In recent years, Khanh Hoa Province has focused on leading and directing the implementation of defence and military work to build itself into a strong and developed province. Facing the increasingly high demands of the current situation and tasks, especially when implementing mergers and streamlining the organisational apparatus, the Province must pay more attention to implementing this key work.

Khanh Hoa is a coastal province in the South Central Coast, a famous sea tourism centre, with a strategic position in terms of defence - security and economy.

In recent years, thoroughly grasping and strictly implementing the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws on defence and military work, Khanh Hoa Provincial Military Command has advised the Provincial Party Committee, the People's Council, and the Provincial People's Committee to promptly issue leadership and direction documents that are close to the characteristics of the locality and units situation to implement them synchronously and effectively. In particular, the focus is on the project "Ensuring defence"; planning military posture in defence areas; planning defence land and establishing the master plan for defence arrangement with socio-economic development integrated into the province's planning for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050; master plan for the construction of defence works system for the period 2021 - 2030 and the following years, etc. Focus on mobilising all resources to build and maintain works and natural caves used for defence operations. Up to now, the province has completed the survey and planning of logistics and technics bases; built combat works as scheduled; started the construction of mobile roads and Ninh Van wharf to serve socio-economic development combined with ensuring defence and security of the sea route. The Province has also implemented effective solutions to improve the quality of defence area and civil defence exercises; combat drills in commune-level defence areas; drills on mobilising civilian ships and vehicles to participate in protecting sea and island sovereignty.

At the same time, the Provincial Military Command regularly focuses on improving the synergy and combat strength of the armed forces. Focus on leading and directing the implementation of adjusting the organisation and staffing of the standing force. Promote breakthroughs in innovating and improving the quality of training, combat readiness, regularity building, discipline and law compliance, reform military administration with the focus on overcoming weaknesses to create positive changes in each agency and unit.

The Provincial armed forces conduct training to enhance combat readiness level

To ensure the reserve of human and material resources in all fields that can be mobilised to serve defence and military tasks, units proactively and effectively implement the project "Organising forces, training, operating and ensuring policies and regimes for militia and self-defence forces in the province in period 2021 - 2025". Building and maintaining the effective operation of militia platoons, self-defence platoons, concentrated maritime militia platoons, self-defence units in private enterprises, foreign-invested enterprises and standing militia fleets. Focusing on building military party cells; standardising the staff of commune-level military command committees to meet requirements and tasks. The work of registration, management, re-inspection, staffing, and arrangement of reserve mobilisation forces has been well implemented. The province has built 65 units, reaching 98.9% of military personnel, 100% of vehicles; 85.8% of military professionalism, the rate of party members reaching 10.19%; annually, mobilizing training, checking combat readiness, and mobilising reaching over 98%. Thanks to that, the military potential of the all-people national defence has been raised, meeting the requirements and tasks of safeguarding the Fatherland, contributing to the socio-economic development of the locality.

Implementing the Party's policy, Khanh Hoa province was newly established based on merging Khanh Hoa province with Ninh Thuan province and implementing the two-level local administration model. Accordingly, local military agencies at all levels were also reorganised and rearranged in an elite, strong direction; focusing on merging the military commands of the two provinces, ending the activities of district-level military agencies and establishing regional defence commands, Border Guard Commands under the Provincial Military Command. Accordingly, agencies and units have proactively developed plans and implemented all-round preparation work; reviewed, counted, and compared comprehensively; focused on exchanging and agreeing on personnel plans, regimes, policies, facilities, equipment, and locations of deployment and garrisoning according to instructions from higher levels. To effectively carry out defence and military work in the new context, the Military Party Committee and the Provincial Military Command have determined to focus on leading and directing the implementation of the following main solutions:

First, improve the quality of staff work with the Provincial Party Committee, the People's Council, and the Provincial People's Committee in leading and directing the implementation of defence and military tasks and building a solid defence zone. Closely following the post-merger practice, the Provincial Military Command has proactively and actively advised local Party committees and authorities to review and adjust the planning and management of strategic military terrain, the overall planning of defence arrangements associated with socio-economic strategies, plans and development projects in the area, ensuring consistency with the new development space. Focus on building potentials in the defence zone; continue to integrate resources, invest in building combat works, logistics and technical bases, prioritising sea routes, islands, and key areas. Preside over and advise the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and Provincial People's Committee to review, promptly adjust, and develop coordination mechanisms in performing defence tasks and mechanisms and policies for managing and operating defence zones; promote innovating and improving the quality of defence zone and civil defence drills in line with the reality of two-level local administrations.

Closely coordinate and cooperate among forces in building and operating defence zones and handling situations; strengthen inspection, control, and strictly manage airspace, sea areas, and key areas. Raise vigilance, proactively research and forecast the situation, and properly resolve sensitive and complicated issues, avoiding being passive or surprised in any situation.

