Fully aware of its role and mission requirements in the new phase, Commando Brigade 126 has upheld the traditions of a Heroic unit of the people's armed forces, decisively and comprehensively implementing solutions to build itself “particularly elite and modern”, contributing together with other forces to firmly protect the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland's seas and islands.

In order to reinforce the Southern battlefields with special forces, especially in the river and sea theatres, meeting the development of the resistance war, on 13 April 1966, the Ministry of National Defence decided to establish the Commando Training Unit, coded Unit 126, under the Naval Command - the predecessor of the Commando Brigade 126 today.

Immediately after its inception, officers and soldiers of the Brigade demonstrated unity and cohesion. They actively surmounted difficulties, regardless of sacrifice and hardship, displayed “exceptional bravery, ingenuity, boldness”, participated in combat on the North Quang Tri battlefield, and achieved exceptionally outstanding feats. In addition, it conducted training and promptly provided over 5,000 elite naval commando officers and soldiers to the Southern battlefields. In the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, its officers and soldiers closely coordinated with the naval squadron of Brigade 125 of the Navy, and the armed forces of Military Region 5, swiftly, boldly, secretly, and unexpectedly attacked and liberated parts of the Truong Sa Islands, contributing to the great victory of the nation.

Brigade leader checks technical status before task performance

After the national reunification, the officers and soldiers of the Brigade continued to participate in combat to protect the southwestern border and implemented international missions in Cambodia, maintain and protect the sea and islands of the Truong Sa Islands and the southern exclusive economic zone. In recent years, besides successfully carrying out the tasks of training, combat readiness, and building all-strong, “exemplary, typical” and “exceptionally elite” unit in the new era, it also participates in the tasks of undersurface UXO clearance, environmental incident handling, disaster relief, search and rescue at sea, on rivers and lakes, and other ad hoc duties, contributing to enriching the glorious tradition of Uncle Ho’s Soldiers. For all of its achievements, the Brigade has been honoured with the title of “Heroic Unit of the People's Armed Forces” three times, among many other prestigious awards.

To achieve these results, first and foremost, the Brigade has always focused on building “exceptionally elite” in politics – a fundamental element for successfully completing all assigned tasks. Accordingly, its Party Committee and command have focused on leading and directing the effective implementation of political and ideological education; paying attention to cultivating and training officers and soldiers with exceptionally strong political conviction, absolute loyalty to the Fatherland, the Party, the State, and the People; a deep understanding of their assigned responsibilities and duties; and exceptionally high determination, undeterred by any hardship or sacrifice.

Besides, it focuses on building pure and strong Party committees and organisations with strong leadership capacity and fighting strength, constantly innovating leadership styles and methods and improving the capacity to formulate and implement resolutions. It effectively maintains the discipline and regime of Party activities; strictly adheres to the principle of democratic centralism, collective leadership and individual accountability at all stages and steps; focuses on building and training a team of cadres and Party members in the spirit of “seven dares” commensurate with their tasks, possessing exceptionally good political qualities, comprehensive capabilities, a sense of self-discipline, “iron will”, exemplary in words and actions, always upholding and promoting the qualities of “Uncle Ho's Soldiers - Naval Commandos”. What’s more, it regularly conducts inspection, supervision, and enforcement of Party discipline in a thorough manner; builds strong and outstanding mass organisations and military councils; effectively maintains the “Determined to Win” emulation movement, including surprise and peak emulation campaigns, etc. As a result, 100% of its officers and soldiers possess strong political resolve, successfully receiving and completing all assigned tasks. For many consecutive years, the Brigade's Party Committee are rated “pure and strong”.

Conducting training of special skills of the commando

Building on the tradition of the “exceptionally elite” force and combat experience from war, the Brigade focused on improving the quality of in-depth training of naval commando combat techniques in new conditions. Accordingly, based on its assigned tasks, the Brigade requires its troops to train and develop necessary skills, namely: “to be good at swimming, martial arts, and shooting; excellent endurance and strong camaraderie”.

