Being imbued and proud of the praise by President Ho Chi Minh, i.e. “Our artillery has the glorious tradition of copper feet, iron shoulders, good combat, targeted hitting, …”, all cadres and soldiers of Artillery Brigade 434 have promoted their learning and following of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle, making it a regular task and motivation to improve the combat training quality, meeting the task requirements in the new situation.

Artillery Brigade 434, which is a combat unit belonging to Corps 34, is tasked with training, combat readiness and other unexpected tasks according to the seniors’ orders. In recent years, the tasks of building the “elite, compact, strong” Army, and safeguarding the Fatherland have set new and higher requirements for the combat training activities of the Brigade; meanwhile, most cadres of the Brigade, despite being in their young age and possessing their basic education, lack experience and skills in training; weapons, technical equipment and vehicles for training are downgraded and non-synchronous; training grounds have yet to fully meet the training demands; training budgets, though being invested, have yet to cover all training requirements, etc. Given this reality, the Brigade Party Committee and Command have made many effective and synchronous solutions, focusing on promoting the learning and following of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle, making it a regular task to bring into play the responsibility and creativity of all cadres and soldiers to overcome difficulties and accomplish the task of combat training, making contribution to improving the overall quality and combat power of the Brigade, being ready to receive and successfully accomplish all assigned tasks.

Thoroughly understanding President Ho Chi Minh’s teachings, i.e. “To achieve good learning results, one must have right attitude,…”, the Brigade frequently values education, improves the awareness and responsibility of cadres and soldiers for the combat training task. Accordingly, the Party Committee and Command of the Brigade, offices and units have seriously grasped and implemented Directive No. 2423-CT/QUTW, dated 09 November 2023 by the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission on “Renovating and improving the political education quality in the new period”, intensely reformed the educational methods towards reality, effectiveness and suitability with learners and tasks. The party committees and party organisations have issued specialised resolutions on training and widely informed all cadres and soldiers. The contents focus on concretising the seniors’ resolutions, especially Resolution No. 1659-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2022 by the Central Military Commission on “Improving the training quality in the 2023 - 2030 period and the following years”; the combat training orders by the Commanders of Artillery Corps and Corps 34, and guidance from functional offices into realistic and feasible plans and solutions, at the same time, clearly defining all new difficulties, challenges and requirements which could arise in the progress of combat training conducted by Artillery Soldiers; traditions of the Corps, the Brigade, etc.

Riffle training

In the implementation process, the Brigade has paid attention to closely combining between regular education and task-based education when doing the training task in each week and period; between basic education and subject-based or topic-based education; increasing the education of traditions; combining the education and the conduction of management of soldiers’ ideology, and timely solving any arising problems. Offices and units have attached special importance to implementing the party and political work in training, combat readiness, military exercises and other tasks, creating the spiritual motivation for cadres and soldiers to take responsibility to participate in the training. As a result, 100% cadres and soldiers have gained stable political spirit and skill; firmly held the guidelines and viewpoints of the Party on the military and defence tasks, the tasks of the Brigade, offices, units, and their assigned responsibilities and duties; maintained the strong and strict discipline during their training, developed new thinking and awareness of training to well meet the higher requirements of such important tasks. The reality has shown that the sufficient, thorough and comprehensive preparation of personnel, facilities and training grounds plays an important role, greatly affecting the training results. Following Uncle Ho’s teachings, i.e. “Whatever you do, you need to prepare well”, the Brigade has paid attention to building cadres at all levels, the cadres who are directly doing the training in particular, to acquire comprehensive knowledge and capacity; well conducting the planning and rotation of cadres (cadres who have good knowledge, capacity and training methods have been appointed in training and combat readiness battalions); at the same time, improving the quality of cadres through in-service training courses or sending them to learn in academies, schools, etc. Before the training, the Brigade held orientation and refresh training courses to improve knowledge, management skills and training methods for cadres, the junior and newly-graduated cadres in particular (the training contents mainly focus on inclusive issues, subjects which are new, difficult and highly at risk), etc. At the same time, the Brigade has required all of its coaches to be always proactive and active in their self-studying, self-training and learning from one another in order to improve their knowledge at all fields, meeting the higher requirements of the training task. Therefore, 100% cadres of the Brigade have been able to give training in echelon, over 80% of whom are good with over 35% are excellent.

