Division 5 (hereinafter referred to as the Division) was one of the first main units established on the battlefield of southeastern Vietnam. Immediately after its foundation, the Division successively engaged in combat with notorious elite units of the US and its puppet forces, such as the 1st Infantry Division, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, the 11th Armoured Cavalry Regiment, the Royal Australian Regiment, the Thai “Queen’s Cobra”, and the US-puppet 18th Division.
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| The Division’s Party Committee issues Resolution for the second half of 2025 |
Generations of the Division’s officers and soldiers left an indelible imprint on the battlefields of the Eastern Vietnam and Cambodia, achieving resounding victories. Places, such as Vo Su, Vung Tau Airfield, Ong Don, Long Binh, Long Tan - Nui Dat, Tam Bo, Suoi Ram, Kim Long, Van Kiep, Ben Cui, Loc Ninh, Vam Co, Tan An, along with Mi Mot, Xnuol, Siem Reap, Sisophon, and Ampil... have become forever enshrined in the Division’s proud history. During the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, the Division fought as part of Corps 232, launching an offensive to liberate Tan An town and its surrounding districts, before advancing from the Southwest to liberate Saigon, contributing to the complete liberation of South Vietnam and the reunification of the country.
No sooner had the gunfire of the resistance war against the US ended and the nation yet to heal the wounds of war, the Division’s officers and soldiers once again marched to the battlefield to protect our southwestern border. In this war, and later during their international mission in Cambodia, the Division’s officers and soldiers consistently upheld a pure and faithful internationalist spirit, sparing no blood or sacrifice to assist the Cambodian people in building and strengthening their revolutionary forces on the path of national liberation and reconstruction.
Throughout its 60-year history, the Division has overcome countless difficulties and hardships. More than 34,000 officers and soldiers laid down their lives for the Fatherland, while tens of thousands of war invalids and sick veterans sacrificed their youth, leaving part of their flesh and blood across the battlefields. In recognition of its outstanding service and achievements, the Division has been awarded the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces (in 1976 and 1979), the Third-Class and Second-Class Fatherland Protection Orders (in 2015 and 2021 respectively), and Cambodia’s Angkor Order among many other commendations and distinctions.
In recent years, in light of the evolving requirements of building the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), strengthening national defence, and protecting the Fatherland, the Division’s Party Committee and Command have implemented a wide range of policies and solutions aimed at building a comprehensively strong, “exemplary” unit, thereby further promoting the tradition of “unity, courage, flexibility, mobility, self-reliance, self-resilience, and triumph over all enemies” in the new era.
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| A live-fire tactical exercise by the Division |
First and foremost, focusing on building a politically strong and exemplary unit, considering this as the foremost criterion. To this end, the Division has attached great importance to strengthening its organisations, especially through building pure and strong Party committees and developing a contingent of high-quality cadres capable of meeting their task requirements. All agencies and units have promoted the “Determined to Win” emulation movement and the Campaign of “Promoting tradition and devoting talent to deserve to be Uncle Ho’s soldiers in the new era” with specific content and targets. The Division has paid special attention to studying, thoroughly grasping, and executing the Party’s resolutions and directives, the State’s policies and laws, and the tasks assigned to the VPA, Military Region 7, and itself. A key focus has been placed on raising political awareness tailored to each target group. Due regard has been paid to renewing the content and forms of political education, ensuring that such education is linked with legal dissemination through various forms and methods, such as thematic seminars, conferences to study and thoroughly grasp resolutions, internal broadcasting systems, competitions in theatrical formats, storytelling about traditions, and creative models, i.e. “one evening story of history combined with musical gifts”, “writing letters to encourage troops on leave”, “supporting the training season”, and “the mobile art troupe combined with Dat Do band”, etc.
In parallel with effective political education, the Division has regularly consolidated and enhanced the leadership capacity and combat strength of Party committees and organisations at all levels. The aim is to build exemplary, pure, strong Party committees and Party cells at all levels, linked to building comprehensively strong, exemplary agencies and units. Furthermore, the Division has strengthened its mass organisations and soldiers’ councils, ensuring their operations aligns with their assigned functions and duties, while effectively implementing grass-roots democracy regulations. The quality of Party and political work during all tasks, especially during combat readiness, training, regularity building, and discipline maintenance has been improved. The Division has actively engaged in the ideological front, contributing to defeating hostile plots and schemes of “peaceful evolution”, “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” from within and attempts to “depoliticise” the VPA.
Second, improving the quality of training and combat readiness. In this regard, the Division has introduced numerous innovations in realising breakthroughs in training to improve overall quality. The Division has thoroughly studied and concretised directives and resolutions from higher echelons, particularly Resolution 1659-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2022, by the Central Military Commission and Resolution 1908-NQ/ĐU, dated 27 April 2023, by the Standing Board of Military Region 7’s Party Committee on “improving training quality for the 2023 - 2030 period and beyond”, tailored to each target group and assigned task.