In the process of training, the Brigade requires its agencies and units to make thorough preparation and conduct training according to the established principles and guidelines, focusing on physical training, resilience, and adaptability in extreme combat environments. Emphasis is placed on in-depth technical training to make their troops proficient in martial arts, shooting, and parachute jumping. They are also required to be able to conduct long-distance swimming and deep-sea diving with heavy load in complex environments and limited visibility, high waves, strong winds, especially capable of surviving for long hours at sea. By means of effective methods, for many years, 100% of the Brigade's training contents have all met and exceeded the targets, especially the deep diving and long-distance swimming, with absolute safety.

In addition, the Brigade focuses on specialised tactical training in line with the mission, target, area, and combat plan, suitable to the available weapons and equipment; improving the ability to coordinate with friendly forces in attacking targets at sea and on islands, protecting key targets; counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, etc. It strengthens field training, night training, and force maneuvering in extreme weather conditions, against the enemy's use of high-tech weapons, electronic warfare, and modern underwater reconnaissance; closely integrates training with the performance of missions at sea and on offshore islands. At the same time, emphasis is placed on imparting combat experience so that its officers and soldiers are proficient in the art of naval commando warfare, and able to apply it flexibly and creatively to each specific mission and battle.

As its units are dispersed across many provinces and cities, the Brigade focuses on training its officers and soldiers an “iron discipline”; regularly maintains an exceptionally high combat readiness state. The Party committees and commanders of agencies and units always uphold the sense of self-management, self-discipline, and self-improvement of officers and soldiers; strictly maintain daily and weekly routines and regulations; closely manage troops both inside and outside the barracks. The officers uphold their pioneering and exemplary spirit. They are attentive, stay close to, and take good care of their soldiers; grasp their thoughts, provide timely encouragement and support, and build a healthy, democratic, and cultural atmosphere within the unit; strengthen inspections, promptly detect and resolve all issues arising from the grassroots level, not to let any disciplinary violation occurs.

Training on undersurface situation response

Moreover, it seriously maintains the regimes of duty and combat readiness from its Headquarters to the subordinate units; regularly reviews, supplements, and adjusts combat plans to ensure they are appropriate to the target of combat and area of operation, and compatible with the available weapons and equipment; conducts thorough training of combat plans; increases alarms and surprise inspections to hone mobility, quick response, and timely deployment of forces, not to be made passive or unattended in all situations.

Implementing Uncle Ho’s teaching that: “Special forces sometimes operate alone, sometimes act with other forces, hence need special close coordination”, the Brigade always closely coordinates with other forces during its task performance. On an annual basis, based on training and exercise plans approved by the Naval Command, it closely coordinates with agencies and units within the Navy; agrees on the time, forces, equipment, training areas, and situational codes of action in a serious, synchronous, effective, and safe manner. In addition, it regularly coordinates with local Party committees and authorities in the areas of operation to effectively deploy special civilian outreach and propaganda activities, contributing to maintaining political security, social order and safety at the grassroots level, and building an increasingly solid “people's heart and mind” posture.

Last but not least, the Brigade proactively coordinates and cooperates with the Coast Guard, the Border Guard, local Party committees, authorities, and armed forces to quickly grasp the situation, access the scene, deploy forces and equipment for rescue and relief operations, and mitigate the consequences of natural disasters, aiming to minimise damage in human and property of the People. It also strengthens cooperation and exchanges training experiences with the regional armed forces; participates in disaster response, search and rescue exercises with the armed forces of ASEAN countries; thereby contributing to the effective implementation of defence diplomacy, while simultaneously improving technical and tactical skills, coordination capabilities, and the ability to effectively handle complex situations in task performance.

Promoting the tradition of “Braveness and ingenuity; Overcoming difficulties; Unity and achievement; Continuous victories”, the officers and soldiers of Commando Brigade 126 shall continue their effort and try to achieve more outstanding victories, contributing to the firm protection of the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland's seas and islands.

Senior Colonel PHAN VAN CANH, Brigade Commander