In the past 55 years of construction, combat, and maturity, Unit 871 has continuously stepped up innovation and development to successfully fulfil all assigned tasks, particularly those relating to management, education, training, and military foreign affairs, thereby forging a glorious tradition, laying a solid foundation for its continued development, contributing to the cause of building the Vietnam People's Army (VPA), strengthening national defence, and safeguarding the Fatherland in the new era.
Founded on 7 August 1971, Unit 871 has undergone various adjustments to its organisational structure, functions, and tasks; in the process of construction and development, generations of its officers, employees, cadets, and soldiers have always remained united and worked tirelessly to overcome hardships and successfully fulfil every assigned mission. Their primary duties include managing Vietnamese cadets attending education and training programmes both at home and abroad, organising refresher courses for domestic and foreign officers, providing Vietnamese language training for foreign cadets, and participating in military foreign affairs and international cooperation. Through these efforts, the Unit has gradually consolidated its position and prestige within the military education and training system, directly contributing to developing a high-quality military workforce and realising the defence diplomacy lines of the Party, State, and VPA.
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| Gen. Nguyen Trong Nghia, Head of the General Department of Politics of the VPA during a working visit to Unit 871 |
Promoting its tradition and experience accumulated throughout its development periods, in recent years, the Unit has continuously renewed its management and education methods in a scientific, flexible manner, making them suitable to the diverse backgrounds, educational levels, and age groups of its cadets. At the same time, it has effectively managed its broad scope of responsibilities within an open working environment frequently impacted by international factors, thereby affirming its organisation, leadership, coordination, and problem-solving capabilities in the context of increasingly intensive international integration.
It is worth noting that the Unit has worked closely with relevant competent agencies to receive cadets, complete administrative procedures, assign study-related duties, organise learning activities, manage cadets, and provide all entitlements and benefits for thousands of cadets studying and conducting research in 30 countries and at more than 40 military and civilian educational institutions in Vietnam, across a wide range of disciplines and educational levels. Training and professional development for officers have continued to be effectively carried out. Foreign language training and refresher courses have been organised scientifically and tailored to practical requirements, thus contributing to improving the qualifications and capabilities of officers throughout the VPA, meeting the Military’s increasingly demanding mission requirements. During the 2021 - 2025 period, the Unit worked with the Embassies and Defence Attaché Offices of Australia, Germany, the Republic of Korea, the UK, France, and the US in Vietnam to provide foreign language training for nearly 2,000 Vietnamese officers via Australian English, American English, British Council English, French, Korean, and German language programmes. As a result, those officers acquired the language proficiency required under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which enabled them to pursue further education and research in military educational institutions both at home and abroad. Through these achievements, Unit 871 has firmly established itself as one of the VPA’s leading institutions for foreign language education and training.
Vietnamese language training for military cadets from Laos and Cambodia is another central political task to which the Unit has paid close attention. This work has been carried out meticulously at every stage, from preparation, reception, management, and training to the handover of cadets to specialised military schools upon completion of their Vietnamese language courses. The Unit has scientifically developed training curricula tailored to cadets' abilities, closely integrating Vietnamese language training with education on Vietnamese tradition, culture, and people and the VPA, as well as the customs and tradition of each country, thus raising cadets’ awareness and contributing to fostering the friendship and solidarity between Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
Grasping and implementing resolutions and directives by the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the Ministry of National Defence (MND) as well as guiding documents by competent agencies regarding military foreign affairs, the Unit has welcomed and worked with dozens of international delegations, ensuring full compliance with pre-set programmes and military diplomatic regulations, maintaining absolute safety, contributing to deepening the traditional solidarity, friendship, and cooperation between the VPA and other countries’ militaries, enhancing its prestige and standing in the new era, enabling it to fulfil its assigned defence diplomacy missions effectively.
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| 18th Party Congress of Unit 871 |
Alongside the successful fulfilment of its specialised tasks, the Unit has consistently attached great importance to building a pure, strong Party Organisation and making itself “exemplarily, typically” comprehensively strong. All-level party committees and party organisations have thoroughly grasped the Party's resolutions and directives, maintaining the Party’s leadership as a consistent principle, enhancing their leadership capacity and combativeness, promoting democracy, solidarity, and unity within themselves. Political and ideological education has been regularly conducted to help officers and soldiers develop political steadfastness, a strong sense of responsibility, and wholehearted dedication to their duties, thus laying a solid foundation for the Unit's stability and continued development.