Together with the personnel preparation, the Brigade has appreciated combining the fund from higher levels and the use of all sources of the units in order to complete the plans and build the system of training grounds under the seniors’ direction. Bringing into play the spirit of overcoming difficulties, emulating for good maintenance and long-term use, the Brigade has actively repaired, upgraded and provided enough training materials and facilities for each training session; the functional offices have enhanced their examination and inspection of the quality of technical equipment, assuring the absolute safety of personnel, vehicles and equipment. As a result, in recent years, the training ground system of the Brigade has been generally planned, being made intensive, unified and close to the task requirements. Up to now, the Brigade has been self-sufficient over 70% of training grounds at company levels and over 80% at battalion levels; 100% training facilities have met the technical standards and had the high integration, meeting all task requirements.

Uncle Ho’s teaching, i.e. “It's the practicality, not the quantity that matters, …” is imbued and learnt by the Brigade in conducting its training contents, programmes and methods. Accordingly, based on the fundamental training programme, the Brigade has standardised 100% training contents and programmes suitably with learners. In the training process, the Brigade has directed all offices and units to actively apply the technology and the advances of the 4.0 Industrial Revolution to improve the skills of training management, commanding, operation and inspection. The Brigade has correctly implemented the “basic, practical, solid” motto, appreciated the training which is synchronous, professional and close to the tasks, learners, localities, operation environment and reality; closely combined between combat training and political education, regularity building and discipline training.

Live-firing in a round exercise

Mobility is one of the important issues for the Artillery, especially in the modern wars. Therefore, together with improving the technical and tactical skills, the Brigade has appreciated the training to improve the ability of moving forces and vehicles in the condition of high-tech weapons used by the enemies; focusing on the river-crossing training using modern equipment. The Brigade has paid attention to training cadres and officers to master and fully exploit all features of 100% technical equipment, the new ones in particular; to be good at professional techniques and tactics, reaching top-tier level; to be good at independent operation, combined-force operation and joint operation. All warrant officers have been trained to have comprehensively professional knowledge of their majors, skillfully use all technical equipment in service; non-commissioned commanding officers have been trained to steadily hold the management methods of training and correction for all batteries in their training. Soldiers, especially the new ones, have been well-trained with individual fighting techniques and tactics to group and battery levels. The reserve has been trained with specialised and professional techniques and tactics, and other combat coordination skills. Based on the proper implementation of the above solutions, 100% of contents and sessions pass the annual test, over 80% of which are good and excellent, the absolute safety of personnel and technical equipment has been maintained. Together, the Brigade has intensely directed the implementation of military exercises (the Brigade has gained a good result in the joint company-level and battalion-level military exercise, and excellent one in the live-firing military exercise with combined forces), achieved the title of “Excellent training unit”.

Being thoroughly imbued with President Ho Chi Minh’s teachings, i.e. “Always stay vigilant and ready for combat to destroy all enemy’s plots”, the Brigade has regularly paid attention to leading and directing the improvement of skills and combat readiness to meet the task requirements in all situations. To achieve high effectiveness, the Brigade has seriously grasped and implemented the seniors’ directives and orders; proactively coordinated with other offices, units and localities to do the searching and firmly hold the features of the assigned areas and targets; frequently inspected, checked, built, adjusted and timely completed the operation plans of all tasks, and organised proper practice with the best quality. At the same time, the Brigade has required all offices and units to seriously and strictly maintain the command and combat duties; regularly conduct the practice of combat readiness plans, maintain all patrol and watch teams in order to assure the absolute safety of the stationed areas, especially on days off, holidays, Tet, and in great political events of the Party, State and Army, being ready for quickly transforming into the combat readiness status in the event of urgent situations.

Bringing into play the achieved results, all cadres and soldiers of Artillery Brigade 434 continue to promote the learning and following of Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle with detailed and practical activities, contributing to improving the training quality, creating a firm foundation for bettering the general quality and combat power of the Brigade, meeting the task of safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN VIET HUNG, Brigade Commander