On 2 September 1965, Division 3 (Gold Star Division) - one of the first main divisions of the Liberation Army of South Vietnam was established in Military Region 5. Over the past 60 years of construction, combat, victory, and maturity, generations of cadres and soldiers of the Division have always remained absolutely loyal, showing no fear of hardships or dangers, excellently fulfilling all assigned tasks.
Within a short period of time after its establishment, the Division won victory in the first battle at Thuan Ninh valley, bolstering our Military’s tradition of “winning victory in every deployment”. In the resistance war against the US for national salvation, the Division’s reputation was associated with glorious victories in the areas of Binh Dinh and Quang Ngai. Notably in the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, the Division excellently fulfilled the task of cutting Route 19 off, creating a favourable condition for its friendly units to liberate the Central Highlands, smashing the enemy’s defensive line in Phan Rang, conducting “rapid, daring” attacks to liberate Ba Ria - Vung Tau and contribute to completely liberating the South and unifying the country. In the fight for protecting Northern border, it cooperated with troops and citizens of Lang Son and Ha Tuyen in firmly protecting the Fatherland’s sacred sovereignty.
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| Cadres and soldiers of the Division during a general exercise in 2024 |
As the main unit of Military Region 1 tasked with training, combat readiness, natural disaster response, search and rescue, and other contingency missions, over the years, the Division has adopted many scientific, proper measures, promoting its tradition of “courage, resilience, clinging to the land, staying close to the people, self-reliance, unity, victory” in the new conditions, obtaining significant achievements in all pieces of work. Its organisational structure has been adjusted in an “adept, compact, strong” manner; the quality of training and combat readiness has been raised; regularity building and discipline management have been seriously maintained; logistics - technical work has been renewed to provide timely, sufficient support for its missions. Notably, it has worked with party committees and authorities within the two provinces of Bac Ninh and Lang Son to help the people with economic development, build new-style rural areas, and respond to natural disasters, thereby spreading the image of “Gold Star Soldiers” across the people.
With its brilliant achievements, the Division has been given many noble rewards by the Party, State, and Military. When performing its tasks, the Division has drawn several lessons which could be seen as measures for the upcoming time.
First, building a politically strong Division - the deciding factor in all tasks. To that end, the Division’s Party Committee and Command have directed offices and units to strictly implement Directive 2423-CT/QUTW, dated 9 November 2023, by the Central Military Commission Standing Board on renewing and improving political education in the new period, actively carry out an all-round but focalised reform in political education programs, diversify forms of propagation, closely combine political education with history and tasks-related education, render their cadres and soldiers fully aware of the Party’s military - defence lines, tradition and tasks of the entire Military, the Military Region, and the Division itself, partners and opponents, and hostile forces’ plots and artifices, thereby enabling troops to fully understand their responsibility and pride as soldiers of the heroic Gold Star Division.
In response to science - technology development, the Division has directed its affiliates to actively apply new technologies and pieces of software in political education and promote the role of all-level Steering Boards 35, Force 47, and internal chat groups in spreading “good people, good deed” examples, fighting wrong, hostile viewpoints, and protecting the Party’s ideological foundation. Besides, it has focused on improving the leadership capacity and combativeness of party committees and party organisations, particularly at grass-roots level, while aligning the building of a corps of party committee members with the building of a pool of key cadres at all levels capable of fulfilling their functions and assigned tasks. Recently, it has exercised its leadership and direction over the organisation of all-level party congresses, contributing to improving its Party Organisation’s leadership capacity and combativeness in the new situation.
Second, making a breakthrough in raising the quality of training and combat readiness as the basis for improving the Division’s synergy and combat power. To do so, the Division has proactively reviewed and complied with its new organisational structure; priority in terms of personnel and weaponry has been given to infantry regiments and specialised combat units in order to raise these units’ training quality and combat readiness capacity. Based on higher echelons’ resolutions and directives on training and combat readiness, it has directed its affiliates to make a breakthrough in training and combat readiness work, well prepare personnel, weaponry, and facilities for training, and organise refresher courses for platoon cadres, company cadres, and new graduates.