Throughout more than half a century of construction, combat, and maturity, generations of officers, employees, cadets, and soldiers of Unit 871 have forged the tradition of “overcoming difficulties, providing wholehearted support, standing ready to undertake and accomplish every assigned task”. In recognition of these achievements, the Unit has been given numerous noble awards by the Party, the State, the CMC, the MND, and the General Department of Politics as a strong foundation and a powerful source of motivation for strengthening itself and fulfilling its missions successfully in the new situation.
At present, the requirement to improve the quality of human resources for the building of a revolutionary, regular, elite, modern VPA, the growing trend towards expanded defence cooperation on a global scale, and the rapid development of digital transformation are all exerting a direct impact on Unit 871's task performance. Building on its achievements and valuable experience, the Unit will focus on implementing the following key tasks and solutions.
First, raising the quality of cadet management and education as well as officer training and professional development in a practical, effective manner. This has been a consistent lesson throughout the Unit's performance of central mission. Accordingly, the Unit will continue grasping the CMC’s Resolution 290-NQ/QUTW, dated 7 January 2026, on breakthroughs in education and training development within the VPA, regularly reviewing and improving mechanisms for managing cadets in accordance with the characteristics of cadets’ study process both in Vietnam and abroad, combining management with education, integrating political training with the improvement of cadets’ professional competence. Drawing upon practical experience, the Unit will continue to foster proper learning motivation, encourage self-study and independent research, and strengthen cadets' ability to adapt to international environments, thereby contributing to developing a pool of officers with sufficient qualities and capabilities for the building of a revolutionary, regular, elite, modern VPA.
Second, improving the quality of Vietnamese language training for international cadets and the effectiveness of military foreign affairs. Building on its considerable experience in carrying out this specialised mission, the Unit will continue renewing the content, programmes, and methods of teaching Vietnamese language, closely integrating language training with education on Vietnamese national culture, history, and tradition and the VPA’s tradition. It will promote cultural exchange activities and develop a friendly, open, humane learning environment to contribute to spreading the image and cultural values of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new era, reinforcing trust, solidarity, and friendship between the VPA and the armed forces of other countries.
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| Presenting cadets upon graduation from overseas training programmes with rank promotion decisions (photo: qdnd.vn) |
Third, stepping up digital transformation, applying science and technology, renewing methods of management. In response to the rapid development of science and technology and the requirement to build a modern VPA, grounded on the infrastructure and capabilities already established, the Unit will focus on developing digital infrastructure and platforms for cadet management, training management, and operational administration, digitalising records and documents, and applying information technology to management, teaching, and learning. Priority will be given to improving the digital competencies of officers and employees, encouraging innovation, scientific research, and technical initiatives, thereby creating significant improvements in the quality and effectiveness of task performance.
Fourth, building a pure, strong Party Organisation and an “exemplarily, typically” comprehensively strong unit. This is both a long-term objective and a core lesson that provides a firm foundation for the Unit to accomplish all assigned missions successfully. Entering the new stage of development, the Unit will continue to grasp and implement the Resolutions of the 14th National Party Congress and the 12th Military Party Congress in accordance with its particularities. It will synchronously, effectively realise the principle of “two steadfast commitments, two accelerations, two preventions” across all areas of work. Emphasis will be placed on maintaining a strong political and ideological foundation in all education, training, and cadet management activities, especially those involving international cadets, ensuring consistency, professionalism, and political steadfastness in an international cooperative environment. Through these efforts, the Unit will reaffirm its unwavering commitment to the Party's military and defence lines and the requirement of building a politically strong VPA. Doing so will also enable the Unit to improve the quality of training, cadet management, and support services and foster international cooperation and defence diplomacy as an important environment for enhancing its prestige and position and spreading the image of a peaceful, friendly, and developing Vietnam.
Additionally, the Unit will proactively identify, anticipate, and promptly address factors arising from the international environment, strengthen the work of ideological management, education, and orientation for its officers, employees, cadets, and soldiers who regularly interact with foreign partners and international learners, thereby effectively preventing degradation in political ideology, morality, and lifestyle, ensuring its internal unity and steadfastness against any adverse impacts made by the negative aspects of international integration. It will continue concretising and realising the “five pillars” motto, making itself comprehensively strong, promoting the cultural values of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" in the new era, enhancing its overall quality, prestige, and position, preserving its glorious tradition, and striving to successfully accomplish every assigned mission.
Sr. Col. NGUYEN THE TRUNG
Commander of Unit 871