50 years ago, facing the requirements of the resistance war against the U.S invaders, on 19 March 1967, the Special Force (SP) was officially founded. At that historical moment, President Ho Chi Minh gave instruction to the Corps that: “Special Force is in charge of special tasks with a special honor, hence needs special effort” to successfully accomplish its special mission. Over the past 50 years of establishment, combating, and development, under the leadership of the Party, directly the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense, officers and soldiers of the Corps have always shown their solidarity and unification, determined to surmount all the challenges, hardships to outstandingly accomplish their mission in each revolutionary period.

In the resistance war against the French colonialists, though the Corps was not founded, the secret, surprising attacks of special troops on the enemy’s installations and critical military bases deep within their rear made them terrified, contributing significantly to the glorious victory of our nation. In the historic struggle against the U.S. invaders, the Corps saw its unceasing growth in both mobile and on-spot forces and employed the clever and daring fighting tactics with cunning fights. Remarkably, though limited in strength, the SP troops were active in a variety of terrains, including ground, aquatic and urban targets, etc with both independent and collaborative operations, contributing greatly to the liberation of the South and the unification of the country.

Entering the period of Homeland construction and defense, the Corps has focused on its force restructuring and the improvement of its overall quality, the special fighting tactics and skills in accordance with new conditions. In recent years, in order to meet new requirements, the Corps has actively and synchronously implemented a number of guidelines and measures to make it an all round “elite” force; enhanced its training quality; effectively conducted the Project on “Modernizing the anti-terrorism force Armywide”. Besides, it has actively studied to grasp situations on focal directions and areas; timely supplemented and adjusted its force positioning posture and combat plans; improved its art of fighting. With exceptionally outstanding achievements, the Corps has been awarded two Hero of the Armed Forces Orders, and one Gold Star Medal – the most honorable reward of our Party and State.

Mjr Gen Do Thanh Binh in a meeting with Special Force veterans

In the coming time, the Special Force will continue to uphold its glorious tradition and build the Corps strong, meeting requirements of the new situation, focusing on the following points:

First, building the Corps politically steadfast, considering this the foundation for the improvement of its overall quality and combat strength. This is both a principle and a decisive factor to the accomplishment of its political task. Fully aware of this, its Party Committee and High Command have agreed on the guideline to foster renovation and enhancement of the work of political and ideological education for officers and soldiers, focusing on the Project of “Renewing political education at units in the new period”. Together with the education on Marxism – Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought, and the heroic tradition of the force, the Corps has directed its agencies and units to thoroughly brief and seriously implement the viewpoints and military and defense guiding lines which have been stated in the Resolution of the 12^th National Party Congress, the Central Resolution 8 (11^th tenure) on the Homeland defense strategy in the new situation; the Resolution of the 10^th Military Party Congress. Thereby, its officers’ and soldiers’  situational and mission awareness has been improved. They have correct understanding of the opponents, partners, as well as plots and schemes of “peaceful evolution”, and riots of hostile forces; the position, roles, and challenges that special troops face in the new circumstance.

Besides, the Corps’ Party Committee and High Command nonstoppingly pay attention to building and enhancing their leadership capability and the combativeness of party organizations in light of the 4^th Central Resolution (12^th tenure) on Party building and rectification. In particular, attention is paid to the consolidation and perfection of party organization, party committees at all levels and the staff of cadres in charge to meet new requirements and mission.

The improvement of education and training efficiency is a matter of primary importance in the enhancement of the Corps’ combat strength. On grasping and seriously implementing resolutions and directives of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense, the Corps focuses on leading and managing its junior agencies and units to stick to the guideline of “basic, essential, and firm” in training, attach importance to the synchronous and in-depth training for all objects. Accordingly, together with positive renewals in all stages, the Corps also pays attention to the renewals in training contents and methods in which priority is given to new plans and tactics of fighting for each force; the mastery of new weaponry and equipment; the personal and group skills and tactics for its ground, water and urban forces, etc.

Regarding education and training, it is necessary to adhere to the guideline of “basic, systematic, unified, and specialized”. On this basis, the Corps has actively renewed the contents, programs and teaching – learning methods towards the direction of increasing the time and content of specialized training and practice, accelerating the building of regular and model schools; paid attention to the training towards the direction of standardization and modernization, meeting the requirements and mission.

In addition, the Corps has always attached importance to the mission of combat readiness, not to let themselves be passive in any situation. In the coming time, units should continue to enhance the quality of study to grasp situation in focal directions and areas; strictly maintain practicing, exercising and combat readiness principles; strengthening operations in recce, information, cipher, and IT fields, etc to meet the requirements and mission in any situation.

First and foremost, units should actively prepare forces and vehicles in accordance with the approved plans for the protection of major events of the country, particularly the activities of the APEC – 2017.

Enhancing the quality of logistics and technical works, meeting the requirement and mission of the Corps in the new situation. Together with the preparation of materials and equipment for the tasks of training, exercise, combat readiness, units should pay attention to the logistics support for other tasks as diverse as A2, anti-terrorism, sea and island sovereignty protection, and other contingency situations.

As for the technical support, the Corps directs its units to adhere to orders on technical work of the Ministry of National Defense and the Corps Commander, ensuring the sufficient, on time, synchronous and quality supply of weapons and technical equipment for its tasks, including the Project “Modernizing the anti-terrorism force Armywide”. Continuing to improve the capability of the maintenance stations in both personnel and equipment. Actively coordinating with both military and civilian institutes to meet the needs of purchasing, improving, repairing, gradually synchronizing, and modernizing weapons and equipment, particularly specialized ones, contributing to enhancing the overall quality and combat strength, deserving the Corps’ 50-year tradition of “Extraordinarily seasoned; superheroic; daringly clever; cunning fights to get great victory”.

Major General Do Thanh Binh

Commander of the Corps