 2023-2030 period and the following years; orders and commands on training and combat readiness by the Corps’ Commander; features, tasks and traditions of the Brigade. To gain high effectiveness, the Brigade has directed offices and units to flexibly apply the grasping forms and methods; combine the direct grasp and education by the all-level commanders with the online platforms through the television systems, the Corps’ electronic portal and the Brigade’s website. Together, the Brigade has intensely brought into play the exemplary roles of the contingent of all-level managerial cadres, combined with the promotion of models of “exemplary duty shifts”, “4-good communication stations following Uncle Ho’s teachings”. Besides, the Brigade has made adequate concern on policies and lives for cadres, staff and soldiers. As a result, 100% cadres and soldiers have had the stable political spirit, made the good determination, felt secure in working, and never lost their consistence and vigilance. In the political test of the Brigade in the 2019-2024 period, 100% cadres passed, 75% of whom were rated good and excellent.

Together with the education, the Brigade has paid attention to leading and directing the quality improvement of training. As the Brigade has had many training majors and different trainees who have been attending the training while doing their tasks; to gain good results, the Brigade has directed offices and units to strictly follow the on-duty task and assure the regular communication of each training major in order to build the suitable training plans and schedules, at the same time, pay attention to preparing the training materials, building and repairing the learning aids, models and training grounds; directed offices to research and build the training contents closely with the real conditions, the features of technical equipment and the activities of routes, stations, etc. In recent years, the Brigade has intensely led and directed the renovation of training and exercising contents, organisation and methods, making them suitable with the changes of tasks and situations; taken the technical and professional trainings as the centre, the further trainings to improve the skills and competence for cadres as the core. Accordingly, for cadres, it is necessary to focus on training the information technology, specialised techniques and tactics, the staff work of combat and training, foreign languages; improving the capability of command, operation and exploitation to assure the thorough communication and television in all situations. For technical staff, it needs to pay attention to training how to exploit, master and fully bring into play the technical functions of the existing equipment and facilities, especially the new and modern ones, making sure that each person has high level of professional expertise and can undertake from 2 to 3 other positions. For training units, it is necessary to enhance the training on connecting and combining communication vehicles and means; moving, deploying and retreating the radio stations in the conditions of night, divided terrains, complex weather and natural disasters; improve the skill of deciphering secret codes, receiving and transmitting Morse code, the ability of counteracting the electronic and cyber warfare; further train the experience of dealing with situations of far-distance driving in sloping and dark terrains for driving crews and drivers, the plans on building the command post; enhance the physical training, the survival skills in the condition of long-time combat or being isolated in areas which are remote and heavily-ravaged by natural disasters, etc.

Night training on VSAT deployment

Along with this, the Brigade has required offices and units to strictly follow the “basic, practical, solid” training motto, and implement the policy of “the whole Corps learning”, highly evaluate the synchronous, in-depth and situational training, at the same time, closely combine the traditional training with the modern one, focus on new contents of photoconductivity techniques, satellite communication and television, and IP data transmission, assuring that cadres, staff and soldiers are “good at traditional communication, highly-skilled at mobile communication, and mastering the high-tech communication”. It has intensely updated and disseminated the experience of operating the systems of communication and network management, included the issues from The International Army Games and other recent military conflicts into the training. Television communication is a new and difficult content, of which the Brigade’s cadres and workers have not been basically trained, and the facilities and equipment have not been synchronously installed. Therefore, together with choosing cadres and staff who are skillful and able to attend the technology transferring classes held by the seniors, it has encouraged cadres and staff to carry out self-study and self-research in order to quickly exploit and master the mobile television while doing the tasks, at the same time, actively research and learn from experience of operating the mobile television to make a record of situations and problems as training material for internal training. Together with preparing the contents, the Brigade has paid attention to renewing the training methods, intensely combining the regular training with appointing cadres to conduct direct training; training through the system of online television for groups and stations in remote areas; strictly maintaining the order and regulation of inspection, contests and competitions at all levels, etc. Hence, the training results of the Brigade have been significantly improved; soldiers have been able to use all equipped facilities and materials. It has won prizes in contests and competitions held by higher echelons.

Along with that, the Brigade has directed offices and units to strictly maintain the on-duty regulation at all levels; mobilise all commanders, forces and vehicles in peak time including holidays, Tet, and great political events of the country. Closely following the orders, directions and instructions by the Ministry of National Defence and the Corps on combat readiness and communication support. Every month, the Brigade firmly holds the situations, checks, adjusts and completes the system of combat documents and plans of coordinating with other related forces. On that basis, it has strengthened the mobile communication groups and teams in the “highly-skilled and multi-functional” way, being ready to solve any situations of communication.

One of the challenges for the Brigade is to manage and exploit a variety of equipment and facilities, including old, new, nonsynchronous, even downgraded and damaged ones. To well support the tasks of training and combat readiness, it has frequently paid attention to technical support and improving the quality, stability and solidity of the communication system. It requires the serious adherence to the regulations of technical work, storage, maintenance, repairs and extension of the communication equipment and facilities; promoting the Campaign on “Managing, exploiting and using weapons and technical equipment effectively, sustainably, safely, economically, and traffic safety”; enhancing the training for technical cadres and staff, focusing on their skills of dealing with problems, repairing the existing and new equipment, especially for the mobile groups of technical maintenance, assuring that they are able to do their tasks independently in each assigned area, quickly solve any arising problems, and maintain the stability for the whole route; encouraging cadres and soldiers to actively make technical research, initiatives on training and assuring the communication; maintaining the technical condition of vehicles in transporting and receiving reports and documents, and joining the traffic.

With the drastic and synchronous solutions, for the past 5 years, the Brigade has successfully accomplished the task of assuring the regular communication and that of combat readiness; maintained the thorough and solid system of communication with the rate of successful contact reaching over 99.8%; coordinated with other offices and units to assist the leaders and offices of the Ministry of National Defence and military regions in their leading, commanding and directing the tasks of military and defence affairs, solving the situations of natural disasters, storms, floods, rescues, etc., which has been highly praised and appreciated by the Ministry and local offices and units. This is an important foundation for the Brigade to continually improve its overall quality and combat readiness ability; maintain the “blood vessel” of “timely, accurate, secret and safe” communication, meeting the gradually higher demands for the task of building the Army and safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation.

Sr. Col. NGUYEN QUANG TRUY,  Brigade Commander