Promoting the spirit of protecting the sea...

(Baonghean) - Over the years, Squadron 137 has always performed well in its missions of combat readiness training, patrolling, and managing the sea area from the South of the Gulf of Tonkin to the North of Deo Ngang...

Established and stationed in Phuc Tho commune (Nghi Loc) since June 6, 2005, for the past 11 years, Squadron 137 (Navy Region 1). The commanders of Squadron 137 said: Squadron 137 is a key unit protecting the country's sea area from the South of the Gulf of Tonkin to the North of Deo Ngang. The unit's tasks mainly focus on combat training, combat readiness, propaganda of the Law of the Sea, the Agreement on delimitation in the Gulf of Tonkin...

On average, each year the Fleet conducts 4-5 patrols, requiring foreign fishing vessels and ships to leave Vietnam's waters. Propagating to Vietnamese fishermen the contents of regulations and laws at sea. Closely coordinating with forces stationed in the area, grasping the situation at sea, in the air, on land... contributing to maintaining the Fatherland's maritime borders.

Coastal patrol squadron.

The recent important mission of the Squadron is to search for planes and pilots in distress at sea. Last July, one was a 16-day search and rescue mission that no one expected. Because, after 2 days of the Su-30MK2 fighter jet going missing, it was the turn of the CASA 212 patrol to lose contact in the Bach Long Vy sea area while on a mission to search for the pilot on the Su-30MK2 flight. Having just completed the mission of searching for Major Nguyen Huu Cuong and Lieutenant Colonel Tran Quang Khai (Su-30MK2), immediately 2 ships of Squadron 137 continued to go to the Gulf of Tonkin to search for CASA 212.

During the time searching for the two crashed planes, Squadron 137 successfully completed the assigned mission. The unit and Senior Lieutenant Hoang Van Vi and Senior Lieutenant Tran Mong Diep were awarded by the Ministry of National Defense, the General Department of Politics, the General Staff... Each award is very valuable, but for the officers and soldiers of Squadron 137, the greatest reward is that their comrades were found and "returned" home...

Navy soldiers of Squadron 137 ready for combat - Photo: Viet Long.

Over the past 11 years, Squadron 137 has had over 640 ship operations, traveling nearly 160,000 nautical miles safely. Over the past time, Squadron 137 has always completed combat training missions well according to the motto "Basic, practical, solid". The unit has also identified many immediate and long-term tasks with many difficulties and challenges when the weather at sea is unusually stormy, the situation in the seas and islands of the Fatherland has many complicated developments, the plots and tricks of foreign ships are unpredictable...

However, the officers and soldiers of the squadron always hold their guns firmly, upholding their determination to complete their missions. To successfully complete their tasks in the sea area under their responsibility, every year, Squadron 137 also reinforces the Navy Region 4, Truong Sa and other islands with 5-7 people according to mission requirements...

Thanh Son