In the training process, great value has been attached to adhering to training motto, viewpoints, principles, and connections and holding synchronised, specialised training courses. As for cadres, the Division has focused on training them to firmly grasp tactical principles, operational staff work, and methods of organising and operating all-level training courses and exercises. Regarding detachment-level units, their troops have been trained to master the existing weapons and equipment as well as skills and tactics in specialised and joint operations, with importance attached to combining manoeuvre and night-time training with long-distance, loaded marches under harsh weather conditions. In addition, the Division has actively applied science and technology in training and exercises and intensified inspection to opportunely settle weaknesses and draw lessons for its offices and units. As a result, in 2024 and the first half of 2025, all training sections were highly rated; all-level exercises were held with absolute safety.
A part from training work, the Division has directed its offices and units to proactively adjust and supplement combat readiness projects and plans relevant to their tasks and new warfare conditions, with a focus on improving their capacity to prevent and respond to air attacks, cyber attacks, electronic warfare, and natural disasters. In the process, offices and units across the Division have practised combat readiness projects and strictly maintained regulations on command duty, workplace duty, and combat duty, particularly in days off, rest hours, and major political events of the country and the Military, with a view to readily effectively handling any situations.
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| Helping the people settle the consequences of Storm No.3 |
Third, concentrating on raising the quality of regularity building and discipline management. In the process, the Division has introduced all relevant directives and regulations on regularity building and discipline management to cadres and soldiers. It has concentrated all resources on building and upgrading “bright, green, clean, beautiful” barracks, stepping up military administrative reform and digital transformation, and building an E-government within the Military. Besides, it has opportunely provided information about violations of discipline among offices and units across the entire Military and social evils within its stationed areas to draw lessons on discipline management. At the same time, it has closely managed its troops in days off and rest hours, strictly maintaining regulations on use of mobile phone and participation in social networks, working with families and localities to grasp and settle ideological developments among its troops, particularly those in difficult circumstances, thus avoiding falling into passivity. Moreover, its units have effectively maintained models, such as “Zalo chat group - accompanying soldiers”, “three-soldier team”, “improving youth union members’ life skills”, “action month for discipline management and safety assurance”. Consequently, since 2023, the Division has witnessed no serious disciplinary violation; the rate of normal violations of discipline has been below 0.2%; it has ensured absolute safety.
Fourth, providing sufficient, timely logistics - technical support for tasks. As a full-strength unit performing different tasks simultaneously and having great needs for logistics - technical support, the Division has directed its logistics - technical office to step up inspection and devolution in support work. In the process, its offices and units have enhanced animal/crop husbandry, practising thrift, avoiding wastefulness, effectively implementing the emulation movement entitled “Military Logistics Sector follows Uncle Ho’s teachings” in tandem with their political missions and operations. Up to now, 3 out of 3 regiments of the Division have met criteria for a Good Animal/Crop Husbandry Unit; they have been 100% self-sufficient in vegetable and pork, 60% self-sufficient in fish, and 40% self-sufficient in eggs of various types. It has well taken care of its troops’ health; the rate of healthy troops has always been above 99%. In technical support, it has maintained regulations on weaponry registration, management, use, and maintenance, providing sufficient, good-quality weapons and technical equipment for all tasks, especially for training, combat readiness, and exercises. It has well executed the Campaign on managing and using weapons and technical equipment effectively, sustainably, safely, economically, and ensuring traffic safety. In fact, it has recently provided effective logistics - technical support for forces taking part in the parades to mark the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory and the 50th anniversary of South Liberation and National Unification.
Division 3’s 60-year heroic tradition and recorded achievements have created a great incentive for its cadres and soldiers to overcome their difficulties and increase the Division’s synergy and combat power for firmly protecting the Fatherland in the new situation.
Sr. Col. NGUYEN ANH TUAN
Commander of the Division