Militia and Self-Defense Force - Organization
The Militia and Self-Defense Force are composed of the core force and the broad force. The core one is composed of the Militia and Self-Defense Force in infantry, air-defense, artillery, engineering, reconnaissance, signal, chemical protection, medical care, and the coastline and maritime Militia and Self-Defense Force. The mobile, on-the-spot and permanent forces of the Militia and Self-Defense Force are organized into platoons, companies or battalions, and equipped with appropriate weapons. The Militia and Self-Defense Force are provided with political education and military training in the programs regulated by the Ministry of National Defense.
Lawmakers deliberated on bills related to national security and defense at the National Assembly on 16 June 2009. Under the bill, a large enterprise that has been operating for 12 months or longer and has a Party cell must set up a self-defense force. However, other enterprises can also set up such a force at the request of the local military, subject to approval by the chairperson of the municipal or provincial people’s committee.
Reserve army men not yet enlisted into mobilization reserve units are arranged in militia or self-defense units. Vietnamese citizens aged between full 18 and full 45 for men and between full 18 and full 40 for women are obliged to join militia or self-defense forces; for volunteers, their maximum age may be 50 years for men and 45 years for women. The term of service in the core militia and self-defense force is 4 years. 2. Based on the practical situation, the nature of tasks and work requirements, the term of service in the core militia and self-defense force may be prolonged for not more than 2 years for militiamen or for a longer period for self-defense members and commanders of militia and self defense units until they reach the age limits specified.
In April every year, chairpersons of commune-level People’s Committees or heads of agencies or organizations organize first-time registration for citizens in the eligible age group to join militia and selfdefense forces. Annually, the military commands of districts, towns or provincial cities (collectively referred to as district level) direct and guide commune-level military commands, military commands of grassroots agencies and units or self-defense units in agencies or organizations without military commands in planning and carrying out the selection and recruitment of qualified citizens into the core militia and self-defense force in accordance with the situation of the geographical area, population and socio-economic conditions and the requirements of defense and security tasks in each locality or establishment.
To postpone the performance of the obligation to join the core militia and self-defense force in the following cases: a/ Women who are pregnant or nursing a under-36-month child; b/ Being physically unfit as concluded by a commune- or higher-level health establishment; c/ Having the spouse who is an officer, professional army man, noncommissioned officer or a soldier currently serving in the People’s Army or People’s Public Security Force; d/ Being the sole breadwinner in a poor household; e/ Persons who are learning at general school, professional secondary school, vocational intermediate school, college, vocational college, university or academy.
To exempt from performing the obligation to join the core militia and self-defense force in the following cases: a/ Spouses or children of fallen heroes; spouses or children of class-1 war invalids or diseased soldiers; spouses or children of orange agent victims who have lost their working capacity; b/ Reserve army men already arranged in mobilization reserve units; c/ Caretakers of those who have lost 81% or more of their working capacity.
The organization of militia and self-defense units is as follows: a/ Group; b/ Squad; c/ Platoon; d/ Company, flotilla; e/ Battalion, fleet. The organization of grassroots military commands is as follows: a/ Village militia unit; b/ Commune-level military command; c/ Military commands of grassroots agencies or organizations which have self-defense forces, the reserve mobilization force and human resources ready for enlistment as prescribed by law.
The Minister of National Defense and commanders of military headquarters at various levels command the Militia and Self-Defense Force as stipulated by the Law on National Defense. Activities of the Militia and Self-Defense Force are carried out according to the plans of commune-level military commanders, and of military command boards of offices and organizations, under the direct leadership as well as guidance of the Party’s executive committees and the grassroots-level administrative authorities.
In peacetime, the Militia and Self-Defense Force is the core force tasked with performing both work and production, and playing the vanguard role in protecting production activities, preventing and overcoming the aftermaths of natural calamities and enemy-inflicted destruction as well as other serious incidents. At the same time, it co-ordinates with grassroots-level security forces to maintain political security, and public order and safety in localities, and participates in building grassroots-level establishments into comprehensively strong ones, making contributions to the building of increasingly firm local defense zones. In border, sea areas and islands, the Militia and Self-Defense Force co-ordinates with the Border Guard Force to firmly protect sovereignty, territorial integrity and border security of the Homeland.
In wartime, the Militia and Self-Defense Force becomes the strategic force in carrying out people’s war, acting as the core force in the movement of fighting the enemy by the whole people, taking part in combat and combat service, coordinating with other forces to protect the locality and unit pursuant to the operational plan of the defense zone. The Militia and Self-Defense Force carries out civil defense work both in peacetime and wartime as regulated by law.
The Militia and Self-Defense Force have developed in quality, quantity, organizational structure, and equipment. The organizational structure is more compact but the overall quality of the Militia and Self-Defense Force has been upgraded, meeting the requirements of new assignments.
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