The list of military branches in the Vietnam People's Army
What forces are included in the military branches in the Vietnam People's Army? - Mr. Quoc (Lao Cai)
The list of military branches in the Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces with the mission of defending the homeland, preserving independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and protecting national security.
Currently, the Vietnam People's Army has three branches:
(1) Army:
The main armed force responsible for defending sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security on land.
The Army includes the following branches: Infantry (mechanized infantry), Artillery, Armor, Air Defense...
(2) Navy:
The main armed force responsible for defending sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security at sea and on islands.
The Navy includes the following branches: Surface ships, submarines, naval aviation, coastal missile-artillery, amphibious forces...
(3) Air Defense - Air Force:
The main armed force responsible for defending sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national security in the sky.
The Air Force includes the following branches: Fighter aircraft, fighter-bomber aircraft, bombers, reconnaissance...
The Air Defense branch includes: Anti-aircraft artillery, surface-to-air missiles, radar...
In addition, there are two equivalent command units:
- Border Guard Command: Responsible for safeguarding national borders, coastlines, and performing other tasks as prescribed by law.
- Coast Guard Command: Responsible for maintaining security and order at sea, enforcing laws in Vietnam's maritime areas, continental shelf, and exclusive economic zone.
Along with the three branches and two equivalent command units, the Vietnam People's Army also has independent branches, units under the Ministry of National Defense, and local military units.
The list of military branches in the Vietnam People's Army - image from internet
What is the highest army ranks for officer positions in Vietnam?
Pursuant to Clause 3 Article 10 of the Law on Vietnam People’s Army Officers in 1999 stipulating officers’ ranks and grades system as follows:
Officers’ ranks and grades system
The officers’ ranks and grades system comprises three ranks and twelve grades:
...
3. The general rank include four grades:
Major general, naval rear-admiral;
Lieutenant general, naval vice-admiral;
Senior lieutenant general, naval admiral;
General.
Pursuant to Clause 3 Article 10 of the Law on Vietnam People’s Army Officers in 1999 (amended by Clause 3 Article 1 of the Law on amendments to the Law on Vietnam People’s Army Officers in 2014) stipulating the highest army ranks for officer positions as follows:
The highest army ranks for officer positions
1. The highest army ranks for officer positions are prescribed as follows:
a/ General:
The Minister of National Defense;
The Chief of the General Staff; the Director of the General Department of Politics;
b/ Senior Lieutenant General, Naval Admiral:
The number of Deputy Ministers of National Defense who have the highest army rank being Senior Lieutenant General or Naval Admiral is no more than six;
The Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics: each position has the highest army rank being Senior Lieutenant General and is held by more than three persons;
Director and Political Commissar of the National Defense Academy;
...
As regulations above, there are 3 ranks and 12 grades in the system of Vietnam People's Army. The highest rank is general rank including General, Senior lieutenant general, Lieutenant general, Major general.
In addition, there is the rank of Naval Admiral. This rank equals to the rank of General. It can be only granted to the officers of the Navy.
