Hero of the Naval Commandos

On March 24, 1967, the 5th Naval Commando Battalion (the predecessor of the 5th Naval Commando Brigade) was established and stationed in Thuy Nguyen District ( Hai Phong City).

Naval commando unit landed on Sinh Ton Island as part of a mission to liberate the Spratly Islands on April 28, 1975.

During the resistance war to liberate South Vietnam and unify the country, the unit directly trained 50 company-level units (from K1 to K50) with more than 5,000 naval commando officers and soldiers to supplement the battlefields.

In the extremely harsh environment of naval commando combat, the soldiers trained at Battalion 5, deployed to various battlefields, achieved many resounding victories, such as the battles at Nha Be, Thanh Tuy Ha, the Saigon River - Long Tau, and the oil refinery at the port of Kampong Som (Cambodia)...

Fighters of the 5th Naval Special Forces Brigade train to capture an island.

After the reunification of the country, the unit simultaneously trained and directly fought to defend the homeland, fulfilled international duties, and provided training assistance to friendly countries Cambodia and Laos.

Entering a new era, the 5th Naval Commando Brigade has done a good job advising and proposing to its superiors on building and developing the naval commando force towards being lean, efficient, strong, and modern. It has also done a good job of ensuring and supporting combat training, combat readiness, and other unexpected missions.

Soldiers of the 5th Naval Special Forces Brigade are training in combat.

The 5th Naval Special Forces Brigade has been awarded the title of Hero of the People's Forces by the Party and State (2004); awarded the First Class Military Merit Order (2002), the Third Class Military Merit Order (1980), the Second Class Order of National Defense (2021)... and has received numerous emulation flags from the Prime Minister and the Ministry of National Defense , including five consecutive years (2001-2005) when it was awarded the flag of the Leading Unit in the Emulation Movement for Victory by the Prime Minister...

Martial arts training for naval commandos.

126th Naval Special Forces Brigade

On April 13, 1966, the Ministry of National Defense issued a decision to establish the Special Forces Reconnaissance Training Unit (now the 126th Naval Special Forces Brigade).

Immediately after its establishment, the unit simultaneously fought directly against the enemy on the rivers and seas of Southern Vietnam and trained troops. During seven years of fighting in the Cua Viet - Dong Ha battlefield (1966-1973), the brigade fought over 300 battles, sinking or damaging nearly 400 enemy ships. In the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, the unit was a direct force in liberating the Spratly Islands and subsequently carried out international duties assisting the Cambodian people…

Naval commandos training at the Vinh Linh base (Quang Tri province), 1968.

Over the years, the unit has successfully carried out training closely aligned with the tasks of protecting maritime sovereignty and islands, combat targets, and weapons and equipment in its inventory; using the battlefield as a training ground; closely combining training with competitions and exercises, and continuously improving combat readiness.

Soldiers of the 126th Naval Special Forces Brigade are training in diving.

In addition, the unit has also performed well in search and rescue missions at sea. In 2020, the brigade successfully completed the mission of participating in the rescue of crew members of the Vietship 01 vessel in the Cua Viet sea area (Quang Tri). Recently, the brigade directly participated in the search and rescue mission after the collapse of the Phong Chau bridge (Phu Tho).

Colonel Phan Van Canh (Commander of the 126th Naval Special Forces Brigade) assigns tasks to the troops.

"We focus on training our troops to proficiently use existing weapons and equipment, as well as newly deployed equipment; and to flexibly apply naval commando tactics in the new situation," emphasized Colonel Tran Van Nghia (Political Commissar of the 126th Naval Commando Brigade).

Colonel Nghia stated: "We focus on practical training, field training in remote sea and island areas; training based on scenarios and battles, and combat training; constantly improving the soldiers' ability to withstand rough seas and long periods of drifting at sea."

The special forces unit of Brigade 126 trains on combat plans in the Spratly Islands.

Brigade 126 has been awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces three times (in 1969, 1971, and 2020). Teams 1, 2, 3, and 4 (now companies) and 13 individuals have been awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces…

Some training photos of naval commandos.

Airborne landing training for the 126th Naval Special Forces.

Pressure testing for frogmen in the pressurization/decompression chamber.

Completed the diving course.

Brigade 126 organized a long-distance sea swimming competition for its soldiers.

Soldiers of the 126th Naval Special Forces Brigade perform a rappelling exercise from a height to approach their target.

The soldiers of the 5th Naval Special Forces Brigade have completed their mission.

Officers and soldiers of the 126th Naval Special Forces Brigade conduct search and rescue operations.

Soldiers from the 126th Naval Special Forces Brigade are carrying out a search mission for victims after the collapse of the Phong Chau bridge (Phu Tho province), September 2024.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bo-doi-dac-cong-anh-hung-dac-cong-nuoc-185241125162323303.htm