As the core force in controlling and protecting the sovereignty of the strategic sea and island areas of 05 coastal provinces and cities in the Central region, Naval Region 3 always pays special attention to building a politically strong Unit, creating a solid foundation to continuously improve its overall quality and combat strength, meeting the requirements of the mission in all situations.

Established on 26 October 1975, Naval Region 3 is responsible for controlling and firmly protecting the sovereignty of the sea and island areas of more than 293 thousand km2 and a coastline of over 700 km, including the Paracel Islands and many outpost islands of strategic importance.

After 50 years of building, fighting and growing, the Party Committee and Command of the Region have always paid attention to and focused on building a politically strong unit, creating a solid foundation for making it all-strong, improving its overall quality and combat strength. This is a consistent policy and a lesson, and a core factor for generations of its officers and soldiers to develop their political stance strong, stay sharp, alert, brave, flexible in handling situations, evaluate the situation correctly, unite, strive to overcome all difficulties and hardships, achieve many outstanding feats, and successfully complete all assigned tasks. With its achievements, the Region was honoured to receive 03 Third-class Feat Orders, 05 First, Second and Third-class Fatherland Defence Orders; 01 Third-class Labour Order and many other noble awards.

Leader of the Region listens to introduction of initiatives for conducting Party work and political work

At present, in the context of complicated and unpredictable developments in the East Sea, the task of Fatherland defence in general and the sovereignty of the sea and islands in particular is posing increasingly high requirements. This requires that, in order to successfully complete its assigned tasks, the Region constantly improve its overall quality and combat strength, in which building a politically strong Unit is a key and consistent factor with the following foci:

First, improving the leadership capacity and fighting strength of Party committees and organisations; building a truly strong Party Committee in the Region in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organisation and cadres which are exemplary in intelligence, owning high leadership capacity and fighting strength to lead their agencies and units successfully complete all tasks. Accordingly, it focuses on perfecting and improving the quality and effectiveness of Party committees and organisations at all levels; links the building of Party committees with the building of leading cadres so that they are sufficient in quantity, reasonable in structure, good in political qualities, and professional in qualifications. Its Party committees and organisations at all levels thoroughly grasp and concretise the resolutions and directives of the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and the Navy into policies and measures for effective leadership and direction. They are also to regularly review, amend, supplement and strictly implement working regulations and leadership regulations for key work aspects; innovate leadership methods and styles in the direction of concentration, closeness, determination, practicality and efficiency; continue to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement resolutions, directives and regulations issued by higher echelons on Party building and rectification work associated with the building of "four-good Party cells" and "four-good grassroots Party organisations"; strictly adhere to the principles of democratic centralism, collective leadership associated with individual accountability; exercise self-criticism and criticism, and maintain Party disciplines and regimes seriously. Closely following the practical situation, each Party committee and Party organisation should proactively grasps the progress of task implementation of agencies and units, promptly supplements action programmes to successfully implement resolutions of Party congresses at all levels. At the same time, they should improve the effectiveness of inspection, supervision and enforcement of Party discipline to prevent and counter the signs of degradation in political ideology, ethics, lifestyle, "self-evolution", "self-transformation" within the Party for building a clean and strong Regional Party Committee associated with building an all-strong "exemplary and typical" Unit.

Second, continuing to innovate and improve the quality of political and ideological education, enhance political steadfastness, build confidence in weapons and equipment, military art, boost the determination to fight and win for officers and soldiers, making them ready to fight and sacrifice to protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland. As its units regularly operate independently and dispersedly, on high mountains and remote islands; its ships usually travel on long cruise at high sea in difficult and arduous conditions and dangers, ... the Party Committee and the Command of the Region determined that it is extremely important to regularly consolidate and enhance political steadfastness, confidence, and determination to overcome difficulties and challenges for officers and soldiers. Accordingly, Party committees and commanders at all levels are to continue to thoroughly grasp and strictly implement the instructions and guidance from higher echelons on political and ideological education, focusing on Directive No. 2423-CT/QUTW, dated 9 November 2023 of the Central Military Commission "On innovation and improvement of the quality of political education in the new period". They are required to equip officers and soldiers with the core contents of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought, the Party's guidelines and viewpoints, the State's policies and laws on military and national defence tasks in the new situation. At the same time, they should focus on raising awareness of the requirements and tasks of the Service, the Region and each agency and unit to make each soldier and officer firmly grasp their assigned responsibilities and tasks, steadfast in their goals and ideals, and successfully handle all situations at sea. Focus on building, preserving and promoting the tradition of patriotism, national pride and self-respect for each officer and soldier.

