The Engineer troops were honoured to receive the flag embroidered with four golden words "Making way for victory" presented by President Ho Chi Minh. To deserve the praise and also the direction and goal set by Uncle Ho, the 543rd Engineer Brigade strives for good training and strict discipline, successfully completing all assigned tasks.

As a joint engineering unit of Military Region 2, the 543rd Engineer Brigade is tasked with training, maintaining combat readiness, ensuring engineering for the tasks of the Military Region; building defence works; UXO clearance; building border patrol road; disaster response and relief, search and rescue, and other ad hoc tasks.

Leader of MR2 presents the "Excellent Training Unit" flag for the Brigade

In recent years, implementing the policy of building an "elite, compact, strong" Army towards modernisation, the Brigade has received investment in different fields, including human resources, weaponry, equipment, training grounds, facilities, etc. This is a favourable condition for the Brigade to continuously improve its overall quality and combat strength, but also poses many difficulties and challenges when the tasks of training and combat readiness become much more demanding. To successfully complete all tasks, the Party Committee and Command of the Brigade have synchronously deployed many policies and measures to comprehensively lead and direct all aspects of work, in which, promoting the study and following of Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality and lifestyle to improve the quality of training and disciplining is the central content.

Implementing Uncle Ho's teaching that: "To gain good results in studying, we must have the right attitude and the right method", the Brigade focuses on political and ideological education, raising awareness and responsibility of officers and soldiers for training tasks. Accordingly, the Brigade strengthens education for officers and soldiers about the resolutions, orders and instructions of higher echelons on training work, focusing on Resolution No. 1659-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2022 of the Central Military Commission; Resolution No. 05-NQ/DU, dated 21 March 2023 of the Military Region 2 Party Committee on improving the quality of training for the period 2023 - 2030 and beyond, etc. To improve the efficiency, it requires the Party committees and commanders of its agencies and units to concretise the implementation of Directive No. 2423-CT/QUTW, dated 9 November 2023 of the Central Military Commission Standing Committee on innovation and improving the quality of political education work in the new period, focusing on the forms and methods of education. Closely combine regular education with task-based training in each stage; education with ideological management and orientation; regularly grasp the political quality of soldiers, promptly and thoroughly resolve issues arising during the training process. In particular, the Brigade and its Party committees and commanders at all levels have closely adhered to the content of the topics and themes of studying and following Uncle Ho to develop implementation plans suitable with the features and tasks of each agency and unit so as to improve training quality and resolutely overcome weaknesses in training, etc. By implementing synchronous measures, 100% of its officers and soldiers have due understanding of the position and role of training, master the programmes, content, targets and requirements of training, and they have shown a high sense of responsibility and determination to successfully carry out their task.

River crossing in Exercise TM-23

To be worthy of the tradition of "Making way for victory" of the Engineer troops and the requirement of Fatherland defence in the new situation, together with developing motivation and responsibility for its officers and soldiers, the Brigade fosters innovation and improves the quality of training. First of all, it focuses on making all-round preparation for training, i.e. human resources, organisational structure, plans and programmes of training, facilities and training grounds. Imbued with Uncle Ho’s viewpoint that "Cadres are the root of all work", the Brigade pays special attention to training its cadres, and considers cadre training, especially platoon-level one as the key. During the implementation, it employs different forms and measures of training suitable for each subject. With the motto of “focusing training whatever is lacking or weak”, the training content includes all military, political, logistical, technical aspects, but with selection to make it practical and relevant to the unit's reality. At present, 100% of its training officers are able to conducting training according to their authority, in which over 80% of platoon and company-level officers and 90% of battalion-level officers are rated good and excellent. Together with careful preparation in personnel, the Brigade attaches importance to preparation in materials and facilities for training to ensure they are synchronous, regular, modern, and suitable for the specific characteristics of the engineering profession. Moreover, it promotes technical initiatives and innovations, and actively applies scientific and technological achievements in the production of the models and visual aids for training.

As a technical and supply unit consisting of several specialties, diverse and dispersed subjects, making it difficult for the management and operation of training. To overcome this problem, together with promoting innovation in the mechanism of command and management of and training, strengthening decentralisation, empowerment and accountability of agencies and commanders at all levels in advising, directing, and conducting training, the Brigade directs its agencies and units to proactively research and adjust training content and programmes to suit each subject and task.

In the process of training, the Brigade requires its agencies and units to adhere to the motto of "basic, practical, solid"; attach importance to synchronous, in-depth training, which is relevant to the subject, location, and requirements, tasks, organisation, and equipment. To improve the quality of training for units performing dispersed and field tasks, it requires that "the construction site be used as a training ground", theory be combined with practice, specialised training be carried out right during the process of construction and UXO clearance; and training be conducted at the construction site in shifts, suitable to the volume and progress of construction, etc. Along with that, it also holds sports events, competitions and drills, especially the exercise of plans and strategies for combat, natural disaster prevention and control, search, rescue and relief; company and battalion-level field exercises; and participates in joint-force exercises, etc. Being proactive and creative in studying and following Uncle Ho's teachings, it has improved the quality of training, the level of management, and the ability to exploit and master weapons, technical equipment, meeting the requirements of engineering tasks in the war to protect the Fatherland. Its annual training results show that 100% of subjects meet requirements, in which 83.5% are rated good and excellent; engineering training reaches excellent. For many consecutive years, the Brigade has been awarded the "Excellent Training Unit" Flag by the Ministry of National Defence.

Conducting UXO clearance

In regularity building and discipline management, the officers and soldiers of the Brigade always keep in their mind Uncle Ho's teachings that: “A strong Army is attributed to skillful education, sound policies and strict discipline. Therefore, discipline must be strict”. Its agencies and units strengthen the dissemination and popularisation for officers and soldiers about the Party's military and defence viewpoints and policies, regulations, statutes, and regulations on combat readiness, as well as the directives, regulations, and instructions of higher echelons and the Brigade on discipline building and management, etc. to develop unity in awareness, self-awareness in respecting the law and military discipline for all soldiers. The highlight of disciplinary management in recent times is that, for dispersed and independent forces, along with flexible application of inspection measures, the Brigade focuses on promoting the exemplary role of the cadres, especially those directly managing the troops. It requires that managerial cadres be present wherever there are troops. Besides, it strengthens dissemination, education, and implementation through news briefing, meetings, club activities, and regular activities of organisations; promotes propaganda on the internal radio system and fan page; strengthens democratic dialogue; maintains the order and effectiveness of Political, Cultural and Spiritual Day, feedback boxes, discussions on disciplining; effectively implement and replicate the movements and models on law and discipline observance, etc. Moreover, the Brigade regularly coordinates with local Party committees and authorities in the operating areas to grasp the situation, manage the relationships of soldiers, and have timely preventive measures to stop early risks of insecurity and breaches of discipline by soldiers. By means of the above measures, the quality of regularity construction and discipline training of the Brigade has been constantly improved, and for many consecutive years it has reached the standard of an all-strong “exemplary, typical” unit.

The results achieved represent clearly for the determination, political responsibility and effectiveness of studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style of the 543rd Engineering Brigade. At the same time, they are the driving force for the Brigade to continue this effort in the coming time in order to improve its overall quality, combat strength, and successfully complete all assigned tasks.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN DOAN MANH, Brigade Commander