Transport Brigade 657 under the Logistical and Technical Department of Military Region 7 is responsible for transporting forces, logistics materials, weapons, technical equipment, etc. for units of the Military Region; conducting combat readiness training, reservist training, search and rescue, disaster relief and other adhoc tasks.

Even in peacetime, its forces and vehicles are often dispersed, travel far away to perform task in the absence of the direct management of the unit commander. Meanwhile, the work of troops is stressful as they have to ensure absolute safety in complex traffic conditions; transported goods are diverse in type with high risk of insecurity; the vehicles and technical equipment have deteriorated after long time of use, etc. To make sure that all forces successfully completes their tasks, the Brigade Party Committee has applied many policies and measures for drastic and synchronous leadership and direction, in which, great attention has been paid to building an all strong, "exemplary and typical" unit.

First of all, the Brigade focuses on making itself strong, exemplary and typical in politics and ideology. To realise this goal, its Party Committee has focused on improving the leadership capacity and fighting strength of Party committees and Party organisations at all levels; building Party committees and Party cells at all levels through implementing the models of "5-good Party cells, 5-good Party members", "Cadres and Party members guiding the masses and subordinates"; conducting the annual review of Party organisations and Party members in a serious manner; building strong mass organisations and military councils that operate in accordance with their functions and tasks, and exercising the Grassroots Democracy Regulations seriously. The Brigade requests its Party committees and commanders at all levels to strengthen leadership and direction to improve the effectiveness of implementing Directive No. 2423-CT/QUTW, dated 9 November 2023 of the Central Military Commission Standing Committee "On innovation and improvement of the quality of political education work in the new period". Every year, it completes 100% of the content and programmes of political and legal education. The results of the political awareness test are all satisfactory, with over 80% being rated good and excellent. To make this result sustainable, the Brigade combines political education with discipline enforcement, and promotes emulation movements, especially implementing Resolution No. 847-NQ/QUTW, dated 28 December 2021 of the Central Military Commission on Promoting tradition, dedicating talents, worthy of the title "Uncle Ho's soldiers" in the new period associated with the emulation movement of "Building a regular, safe and effective transport unit" by means of many creative and suitable ways. At the same time, it thoroughly conducts party work and political work in tasks; regularly implements the Army's rear policy and cares for material and spiritual needs of officers and soldiers, thereby motivating them in work and self-improvement, ready to receive and complete well all assigned tasks.

The half-year review and plenum of the Brigade's Party Committee

The Brigade's transport capacity depends largely on training and force organisation. Realising that the drivers, sailors, and mechanics directly decide the results of its task performance, the Brigade focuses on developing suitable training programmes for each subject. In training, it adheres to the motto of basic, practical, solid; diversifies the forms e.g. concentrated courses, in-place refresher course, self-learning through experience. Training contents are focused on staff work, command, operation, and coordination in transportation; technical processes in preserving, maintaining, and repairing vehicles, ships, and boats; methods and forms of transportation on different types of terrain; procedures for receiving, loading and unloading goods; night driving techniques; safety measures in transportation; skills for situation handling on road; transportation techniques and tactics for combat operations, transportation in the prevention and control of disasters and epidemics, etc. As a result, its annual training content and programmes all meet the requirements, in which, over 80% are rated good and excellent. The profession and skill of its officers, drivers, sailors, and technicians are increasingly improved.

As far as the force organisation is concerned, in the past time, the Brigade thoroughly grasped and implemented Decision No. 689/QD-BQP, dated 22 February 2024 of the Ministry of National Defence on upscaling the 657th Transport Regiment into the 657th Transport Brigade under the Logistics Department of Military Region 7, and Decision No. 589/QD-QK, dated 11 October 2024 of the Commander of Military Region 7 on transferring the 657th Transport Brigade from the Logistics Department to the Logistics and Technical Department of Military Region 7. In this process, the Brigade has researched, proposed, and implemented some adjustments in force organisation in accordance with the requirements and tasks of the unit and regulations of higher echelons. At the same time, it focuses on improving combat readiness and force mobility in the event of situations. The brigade makes thorough preparation in forces, vehicles, weapons and equipment; proactively completes group A combat documents and conducts careful practice of the plans in order to meet mission requirements in all situations.

Realising that "discipline is the strength of the Military", the Brigade concentrates on discipline enforcement and safety assurance. Accordingly, it thoroughly grasps the directives and resolutions of the superiors on building and maintaining discipline; leads and directs its agencies and units to strengthen legal dissemination and education of law in units; runs the models of "1 law per week", the "Legal consulting" team effectively; strictly maintains the daily, weekly regime, and military etiquette and style; closely manages soldiers in break time and holidays; proactively prevents and handles violations, not allowing serious ones happen, and keeping the rate of common violations below 0.2%. In addition, the Brigade pays special attention to safety assurance, especially safety on transport routes. Accordingly, it attaches special importance to education and dissemination of laws to raise awareness and consciousness of officers, employees and soldiers about safety in transport. The contents of legal education are about Law on Road Traffic; Law on Inland Waterway Traffic; Decree No. 100/2019/ND-CP, dated 30 December 2019 of the Government on "Regulations on administrative sanctions for violations in the field of road and rail traffic" and procedures and regulations in military transport. Along with legal education, the Brigade strictly maintains regulations on safety assurance, especially traffic safety as well as the routine of technical inspection of vehicles before and after each trip. It applies strict prohibition of alcohol for drivers when they are on duty and participate in traffic, and imposes severe sanctions on any unsafety incidents caused by subjective errors, etc. As a result, in recent years, it has remained absolute safety in transportation, contributing to building a "Regular, safe and effective" transport unit.

As its vehicles have degraded and become unsynchronised after long time of being exploited and used, in order to meet the requirements of task, the Brigade pays special attention to maintenance work, the management of vehicle and boats; strictly implements the technical work regime and order through promoting the implementation of the 50 Campaign; mobilises internal resources, consolidates, upgrades, exploits and manages repair stations and other facilities effectively, etc. Thereby, its vehicle and boats are always maintained in high quality, meeting well the regular and sudden tasks. At the same time, it promotes technical initiatives and improvements. For the past 5 years, there have been 5 initiatives winning the A prize at the Military Region level and being applied effectively in real tasks, contributing to improving its transportation capacity. Last but not least, the Brigade effectively implements Resolution No. 1658-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2022 of the Central Military Commission on Military logistics work until 2030 and beyond. It has synchronously and effectively implemented logistics and financial work, supplying well for all operations, ensuring good living standards and good health for soldiers. The rate of healthy soldiers reaches 98.7%, ensuring that the Brigade always successfully completes all assigned tasks.

Those achieved results and experiences are an important basis for Brigade 657 to build an all-strong, "exemplary and typical" Unit in the coming time, well meeting the requirements and tasks of military transportation in the new situation.

Senior Colonel TRAN QUOC HOAN, Brigade Commander