Youth of Brigade 172 implementing activities of Youth Month

Accelerate the study and follow of Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality and style and the Campaign "Promoting tradition, dedicating talent, worthy of being Uncle Ho's soldiers - Navy soldiers in the new era"; hold specialised political activities, storytelling contests about Ho Chi Minh's moral example, and legal and tradition contests, etc. Build a healthy military cultural environment associated with effective implementation of the models: "One teaching of Uncle Ho a day"; "Learning one law a week"; conduct learning from disciplinary violations in the political and ideological activities. Maintain the order and effectiveness of the regimes of weekly political announcement and monthly news talks; strengthen education for soldiers through high season emulations, emulation movements, campaigns and on mass media. At the same time, promote the role of organisations and forces inside and outside the unit, and the family rear in grasping, managing, and resolving the ideological issues of cadres and soldiers, avoiding passivity, surprise, "self-evolution", "self-transformation" internally.

Third, concentrating on making political agencies and cadres at all levels, especially the political cadres, strong as the core in building a politically strong Region. Emphasis should be placed on innovating the content and methods of advising, directing, guiding, and inspecting party work and political work of political agencies at all levels; improving the quality and effectiveness of party work and political work in all tasks. Thoroughly grasp and strictly implement cadre work, build a strong contingent of cadres at all levels with inheritance and steady development. On a yearly and periodical basis, Party committees at all levels should carefully evaluate, promote and appoint cadres in a transparent, democratic and sound manner.

Working in a naval unit, in order to promote the role of political leadership and the core of solidarity in the Party Committee, Party organisation and unit, political cadres are required to not only complete well their professional tasks of the Party work and political work, but also master the techniques and tactics of the Navy, participate in the making of military plans of the unit, and withstand high waves and strong winds, and pioneer in missions at sea. Therefore, the Region tries to build a team of political cadres from different sources, especially from command and technical cadres. Improve the quality of cadre training according to hierarchy, focusing on legal, political and military knowledge, Party work, political work, leadership and managerial skills, the ability to evaluate the situation, and solve practical problems. Innovate working methods towards concentration, closeness, determination, efficiency, and decentralisation associated with empowerment and accountability. Encourage and promote the spirit of innovation, creativity, daring to think, daring to do, and daring to take responsibility of cadres at all levels, especially the key ones. At the same time, take good care of military men and their families by offering preferential policies, improving their living standards, and creating a good environment for them to stay committed to their work and units.

Fourth, building a strong local political base; proactively participating in socio-economic development in the area. Strengthen patrolling and controlling activities, promptly prevent and handle situations at sea, and maintain a peaceful and stable environment. The Party Committee and the Command of the Region regularly lead and direct the implementation of propaganda work on the sea and islands, and legal dissemination and legal education for fishermen, in conjunction with the effective implementation of the programme "Vietnam Navy as a fulcrum for fishermen to go offshore and stick to the sea" and the activity "the Navy sponsors fishermen's children". Actively innovate the content and form of propaganda to make it rich, diverse and suitable to their fishing habits in sea and island areas.

Closely coordinate with local Party committees, authorities and forces to present national flags, distribute leaflets and brochures, join hands to build new rural areas, eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses, and help fishermen develop the economy, and reduce poverty sustainably. At the same time, it proactively develops plans, prepares all aspects, effectively participates in helping people prevent and combat natural disasters, epidemics, search and rescue, contributing to building and consolidating the "people's hearts and mind posture" at sea, firmly protecting the sacred sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland in the new situation.

Rear Admiral NGUYEN DANG TIEN, Political Commissar of the Region