Transport Brigade 653 under Military Region 3 is primarily responsible for ensuring campaign-level transportation for the armed forces of the Military Region and executing assigned tasks under newly restructuring conditions, with fluctuations in organisational structure and troop numbers, dispersed operation over wide and complex terrains, including sea, river and road routes, posing significant safety risks. Meanwhile, many transport vehicles and vessels have been in service for years, suffering from degradation and low synchronisation; the weather and climate are becoming unpredictable, etc. In response to these realities, the Party Committee and Command of the Brigade have focused on leading and directing efforts to strengthen legal education and management, raising awareness of strict compliance with government laws, military discipline and ensuring safety, considering this a regular task and an important breakthrough to drive comprehensive transformation in the ideology, awareness, and actions of cadres and soldiers, creating a combined strength and successfully fulfilling all assigned tasks.

An exchange on legal obedience among the youth of the Brigade

First and foremost, the Party Committee and the Brigade Command prioritise enhancing the role and responsibility of party committees and commanders at all levels in legal education, discipline management, and safety assurance. Practical experience has shown that in most violations of laws, discipline, and safety incidents that have occurred recently within the armed forces in general, and the brigade in particular, the main causes stem from laxity and lack of responsibility in leadership, direction and management of commanders at all levels. Therefore, effectively implementing this content and method is crucial to improving the quality and effectiveness of legal education, discipline management, and safety assurance in each agency and unit. Thoroughly grasping the resolutions, directives, documents, and guidelines from higher authorities on legal education, discipline management, and safety assurance, particularly Directive No. 130-CT/ĐU, dated 1 July 2021, issued by the Standing Committee of the Party Committee of Military Region 3 regarding strengthening the leadership of party committees at all levels in executing military discipline and government laws in the armed forces of the Military Region, Party committees and organisations within the Brigade’s Party Committee have issued specialised resolutions on this work with practical content, targets, and measures tailored to the specific characteristics, requirements, and mission of each agency and unit, considering this a breakthrough effort, a key focus that is both urgent and fundamentally long-term. During the implementation process, the Brigade consistently promotes the role and responsibility of key leading cadres at all levels, establishes a system of regulations, rules, and guidelines on regularity building, compliance with laws and military discipline, and safety assurance in training, combat readiness, transportation,… while ensures that cadres, soldiers, and officers commit to unified implementation. On that basis, the brigade has synchronously implemented educational measures; strengthened management, strictly adhered to laws and military discipline, ensured safety, associated with promoting the study and implementation of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics, and style, the Emulation movement for determined victory, the Grassroots Democracy Regulations, and many other campaigns, especially the campaign to “Promote traditions, dedicate talent, and uphold the honour of Uncle Ho’s Soldiers in the new era”. The brigade regularly conducts preliminary and final reviews, draws lessons, and evaluates leadership effectiveness, promptly updates content and measures to address weaknesses in discipline management and safety assurance within its agencies and units. To enhance effectiveness, the brigade requires cadres at all levels, especially those directly managing and commanding in each agency and unit, to promote their roles, responsibilities, flexibility, and creativity in conducting legal education, maintaining the unit’s compliance with regulations, training discipline, and ensuring safety. At the same time, the brigade promotes the responsibility of being exemplary in words and actions in compliance with the law and discipline, implementing the principles of “leaders setting example for subordinates”, “words go with actions”, and “work effectively” to inspire and guide soldiers. Strengthen inspection, supervision, assignment, division of tasks and assign specific responsibilities of Party committees and commanders, particularly key leaders at all levels with the work of legal education, management of troops in compliance with government laws, military discipline, unit regulations, and safety assurance; preventing lax management and maintaining discipline, particularly forces performing small-scale tasks, units stationed independently and dispersed from the command centre.

A check to maintain traffic safety

The brigade focuses on closely combining legal education and dissemination with political education to bring about a fundamental shift in awareness and responsibility among cadres and soldiers regarding law compliance, discipline enforcement, and safety assurance. To achieve this, the brigade requires all units to complete 100% of the political education and legal education content according to the general programme. At the same time, it actively promotes the dissemination and education of laws, legal documents related to military affairs, national defence, road and waterway traffic safety, as well as directives, guidelines, and regulations from higher authorities on discipline management, regular order building, and safety assurance. In particular, emphasis has been put on key documents, such as: Directive No. 35/CT-TTg, dated 17 September 2024 of the Prime Minister on addressing disciplinary measures for cadres, civil servants, public employees, and soldiers who violate traffic laws by driving vehicles with alcohol concentration in blood or breath, refusing to cooperate with law enforcement in handling violations; Directive No. 83/CT-BQP, dated 1 October 2024 of the Minister of National Defence on strengthening the work of violation and crime prevention within the military; Directive No. 103/CT-BQP, dated 28 November 2019 of the Ministry of National Defence on continuing to strengthen management, education on discipline compliance and ensuring safety in the Vietnam People’s Army, etc.

