Engineering Brigade 229 under the Engineering Corps, whose predecessor was Engineering Regiment 151 – the first Engineering Regiment in the Vietnam People’s Army, was established on 15 January 1951.

In the resistance war against French colonialism, the Regiment was a key force in charge of engineering work for large campaigns. Especially, in the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, the Regiment excellently accomplished the tasks of improving, repairing and widening dozens of kilometres of roads, destroying hundreds of rapids, building Muong Phang Headquarter, placing various obstacles, including the nearly-1ton-explosive charge in the heart of A1 Hill, which was the signal for our Army to destroy the Dien Bien Phu stronghold. With that excellent achievement, the Regiment was awarded by President Ho Chi Minh the flag embroidered with “Open the way to victory”. This commendation has also become the tradition of Vietnam Engineering Soldiers.

In March 1958, Regiment 151 was renamed to Regiment 229. In the resistance war against America for national salvation, the Regiment directly took part in building missile grounds, headquarters, airports, ports and thousands of defensive structures across the country. Especially, in the Quang Tri Campaign, by means of unique and creative methods, it successfully accomplished the task of making routes for our troops and vehicles to cross the rivers, contributing to the victory of the Campaign.

In 1981, the Regiment was upscaled to Engineering Brigade 229 - the strategic reserve engineering unit of the Defence Ministry conducting training, combat readiness, building combat structures and other sudden tasks. Over 75 years of construction, combat support, combat and development, in any conditions and situations, generations of its cadres and soldiers of have tried their best, made sacrifices, overcome all difficulties, been brave, ingenious, creative, and ready to receive and accomplish all assigned tasks, which was acknowledged and awarded many noble awards by the Party, State, the Army and the Engineering Corps.

Participating in disaster relief in Myanmar

In recent years, as the task of building the Army and safeguarding the Fatherland have set higher requirements, the task of responding to non-traditional security threats has been defined as the “combat mission in peacetime” of the Army in general and the Engineering Soldiers, in particular. Thoroughly understanding such honour and responsibility, together with focusing on training of specialised tactics and techniques for combat readiness, the Brigade has paid attention to leading, directing and making solutions for improving its capability to address non-traditional security threats, and gained good results. From the achieved results and reality of task execution, the Brigade has withdrawn some experience as follows:

Firstly, strengthening the leadership and direction of all-level party committees and commands on the task of addressing non-traditional security threats. Given the complicated and extreme changes of natural disasters, calamities, diseases, etc. which have seriously affected the people’s life, security, social order and safety, the Brigade’s Party Committee and Command have fully grasped directives, instructions and orders from the seniors, and considered addressing non-traditional security threats to be one of the main political missions in order to focus their leadership on building and concretising the annual resolutions and plans of military work, at the same time, enhanced the education for all cadres and soldiers to firmly grasp all functions and tasks of the Corps and the Brigade, thoroughly understand the position and key roles of the Engineering Soldiers in doing the tasks of preventing and recovering the natural disasters, calamities, and the “combat mission in peacetime”, creating the unity in their cognition and actions, and a high determination in the implementation. On this basis, the Party Committee and Command have directed offices and units to closely follow the “4-on-sites” motto, fully build plans and practise all solutions closely to the reality; proactively prepare the forces, vehicles and equipment; coordinate closely with other units, and the local party committees and governments, being ready for receiving and accomplishing all assigned tasks.

Together, the Brigade has brought into play the pioneering and exemplary roles of cadres and party members in doing their tasks, the difficult and sudden ones in particular; enhanced the Determined-to-win Emulation Movement combined with the learning and following of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and style; strengthened the inspection and supervision, timely reviewed and made commendation and rewards, creating the motivation and a spirit of emulation in implementing such important duty. As a result, 100% cadres and soldiers own a strong political will and a high responsibility, being ready to receive and accomplish all assigned tasks.

