Functioning as a campaign advisory body and a command center for operational cooperation and implementation of regular and irregular missions in key areas of national defense and security, over the past years, the Staff Office (hereinafter as the Office) of the 7^th Military Region has continuously improved its overall quality and advisory and combat skills and taken initiative in cooperating, advising and recommending the Region’s Party Committee and Military Command in major tasks, and guiding local agencies and units to successfully accomplish local defense and military work. Moreover, on the basis of specific conditions of the area and requirements of the assigned tasks, the Office has been creative in studying the situation and advising and proposing to improve the quality of training, combat readiness, and construction of comprehensively strong units to well accomplish all regular and irregular tasks, among which several tasks have been fulfilled with excellent achievements. However, the units are based in large and mostly urban areas which are interleaved among industrial zones with high traffic density. Specially, a number of small contingents and troops have to operate independently under the impact of negative social problems. Such situation has been challenging the Office  with numerous urgent issues. Therefore, in order to well complete all assigned political tasks and implement the work of construction a comprehensively strong agencies and units, the Office’s Party Committee and commanders have considered "promoting the regular and standard construction" as a central and long-term task.

Major General Le Buu Tuan checks the prepapration for training at Gia Dinh Regiment

First of all, the Office’s Party Committee and commanders have focused on raising awareness and sense of responsibility of officials and soldiers on regular construction and discipline training. This content plays an essential role as a basis and foundation in the regular construction and discipline training of the Military Region in general and the Office in particular. The Office, therefore, has directed the units to strengthen the work of political and ideological education to make every officer and soldier aware of the position, role, and necessity of the regular construction and discipline training to improve the overall quality and combat strength in each agency and unit. In order to comprehensively and firmly implement the  work with practical effect, the Office has requested the Party committees and commanders of agencies and units to thoroughly grasp the resolutions and directives of the Central Military Commission, Ministry of Defense, and the 7^th Military Region and the superior’s guidance on regular construction and discipline training. The focus has been put on Directive No.37-CT/ĐUQSTW issued by the Standing Committee of the Central Military Party Committee (now the Central Military Commission), Directive No.04/CT-BQP dated February 9^th, 2012 by the Ministry of Defense on "Strengthening the management and discipline compliance education to prevent breaches of law and serious disciplinary violations in the Vietnamese People's Army", and Directive No.333/CT-BTL issued on March 23^rd, 2010 by the Region’s Military Command on "Strengthening measures for the management and maintenance of daily and weekly regular regimes and administration of technical equipment in agencies and units ".

At the same time, the Office has also strictly maintained the studying and meeting regimes, especially "Political and Cultural Day" and "Legal Day" at the grassroots unit. The work of soldier ideological education and management and discipline management has been associated with the implementation of Directive No.05-CT/TW issued by the Politburo (12^th tenure) on the promotion of learning and following of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics, and style and the Campaign of "Promoting tradition and dedicating talent to be worthy of the Uncle Ho’s Soldiers." Due attention has been paid to the material and spiritual life and construction of a healthy cultural environment for the soldiers to create peace of mind and raise the sense of responsibility and self-discipline in strict compliance with the State law, the Army discipline, and regulations of the agencies and units.

In addition to the work of grasping, educating and raising the awareness of the soldiers, the Office’s Party Committee and the commanders have direct the agencies and units to attach importance to promoting the role of their Party committees and commanders, especially the vanguard and exemplary role of cadres, party members, and mass organizations in implementing regular construction and discipline maintenance. Accordingly, functional agencies under the Office have closely monitored the discipline compliance and specific situation of the units and developed and implemented programs and plans on regulation construction and discipline management and training in a comprehensive and effective manner. Concurrently, the units have been instructed in accelerating the reform of military administration, formulating working regulations, and strictly implementing the unified regular regimes and discipline management and training. In the course of organization of implementation, the agencies and units have strictly observed the regime and order of legal dissemination and education for the officers and soldiers. They have also fully implemented the contents of training on commanding protocol and soldier management regulations and actively consolidated and renewed the propagation banners and signs towards "unification in each agency and unit". Particularly, the Office has regularly coordinated with the Department of Politics in propagating and orienting soldiers against situation development, especially the struggle against improper and hostile views for "depoliticization" and "civilization" of the Army and promotion of "self-evolving" and "self-transformation" within the armed forces, which has contributed to raising awareness of cadres, officers, warrant officers, defense workers and servants, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers.

Troops of the Commando Battalion 60 practicing martial-art

To promptly draw experience, find good and effective methods, and create a positive, uniform, and solid change in regular construction and discipline training within the entire Unit, the Office has attached importance to building pilot unit and replicating advanced examples, of which focus has been put on the central contents of the breakthrough stages and weak points and shortcomings in discipline compliance of agencies and units. To be effective, the Office has set high requirements for each block of agencies and units but still suitable for each object and task. Annually, the Office, thereby, has selected model agencies or units for comprehensive construction, regular construction, discipline training, or cultural environment construction. Meanwhile, the work of leadership, direction, inspection, and assistance has been enhanced with priority given to creating favorable conditions in term of facilities so that agencies and units could perform their tasks with high results. Attention has also been paid to the work of briefing, summarizing, and experiences exchange to bring into full play the advantages, clearly identify and absolutely overcome the limitations and shortcomings, as well as praise, reward, and encourage active elements and exemplary individuals. Improper manifestations and discipline violations have been resolutely handled, which has contributed to improving the quality and efficiency of regular construction and discipline, management and training.

Besides, the Party Committee and commanders of the Office have always paid much attention to ensuring the material and spiritual life of officials and soldiers, strictly implementing the Grassroots Democracy Regime, harmonizing relations between superiors and subordinates and between officers and soldiers, and strengthening civil - military solidarity and consensus among agencies and units. Therefore, a favorable environment has been created to maintain regimes and regulations. Moreover, the regular construction, discipline training, and patterns of words and actions of officers and soldiers have been increasingly positive. So far, within the entire Agency, there have been no serious cases of violation, while common violation rate has fallen to below 0.2%. The Unit has been completely safe. In 2017, summing up the Emulation Movement, the office has been conferred with the Flag by Ministry of Defense. There were seven units rewarded with the Certificate of Merit by the Military Region in addition to fourteen units winning the title of Determination-to-Win Unit and several rewarded typical advanced individuals.

Through numerous synchronous, creative, and suitable policies and measures, the promotion of regular and model construction at the 7^th Military Region’s Staff Office has brought about practical results. To bring into full play the achieved results and experience, the Office will continue to attach great importance to this work to contribute to building a clean and strong Party Committee and an all strong Agency to meet the requirements of the task on strengthening national defense and defending the Motherland in the new situation.

Major General Le Buu Tuan, Deputy Commander, Chief of Staff of the 7^th Military Region