To overcome rigidity, increase attractiveness, persuasiveness, and achieve practical effectiveness, agencies and units actively innovate and diversify forms and methods of political education, legal education, propaganda, and dissemination. Proactively develop and train a team of political instructors, reporters, and legal propagandists with good qualities and abilities to meet mission requirements; thereby conducting political education, legal education, propaganda, and dissemination close to the reality of agencies, units, and suitable for the perception of the target audience. At the same time, closely coordinate with the judicial agencies of the Military Region to disseminate and educate soldiers. During the implementation process, the brigade focuses on organising extensive political activities to unify awareness, provide ideological guidance, and build a sense of responsibility, ensuring that 100% of cadres and soldiers are highly determined to strictly comply with laws, military discipline, internal rules, and regulations of the unit and ensure safety. Following the policy of “softening” legal education and dissemination activities, the brigade maximises the effectiveness of internal broadcasting systems, banners, slogans, bulletin boards, photo boards, and legal bookcases; organising talk shows, discussion forums, legal knowledge competitions; executing combat readiness missions, transportation operations, disaster prevention and response, search and rescue missions, as well as daily activities and work routines of soldiers. The Brigade regularly maintains the routine of Law Day activities, with various models, such as: “Legal and Psychological Counseling Groups”, “One Legal Question Per Day”, “One Law Per Week”, “Youth Union: Four Goods, One Discipline” and participates in the annual “Occupational Safety and Health Action Month”. Proactively disseminates information on violations of laws, discipline, and safety assurance occurring within the military and the Military Region, enabling promptly drawing lessons and raising awareness of legal compliance among soldiers. Thereby, the brigade equipped comprehensive legal knowledge, creating unity of thought, perception and action, building awareness and a habit of strictly complying with government laws, military regulations, unit policies for officers and soldiers, ensuring absolute safety in all activities, especially in traffic participation and transportation tasks.

Strengthening troop management in conjunction with maintaining strict compliance with regulations and prescribed routines is a key content and measure that the Brigade regularly leads and directs to improve quality, effectiveness, and ensure stable compliance with laws, military discipline, and safety regulations. In troop management, the Brigade requires units to closely monitor the ideological developments of each soldier, particularly during rest hours and on days off. Promote the role of functional agencies and actions of mass organisations, Military Council, “Groups of three”, “Groups of civil soldiers”, “Groups of security soldiers” to manage internal politics; coordinate with local authorities and families to monitor soldiers’ social relationships, promptly detect any unhealthy influences or potentially problematic interactions. By means of these measures, the Brigade proactively forecasts, warns, and implements screening and control measures to flexibly address emerging challenges; promptly and effectively prevent violations of law, discipline, insecurity, avoid passivity, surprise, and negative social influences to penetrate into the unit.

Agencies and units strictly maintain regulations, effectively implement daily and weekly routines, Political and Spiritual Culture Days; strictly observe military etiquette and manners, work according to assigned duties, and act in accordance with regulations. Strengthen management and assurance measures in all activities of the soldiers, especially in transport missions involving materials and personnel, commanders at all levels must educate troops to strictly comply with safety regulations, organise strict command, assign specific tasks before performing, and ensure the safety of personnel, vehicles, and equipment throughout the transport process. In cases involving traffic safety incidents, unit and agency commanders must grasp the situation, promptly report according to hierarchy, and organise strict and timely handling following proper procedures and regulations, without cover-ups or concealment. During the implementation process, it is necessary to investigate and clarify the causes, handle them according to hierarchy, organise timely reviews to draw lessons; closely combine education and persuasion with administrative measures, prioritising education and persuasion. At the same time, proactively carry out ideological work, stabilise the unit’s situation, and prevent complications from arising.

With comprehensive and effective solutions, despite being newly reorganised, the brigade has seen positive changes in legal education, discipline management, and safety assurance, and the soldiers’ awareness of law and discipline compliance has improved. In 2024, the brigade had no serious incidents, regular discipline decreased, and safety is ensured in all assigned tasks, earning the title of “Determined to win Unit” from the Military Region. This serves as a crucial foundation and premise for building the brigade into a transport unit that is “Regular, safe, and efficient”, always ready to receive and successfully accomplish all assigned missions.

Senior Colonel VU CHI NINH, Political Commissar of the Brigade