| Quân đoàn 3 (3rd Corps) | |
|---|---|
| Active | March 26, 1975–present |
| Country |
 Vietnam |
| Allegiance |
 Vietnam People's Army |
| Branch | Active duty |
| Type | Army Corps |
| Role | Regular force |
| Size | Corps |
| Part of | Vietnam People's Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Pleiku, Gia Lai |
| Engagements |
Vietnam War Cambodian–Vietnamese War |
| Decorations | Hero of the People's Armed ForcesMilitary Exploit Order |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Đức Hải |
| Ceremonial chief | Maj. Gen. Vũ Lăng |
3rd Corps (Vietnamese language: Quân đoàn 3 ) or Tây Nguyên Corps (Vietnamese language: Binh doan tay nguyen , literally: Corps of Tây Nguyên) is one of the four regular army corps of the Vietnam People's Army. First organized in 1975 during the Vietnam War, 3rd Corps had a major role in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign and the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. Today the corps is stationed in Pleiku, Gia Lai.
- Commander: Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Đức Hải
- Political Commissar: Maj. Gen. Chu Công Phu
History[]
In July 1973, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam after its 21st conference issued a resolution of strengthening the armed forces in order to unify the country. In executing the issue, three months later the Ministry of Defence and the Military Commission of the Central Committee approved the plan of organizing regular army corps for the Vietnam People's Army. On March 26, 1975,[1] General Võ Nguyên Giáp, Minister of Defence, signed the edict that led to the establishment of the 3rd Corps in Tây Nguyên, from which came the name Tây Nguyên Corps of the unit.[2] The first headquarters of the corps consisted of party committee secretary (bí thư) Đặng Vũ Hiệp and commander (tư lệnh) Vũ Lăng.
During the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, it was 3rd Corps that advanced through the maritime regions of Phú Yên, Khánh Hòa and later captured the Tan Son Nhat Airport. After the Vietnam War, 3rd Corps continued to engage in the Cambodian–Vietnamese War, the corps was awarded the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces (Anh hùng Lực lượng vũ trang nhân dân) in 1979.[2]
Organization[]
The command structure of 3rd Corps consists of the High Command (Bộ tư lệnh), the Staff of 3rd Corps (Bộ tham mưu), the Political Department (Cục chính trị), the Department of Logistics (Cục hậu cần) and the Department of Technique (Cục kỹ thuật). The combat forces of the corps include the 10th Infantry Division, 31st Infantry Division, 320 Division (Vietnam), 312th Regiment of Air Defence, 273rd Tank Regiment, 675th Artillery Regiment, 198th Regiment of Special Force, 29th Regiment of Signal and 545th Regiment of Engineers.[2]
10th Infantry Division
31st Infantry Division- 320 Division
- 312th Air Defence Regiment
- 273rd Tank Regiment
- 675th Artillery Regiment
- 198th Special Force Regiment
- 29th Signal Regiment
- 545th Engineers Regiment
Commanders[]
| Time | Commander | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1975–1977 | Maj. Gen. Vũ Lăng | |
| 1977–1979 | Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Kim Tuấn | |
| 1979–1984 | Col. Nguyễn Quốc Thước | Later promoted to Lieutenand General, Commander of the 4th Military Region. |
| 1984–1990 | Maj. Gen. Khuất Duy Tiến | Later promoted to Lieutenant General, Director of the Department of Armed Forces, General Staff. |
| 1990–1991 | Maj. Gen. Trần Tất Thanh | |
| 1991–1993 | Col. Lê Quang Bình | |
| 1993–1997 | Maj. Gen. Đỗ Quang Mùi | |
| 1997–2002 | Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Hữu Hạ | |
| 2002–2005 | Col. Nguyễn Xuân Hùng | Later promoted to Lieutenant General, Deputy Chief of the General Staff. |
| 2005–2007 | Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Trung Thu | Later promoted to Lieutenant General, Commander of the 5th Military Region. |
| 2007–2010 | Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Vĩnh Phú | |
| 2010–present | Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Đức Hải |
Notes[]
- ↑ Ministry of Defence of Vietnam (2009) (in Vietnamese). White book of Defence of Vietnam. Hanoi: World Publishing House. p. 111.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Quân đoàn 3" (in Vietnamese). Từ điển Bách khoa toàn thư Việt Nam. http://dictionary.bachkhoatoanthu.gov.vn/default.aspx?param=164AaWQ9MjAwMTgmZ3JvdXBpZD0ma2luZD1zdGFydCZrZXl3b3JkPXE=&page=3.
References[]
- High Command of the 3rd Corps, Vietnam People's Army (2002) (in Vietnamese). History of the Army at Tây Nguyên front - Annals of the 3rd Corps (1964–2000). Hanoi: People's Army Publishing House.
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The original article can be found at 3rd Corps (Vietnam People's Army) and the edit history here.