The highest army ranks for officer positions are prescribed as follows:
(1) General:
- The Minister of National Defense;
- The Chief of the General Staff;
- The Director of the General Department of Politics;
(2) Senior Lieutenant General, Naval Admiral:
- Deputy Ministers of National Defense;
- Deputy Chief of the General Staff;
- Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics;
- Director and Political Commissar of the National Defense Academy
(3) Lieutenant General, Vice Naval Admiral:
- Commanders and Political Commissars of:
+ Military zones, army services, border guards;
+ Directors, Heads, Political Commissars of General Departments;
+ Head of the Government Cipher Department;
- Commanders and Political Commissars of:
+ Military Command Posts of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City;
+ Vietnam Marine Police;
- Directors and Political Commissars of:
+ Academies of Army, Politics;
+ Military Engineering, Logistics, Army Medical Service;
- Principals and Political Commissars of the Army Officers Schools I and II, the Political Officers School;
- Deputy Director of the National Defense Academy;
- Deputy Political Commissar of the National Defense Academy;
- Directors of the Departments of :
+ Operations, Military Training, Personnel;
+ Militia and Self-Defense Forces, Organization and Personnel, Propagation, School, Electronic Operations;
+ Information Technology, Rescue- Salvage;
+ Foreign Affairs;
- Chief Inspector of the Ministry of National Defense;
- Chief Justice of the Central Military Court who is a Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court;
- Procurator General of the Central Military Procuracy who is a Deputy Procurator General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy;
- Director of the Central Party Commission Office - the Office of the Ministry of National Defense;
- Director of the Institute for Defense Strategy;
- Director of Central Military Hospital 108;
(4) Major General, Rear Naval Admiral:
- Commanders and Political Commissars of Army Corps, Services, Naval Zones, Marine Police Zones;
- Directors of the Departments of
+ Army Security Protection; Military Science; Finance, Planning and Investment;
+ Army Medical Corps; Criminal Investigation; Standardization, Measurement and Quality Control;
+ People Agitation; Policies; Economy; Cipher; Barrack Building; Technology Management;
+ Mapping; Military Supplies; Petroleum; Transportation; Military Equipment; Vehicles- Machinery; Army Service Engineering; Drill-Training;
+ Army Air Defense; Reconnaissance; Drug Prevention and Control; Cipher Operation Technique Management;
+ Departments 11, 12, 16, 25 and 71;
- Directors of the Military Science and Technology Institute, Vietnam Military History Institute, Institute 26, Institute 70;
- Directors and Political Commissars of the Air Defense and Air Forces, Navy, Border- Guard, Military Science Academies;
- Director of the Cipher Technique Academy;
- Commanders of the Defense- Economy Army Corps 11, 12, 15, 16 and 18;
- Commander and Political Commissar of the President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Protection Command Post;
- Political Directors of:
+ Military Zones, Army Services, Border Guard, Defense Academy, General Staff, General Department of Logistics, General Department of Engineering, General Department of Defense Industry, General Department II;
+ Director of the Political Department of the General Department of Politics;
- A Deputy Chief of Staff who is the Secretary or Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Military Zone, Army Service or Border-Guard Staff;
- A Deputy Political Director who is the Secretary or Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Political Department of the Military Zone, Army Service or Border Guard;
- Editor-in-Chief of the Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People’s Army) newspaper; Editor-in-Chief of the All-People Defense Review;
- Director of the Army Television- Radio Broadcasting Center;
- General Director and a Deputy General Director being the Secretary of the Party Committee of the Army Telecommunications Group;
- General Director of Vietnam-Russia Tropics Center;
- Directors of Hospital 175, Hospital 103, the Army Traditional Medicine Institute, the National Bums Institute;
- Directors of Departments of the Academies of National Defense; Marxist- Leninist Theories; Party- Political Activities; Strategies; Military Campaigns;
- Assistants of the National Defense Minister, Directors of the Legal Department, Office of the General Staff, and Office of the General Department of Politics;
What is the maximum age for the rank of General serving in the military in Vietnam?
Pursuant to Clause 1 Article 13 of the Law on Vietnam People’s Army Officers in 1999 (amended by Clause 3 Article 1 of the Law on amendments to the Law on Vietnam People’s Army Officers in 2008) stipulating service ages of officers as follows:
Officers active-service ages
1. The maximum ages of on-active-service officers according to officers ranks:
The company rank: male: 46, female: 46;
Major: male: 48, female: 48;
Lieutenant colonel: male: 51, female: 51;
Senior lieutenant colonel: male: 54, female: 54;
Colonel: male: 57, female: 55;
The general rank: male: 60, female: 55.
...
According to that, the maximum age limit for the rank of General serving in the military is 60 years old for males and 55 years old for females.
Furthermore, when there is a need in the military and an officer possesses the necessary qualities in terms of political and ethical standards, expertise, proficiency in professional skills, good health, and voluntary willingness, their service age in the military can be extended for up to 5 years; in special cases, it can be extended further.
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