Second, strengthen the building of the Provincial armed forces to be politically strong, as a basis for improving synergy and combat strength. The Provincial Party Committee and Military Command determined that in order to quickly stabilise the organisations and operate the apparatus smoothly right after the reorganisation, and at the same time continuously improve the synergy and combat strength of the Provincial armed forces, the key issue is to build politically strong units unified in will and action, only then can the task be completed well from the very beginning. Therefore, agencies and units need to strengthen propaganda, political education, orientation, grasp internal ideology and public opinion; promptly detect and handle signs of skepticism, hesitation, comparison, and localism; consolidate and perfect the system of party organisations and mass organisations in accordance with regulations; maintain organisational principles, strengthen internal solidarity; manage and operate agencies and units smoothly and effectively right after the reorganisation.

The Party Committees and commanders of agencies and units must strengthen leadership and effectively implement party and political work activities. Promote the role of cadres and party members in setting examples and staying close to the soldiers at all times and in all places. Promote the traditions of the armed forces of the two provinces, organise political - cultural - spiritual activities suitable to reality; integrate and promote the cultural values ​​characteristic of each locality in the activities of the unit. Strictly comply with regulations on internal political protection; improve the effectiveness of mass mobilisation work; effectively implement the grassroots democracy regulations; promote the pioneering and creative role of mass organisations in performing tasks.

Third, focus on adjusting and arranging the organisations and staffing in accordance with regulations for effective operations from the first day. Agencies and units continue to thoroughly grasp and effectively implement guiding documents, grasp new functions and tasks, and quickly adapt to changes in the organisations and staffing and operating mechanisms of the two-level local administration organisations. Leaders and commanders at all levels regularly monitor units, promptly detect "bottlenecks" and shortcomings; focus on directing, guiding, and assisting agencies and units to remove obstacles in performing tasks. Timely develop and adjust regulations, rules, etc. on responsibilities and tasks in each position; strengthen monitoring, guidance, and assistance for cadres at all levels in the initial stage after the arrangement.

Adjust the targets and organisational structure of the militia and self-defence force in the newly established area with reasonable strength and structures. Focus on building military commands and militia forces at the commune level in coastal and island areas; Focus on improving the operational efficiency of the standing militia fleet, especially in performing combat readiness on remote islands, participating in protecting sea and island sovereignty, serving as a fulcrum for fishermen to "go offshore and stick to the sea". Maintain and improve the operational efficiency of militia and self-defence units in enterprises, etc. Review and adjust the Project to ensure policies for militia and self-defence forces in the period of 2026 - 2030 in accordance with reality. At the same time, comprehensively review resources, implement registration, and manage reserve forces closely, be highly ready to mobilise for training and mobilisation.

Fourth, continue to improve the synergy and combat strength of the Provincial armed forces. Agencies and units quickly stabilise all aspects, build strong and comprehensive units; focus on innovating and improving training quality and combat readiness; making breakthroughs in building regularity, discipline and law compliance; ensuring safety in all aspects. Focus on building and adjusting the combat readiness document system and combat plans that are close to reality, new requirements, functions and tasks. Strictly maintain combat readiness, grasp the local situation, effectively handle situations, avoid being passive and surprised. At the same time, prepare forces and means; be ready to respond to natural disasters, epidemics, rescue and relief in the area.

Promote the dissemination and effective implementation of Resolution No. 20-NQ/DU of the Party Committee of Military Region 5 on "Improving the quality of training in the armed forces of the Military Region in the period of 2023 - 2030 and the following years". Agencies and units need to closely follow the characteristics and requirements of the tasks, flexibly and effectively apply the mottos, viewpoints, principles, and combinations in the training process. Focus on synchronous, in-depth, and combat-based training, increase field training and night training, combine training with physical training, and improve combat mobility and use of weapons and technical equipment for the subjects. Prepare well and organise comprehensive training and exercises close to reality, ensuring absolute safety.

To make a breakthrough and create strong changes in regularity building, discipline management and safety assurance, agencies and units should focus on maintaining appropriate duties, powers, and working regime of the commander, etiquette, military style, and safety regulations. Promote the spirit of self-awareness, self-management, and self-training at all times and places; resolutely combat negative manifestations, promptly detect, review and strictly handle violations, contribute to building a strong and comprehensive unit that is "exemplary and typical", excellently completing all tasks, continuing to embellish the 80-year tradition of building, fighting and growing of the armed forces of the heroic Khanh Hoa province in the new situation.

Senior Colonel NGUYEN TAN Y, Deputy Chief of Staff of Military Region 5, Former Commander of the Military Command of Khanh Hoa province