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| Technical innovations and initiatives by the Division |
Along with the thorough preparation of lesson plans, teaching aids, and training grounds, the Division has focused on educating cadres at all levels to firmly grasp military art, combat experience, operational planning, training advisory work, and various tactical forms, to enhance the ability to organise, command, and manage training, to conduct tactical exercises, and to ensure effective joint operations between forces. Training methods and procedures for different weapons and equipment have been standardised comprehensively. Training has been conducted strictly in line with principles, guidelines, and methods. Field training, night training, and the combination of military training with political education, regularity building, and physical training have been strengthened. Training activities have been conducted correctly and sufficiently in terms of content and timelines, with opportune reviews. Special attention has been paid to inspecting and evaluating results, as well as holding competitions and contests.
To meet set objectives, the Division’s Party Committee and Commands have adopted practical measures, adjusting training content, programs, schedules, and locations as well as assigning cadres and organising training according to platoon-level structures. At the same time, inspections have been intensified to prevent any decline in training requirements. As a result, in the first nine months of 2025, the Division maintained high-quality training results. Specifically, 100% of training subjects met requirements, with 81.4% rated good or excellent; 100% of new recruit evaluations met good or excellent benchmarks, with nearly 80% rated excellent.
In addition, the Division has regularly practised combat plans and procedures for handling A2 situations (security scenarios) to protect agencies and units, as well as plans for natural disaster preparedness and response, rescue operations, environmental incidents, and fire/explosion prevention. Combat readiness duties have been maintained strictly at all levels. The Division has proactively cooperated with local armed forces and neighbouring units in conducting field reconnaissance, preparing operational posture according to assigned plans, and adjusting forces and objectives related to A2 tasks in line with Military Region 7’s overall plan. Annually, the Division has strictly observed the combat readiness duty regime, ensuring immediate response in all situations upon command. All agencies and units have regularly reviewed, updated, and adjusted their system of combat documents, plans, and scenarios in line with requirements, and organised relevant training as prescribed. Moreover, the Division has actively participated in and successfully completed tasks related to disaster prevention and relief, and search and rescue, earning high recognition and appreciation from local Party committees, authorities, and people.
Third, accelerating organisational structure consolidation, regularity building, discipline management, and administrative reform. Grounded on resolutions and directives by its higher echelons, the Division has reviewed and adjusted its organisation and staffing, merging its logistics and technical agencies. To make substantive changes in regularity building and discipline management, the Division has emphasised working according to assigned responsibilities, acting in accordance with regulations, and upholding the principle that superiors set examples for subordinates, agencies set examples for units, and cadres set examples for soldiers. All-level commanders have been required to closely monitor their troops and strictly implement regulations on deployment, guard duty, daily routines, study, and work discipline. Great value has been attached to effectively managing personnel and technical equipment and ensuring a tight combination of proactive prevention with strict action against violations. Agencies and units have linked regularity building and discipline management with the building and consolidation of “regular, green, clean, beautiful” barracks. Simultaneously, breakthroughs in administrative reform and digital transformation have been promoted.
Fourth, renovating and improving logistics and technical assurance. The Division has regularly directed its agencies and units to promote the emulation movement “Military Logistics Sector follows Uncle Ho’s teachings”. This includes the regular review and adjustment of logistics documentation systems for combat readiness, and maintaining sufficient reserves of materials and supplies for combat readiness, natural disaster response, and search and rescue. Efforts to improve agricultural production and livestock husbandry have been intensified, directly contributing to raising the quality of daily meals for the troops. Concurrently, the Division has seriously implemented Resolution 1656-NQ/QUTW, dated 20 December 2022, by the Central Military Commission, on “leadership over technical work until 2030 and beyond”, associated with the Campaign “managing and exploiting weapons and technical equipment effectively, sustainably, safely, economically, and ensuring traffic safety”.
Throughout the process, the Division has placed special emphasis on investing in and upgrading equipment for the maintenance and repair of vehicles, weapons, and other technical means. Significance has been attached to maintaining “technical day” regime, conducting maintenance and preservation, and strictly implementing regulations on disaster response, fire and explosion prevention, and safety in depots and stations. As a result, the serviceability rate of weapons, technical equipment, and vehicles has always met and exceeded standards. The disposal of various types of unexploded ordnance has been conducted safely and correctly according to prescribed procedures. Equipment at stations, workshops, and warehouses has been inspected and maintained in a condition of absolute operational safety.
Its 60-year history marked by tremendous achievements serves as a powerful source of motivation for the Division’s cadres and soldiers to continue promoting their traditions and successfully accomplishing all assigned tasks, contributing to firmly protecting the Fatherland in the new situation.
Sr. Col. NGUYEN HAI NAM
Commander of the Division