Inside the most modern military diver training 'furnace' in Southeast Asia

Located on the banks of the Gia River (Hai Phong), the Deep Diving Training Center of the 126th Naval Brigade is where military divers are trained - a force that has made many special achievements in the resistance war against the US. Now, they continue to shoulder the task of training, being ready to fight, and participating in rescue operations in peacetime.

In the photo, soldiers Pham Ngoc Phuc and Nguyen Tien Thanh are undergoing a health check before training.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Khong Quoc Thang, Political Commissar of the Deep Diving Training Center, the center was established in 2019 with the mission of providing in-depth training for diving forces across the entire military service.

Each trainee must undergo rigorous exercises in a realistic simulated environment, with varying pressure and temperature conditions similar to those at sea.

"During training, the pressure in the system is adjusted from low to high, corresponding to the depth below the seabed. Soldiers must live, eat, sleep, and practice continuously in the diving chamber for many days in a row," said Lieutenant Colonel Thang.

The center's special feature is the automated diving system, imported from abroad, with vertical and horizontal chambers, control systems and surveillance cameras. After diving, each soldier is taken to a high-pressure oxygen treatment chamber to recover. The deep diving training center is one of the most modern diver training centers in Southeast Asia.

Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Van Vinh, Deputy Brigade Commander and Chief of Staff of Brigade 126, said that the system at the center helps simulate real working conditions deep under the sea, helping soldiers get used to high pressure, low light conditions, and low temperatures.

"The center's divers have reached the same level as those in advanced countries. This is an environment for training both physical strength and bravery so that soldiers can fight or participate in rescue in all situations," said Mr. Vinh.

“There is no way to turn an ordinary person into the legend Yet Kieu without a rigorous, systematic training environment that combines the tradition of the force, unit and the will of each individual,” emphasized Lieutenant Colonel Hoang Van Vinh.

Brigade 126 - formerly the 126th Water Commando Group - achieved many feats during the period 1966-1973, with more than 300 battles, sinking or damaging nearly 400 enemy ships, destroying hundreds of thousands of tons of weapons, and killing thousands of enemy troops.

In peacetime, the unit continues to participate in rescue operations at many hot spots such as the Phong Chau bridge collapse and most recently the capsized ship Vinh Xanh 58 in Quang Ninh .

"Not only serving internal training, the center also trains divers for units inside and outside the military. All students after completing the training course are capable of taking on real tasks," said Mr. Vinh.

For three consecutive years (2021-2023), the 126th Naval Special Forces Brigade was awarded the Flag of Excellent Training Unit by the Ministry of National Defense. For five consecutive years (2021-2024), the Brigade was awarded the Certificate of Merit for Excellent Special Forces Training Unit by the Special Forces Corps. In 2020, the Brigade was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the President for the third time.

Underground, in sealed pressure chambers, each “Yết Kiêu in peacetime” soldier is training day and night, ready to receive orders to go at any time of emergency. For them, the deep sea is not the final destination, but the beginning of an uncompromising mission.

Hoang Ha - Hue Citadel

Vietnmanet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/ben-trong-lo-luyen-tho-lan-quan-su-hien-dai-bac-nhat-dong-nam-a-2428280.html