Theory and Practice

675 Brigade improves the quality of combat training

11/23/2020 8:05:18 AM

The 675th Artillery Brigade, also known as the Brave Artillery Brigade, under the Artillery Corps, was established on November 20, 1950, in Na Tau village, Quang Uyen district, Cao Bang province. Over 70 years of establishment, fighting, and growth, the Brigade has seen its presence on all battlefields; overcome countless sacrifices, hardships; fought hundreds of battles and made many resounding victories, contributing significantly to the glorious achievements of the heroic artillery troops. With such outstanding performance, the Brigade was awarded the title “Hero Artillery Brigade” by Uncle Ho, the title Hero Unit of the People's Armed Forces twice by the State and many other noble rewards.

In response to the request and task of building the Army, protecting the Fatherland in the new situation, implementing the decision of the Ministry of National Defence, in 2008, the Brigade was transformed into a permanent frame unit. Since 2018, it has been restructured as a fully-staffed unit. After each change in the organisation, staffing, despite many difficulties, the Brigade’s Party Committee and commanders have always deeply grasped the Party's military and defence lines, stuck to the leadership and direction of the Party Committee and High Command of the Corps; proactively formulated guidelines and solutions for leadership, direction in a drastic and synchronous manner so as to promote tradition of good training and strict discipline, make it an all-strong unit and successfully complete all assigned tasks. Since 2013 to date, the Brigade has always been one of the units with high achievements in the Determined to Win Emulation movement of the Corps and the army-wide artillery force. Its training results are always rated good and above.

Conducting exercise with live-firing

During its 70 years of existence and fighting, in order to “fight well and fire right”, the brigade attaches great importance to the leadership and direction of the party committees and commanders at all levels for training. Thoroughly grasping and implementing Resolution No. 765-NQ/QUTW, dated December 20, 2012 of the Central Military Commission, Resolution No. 395-NQ/ĐU, dated March 19, 2013 of the Corps’ Party Committee on improving training quality for the 2013 – 2020 period and beyond, every year, the Party Committee of the Brigade issues a thematic resolution on training, drills, and combat readiness, which concretise the training objectives and targets suitably to each subjects; clearly indicates advantages, disadvantages, breakthroughs and contents to focus on; formulate and accelerate the implementation of innovative projects of mechanism for directing, managing, administering in training; training program; operation and method for training, ... in a timely and effective manner. As its staff is both insufficient and inadequate, in order to meet the requirements of the mission, the brigade has established a “working group” consisting of experienced officers from the 04 agencies led by the deputy brigade commander concurrently the Chief of Staff to hold additional training for its staff from platoon to battalion levels; regularly grasp the unit, guide and clarify the difficult contents, rectify the weak points of cadres at all levels and pass experience in training, rehearsal, shooting command, etc., thereby, both ensuring the quality of training and improving the qualifications of cadres at all levels.

Moreover, the brigade has also directed its agencies and units to actively follow all activities of troops, promptly detect and solve problems arising in the thoughts and activities of officers and soldiers; step up the emulation movements in training; apply decentralisation and assign responsibility for training according to position; take training result as the main criteria in commendation; associate training with the promotion of the drive of learning and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, ethics and style and the movement of promoting tradition, dedicating talent, deserving the title of “Uncle Ho's soldiers” in the new period, ... thereby drastically changing troop’s awareness and responsibility for the task of training and combat readiness. Up to now, 100% of the Brigade's officers and soldiers are enthusiastic with their work, ready to receive and successfully complete all assigned tasks.

Promoting the experience and the tradition of “taking the battlefield as training field, associating training with combat”, the Brigade has stepped up the innovation of content and methods of training. Following the motto of “basic, practical, solid”, the brigade directs its agencies and units to carry out comprehensive, in-depth and relevant training; taking specialised technical training as the basis, training tactics as the centre and training staff, especially personnel at the division level as the key stage. Training and retraining of staff at all levels are seriously conducted on weekly, monthly basis and before each training period. Contents of the training are practical, suitable for each type of cadres and focused on the weaknesses of the previous year, new and amended contents, etc. In particular, emphasis is placed on company and platoon leaders who have just graduated from schools and have little practical experience. During the training process, the Brigade applies decentralisation and grouping of subjects (military, political, logistic, and technical personnel); combines different contents in one exercise. With B-frame staff, the Brigade regularly coordinates with the local authorities to closely review the quantity and quality; make plan to train military professional in a number of titles associated with training to improve the technical skills of artillery majors, etc. At the same time, conduct comprehensive training in political and military contents in the management of reservists; the order of movements when receiving the mobilisation order before reservist training, meeting the task requirements.

 With technical staff, the Brigade organised the training in the direction of “practicality and efficiency”, focusing on the contents of preserving and maintaining weapons and technical equipment; logistics and technical assurance in combat. Strictly maintain the regime of in-service training, professional promotion exam, and driving skill enhancement; link training with technical assurance and the implementation of Campaign 50, etc., to help professional staff maintain and improve their skills. Since 2015 to date, the Brigade has held training for nearly 500 times of A and B-frame staff and thousands of professional and technical staff; 100% of its staffs are trained according to decentralisation, over 80% of them get good and very good results; 100% of its professional staff successfully complete their tasks according to their responsibilities.

As for the units, because there are many elements in each unit, each has different requirements and tasks, working in a close coordination. Therefore, the Brigade directs its units to follow the contents and standards of “Good training artillery unit” as the training target; increase training according to combat plans, training to improve qualifications, mobility, coordination, and cooperation in combat in defence areas; training in hard terrain and weather conditions with short preparation time and under the enemy’s use of high-tech weapons, etc. Promote innovation, improve the quality and efficiency of the inspection, direction, administration of commanders and agencies at all levels; maintain the regularity of competition and sport festivals to create motivation for improving training quality and building all-strong units. In that way, the quality of the Brigade's training was constantly improved; its troops are proficient in techniques, tactics, and master all weapons and equipment. They are highly capable of maneuverability, willing to fight, receive and complete their tasks in all situations. In 2018, the Brigade acted as a sample unit for the Ministry of National Defence in mobilisation, receiving, training and holding live firing for the artillery reserve force in which the tactics were rated good, the commanding was rated very good which was lauded by the heads of the Ministry and the Corps. In addition, the Brigade focuses on making thorough preparation for training, from personnel, plan, materials to facilities. Combine training with disciplining, building regular discipline; strengthen measures for troop, weapon and vehicle management; improve the comprehensive quality of logistics and engineering, contributing to improving the quality of training and combat readiness.

Promoting the achieved results and experience, towards the 70th anniversary of its Traditional Day (November 20, 1950 - November 20, 2020), the heroic Artillery Corps officers and soldiers continue their efforts to further improve quality of combat training, building an all-strong unit, ready to receive and complete all assigned tasks, embellishing the tradition of “Courage, creativity, solidarity, coordination, high mobility, certain victory”.

Colonel QUACH NGOC VAN, Brigade Commander