Secondly, renovating the contents and methods of training and drill. The Brigade is stationed in different locations, doing many alternate tasks while most of the disasters, calamities, terrorist attacks, etc. are in abnormal and extreme situations, and dangerous nature. Therefore, the Brigade has directed all departments and units to actively research and grasp all directives, instructions and regulations on responding to non-traditional security threats, timely adjust and complement the contents, renovate the training and drilling methods closely to the situations and the assigned tasks. For cadres, it is necessary to give training on basic knowledge and issues related to non-traditional security, focusing on kinds of natural disasters and calamities that often happen; improve the evaluating and forecasting capability, and methods for organising, commanding, managing and mitigating the consequences of natural disasters, and the coordination with other relevant forces. For subunits, it is necessary to give training on the improvement of mobility capability, the skillful use of specialised facilities and equipment in service, and on-site vehicles; the mastery of bomb disposal and mine clearance for the anti-terrorist forces; skills of emergency responses, and evacuation of personnel and assets to safe areas; the combination of search and rescue training with logistic, technical and physical training to improve their endurance in the extreme weather conditions. Besides, the Brigade has frequently adjusted and added to the drilling contents with simulated situations which were close to the reality and the newest development of various natural disasters and calamities; coordinated with other forces in the defensive zones to make serious, effective and safe practice and drill in order to improve the ability of effectively responding and addressing the non-traditional security threats in general and the capability of preventing and controlling the damages of natural disasters and calamities in localities in particular.

Evacuating the locals of Bac Ninh province during flood (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Thirdly, improving the mobility in performing the duties. Being a strategic mobile unit and a core force in doing sudden and important tasks, the Brigade has regularly directed departments and units to enhance the education, grasping and building of high vigilance and combat readiness, and timely mobility in all situations; proactively scrutinised, adjusted and renewed the system of documents and plans on combat readiness, especially the mobile plans on preventing the natural disasters and calamities, searching and rescuing; coordinated with other units and the local areas to sign the agreement minutes and regulations on natural disaster prevention; proactively deployed and added forces and vehicles in weekly and monthly basis, prioritising the concurrent and anti-terrorist plans, etc.; strictly maintained the regulation of the command duty, on-call duty and communication duty at all levels in days off, break time, great political events, especially when there is the forecast of natural disasters, making contribution to improving the mobility in performing tasks of the Brigade.

Fourthly, ensuring the logistic and technical support. To make this happen, the Brigade has directed departments and units to closely follow the plans on combat readiness, natural disaster prevention, search and rescue in order to review and adjust the system of documents on logistic and technical support scientifically and suitably; strictly complied with the rules on the storage, logical arrangement and package, making it convenient to be moved and transported in case of an incident; sufficiently assured the logistic policies for all forces, especially the ones doing the search and rescue, easing the consequences of natural disasters and diseases in remote areas; promoted the livestock production and farming, improving the meal quality for soldiers, the health care and disease prevention, assuring the healthy soldiers of over 99%.

The reality has shown that the synchronicity and technical conditions of equipment and vehicles are decisive factors to the task completion. Hence, the Brigade has paid attention to the management, registration, statistics and stocking in order to maintain the technical conditions of weapons and vehicles, especially those being in use for years; strictly maintained the technical hour and day, improved the quality of maintenance and repairs in the grassroots units, especially the audit of explosive ordnance disposal equipment and vehicles. Besides, the Brigade has promoted the activities of research and technical initiatives, well conducting the Campaign of “Managing, exploiting and using weapons and technical equipment effectively, sustainably, safely, economically, and traffic safety”. Hence, its equipment and vehicles always meet technical standards, fully proving the mobile capacity in all situations. Over many years, the Brigade has been the advanced model unit, leading the technical support in the Defence Ministry.

Being honoured and proud of the 75-year heroic tradition, all cadres and soldiers of Engineering Brigade 229 have raised their responsibility, overcome difficulties, been brave, creative and determined to successfully accomplish the “combat mission in peacetime”, deserving to be the key force in addressing non-traditional security threats.

Senior Colonel PHAM TUAN LUC, Brigade Commander