Decree No. 82/2016/ND-CP on insignia, rank badges, service badges, and uniforms of the Vietnam People's Army

DECREE

Regulations on insignia, rank insignia, badges, and uniforms
of the Vietnam People's Army

__________

Pursuant to the Law on Government Organization dated June 19, 2015;

Pursuant to the Officer Law of the Vietnam People's Army dated December 21, 1999; amended and supplemented on June 3, 2008 and November 27, 2014;

Based on the Law on Professional Military Personnel, Defense Workers, and Defense Civil Servants dated November 26, 2015;

Based on the Law on Military Service dated June 19, 2015;

"Based on the proposal of the Minister of National Defense;"

The Government promulgates this Decree stipulating insignia, rank insignia, badges, and uniforms of the Vietnam People's Army.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Decree stipulates insignia, rank insignia, and badges of the Vietnam People's Army; stipulates uniforms for officers, non-commissioned officers, students, warrant officers - soldiers, workers, and defense civil servants in the Vietnam People's Army; management and use of insignia, rank insignia, badges, and uniforms of the Vietnam People's Army.

Article 2. Applicability

This Decree applies to officers, non-commissioned officers, students, warrant officers - soldiers, workers, and defense civil servants in the Vietnam People's Army; relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Article 3. Explanation of Terms

In this Decree, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. Insignia of the Vietnam People's Army is the symbol of the Vietnam People's Army.

2. Rank insignia of the Vietnam People's Army is the emblem representing the rank within the military grade of officers, non-commissioned officers, students, warrant officers - soldiers in the Vietnam People's Army.

3. Badges of the Vietnam People's Army include: Badge background, badge figure, pine branch; military branch emblem; name plate; logo.

4. Uniforms of the Vietnam People's Army include: Ceremonial uniform, regular uniform, field uniform, service uniform, work uniform, and warm coat.

Article 4. Management and use of insignia, rank insignia, badges, and uniforms of the Vietnam People's Army

1. Insignia, rank insignia, badges, and uniforms of the Vietnam People's Army are used for officers, non-commissioned officers, students, warrant officers - soldiers. Workers and defense civil servants only use uniforms, name plates, and military branch emblems of the Vietnam People's Army.

2. Insignia, rank insignia, badges, and uniforms of the Vietnam People's Army are issued and used uniformly and strictly in accordance with the provisions of the law.

The Minister of National Defense shall stipulate the use and recovery of insignia, rank insignia, badges, and uniforms for each category serving or retiring from the Vietnam People's Army.

3. Strictly prohibited are agencies, units, organizations, and individuals producing, counterfeiting, imitating, storing, exchanging, selling, giving, and using insignia, rank insignia, badges, and uniforms of the Vietnam People's Army illegally. Violators will be disciplined, administratively sanctioned, or criminally prosecuted according to the law depending on the nature and severity of the violation.

Chapter II

INSIGIA, RANK INSIGIA, BADGES

OF THE VIETNAM PEOPLE'S ARMY

Article 5. Insignia of the Vietnam People's Army

1. Insignia of the Vietnam People's Army is circular, with a five-pointed star in gold color at the center, surrounded by two golden ears of rice placed on a bright red background, below the ears of rice is a half gear wheel in gold color, the outer rim of the insignia is gold.

Article 6. Rank insignias of the Vietnam People's Army

1. Rank insignias for officers and officer cadets

a) Shape: Two narrow edges and two vertical edges.

b) Background color of the rank insignia is gold, except for Border Guard which is green. The background color of general officers' rank insignia has embossed patterns of bronze drums, with the center of the drum located at the position where the rank insignia button is attached.

c) Border color of the rank insignia: Infantry red, Border Guard red, Air Defense-Air Force light blue, Navy dark purple.

d) Attached on the background of the rank insignia are: Gold buttons, stripes, stars. The button is round with raised patterns (for generals it is the National Emblem; for colonels and majors it is two ears of rice surrounding a five-pointed star). General officers' rank insignia have no horizontal stripes, colonel officers have two horizontal stripes, major officers have one horizontal stripe. Number of stars:

Sub-lieutenant, Lieutenant Colonel, Lieutenant General, Rear Admiral: One star;

Lieutenant, Major, Major General, Vice Admiral: Two stars;

Senior Lieutenant, Senior Colonel, Senior General, Admiral: Three stars;

Captain, Colonel, General: Four stars.

2. Rank insignias for professional soldiers

Follow the provisions of Clause 1 of this Article but there is a pink line 5 mm wide in the middle of the background of the rank insignia.

3. Rank insignias for non-commissioned officers and soldiers

a) Shape: Two narrow edges and two vertical edges.

b) Background color of the rank insignia is beige, except for Border Guard which is green.

c) Border color of the rank insignia: Infantry red, Border Guard red, Air Defense-Air Force light blue, Navy dark purple.

d) Attached on the background of the rank insignia are: Gold buttons, horizontal stripes or V-shaped stripes. The button is raised with patterns of two ears of rice surrounding a five-pointed star. Number of horizontal stripes or V-shaped stripes:

Private Second Class: One V-shaped stripe;

Private First Class: Two V-shaped stripes;

Corporal: One horizontal stripe;

Sergeant: Two horizontal stripes;

Staff Sergeant: Three horizontal stripes.

4. Rank insignias for non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the Navy when wearing jacket style with apron

a) Shape: Rectangle.

b) Background color of the rank insignia is dark purple, with the Navy emblem.

c) Border color of the rank insignia: None.

d) Attached on the background of the rank insignia are: Yellow horizontal stripes. Number of stripes:

Private Second Class: One stripe at the bottom of the rank insignia;

Private First Class: Two stripes symmetrically at both ends of the rank insignia;

Corporal: One stripe symmetrically in the middle of the rank insignia;

Sergeant: Two stripes symmetrically in the middle of the rank insignia;

Staff Sergeant: Three stripes symmetrically in the middle of the rank insignia.

5. Rank insignias for officer cadets, non-commissioned officer cadets, and technical staff cadets

a) Shape: Two narrow edges and two vertical edges.

b) Background color of the rank insignia: Infantry red, Air Defense-Air Force light blue, Navy dark purple, Border Guard green.

c) Border color of the rank insignia: Gold. For officer cadets, the border is 5 mm wide; for non-commissioned officer cadets and technical staff cadets, the border is 3 mm wide.

d) Attached on the background of the rank insignia is the rank insignia button. The button is raised with patterns of two ears of rice surrounding a five-pointed star.

Article 7. Branch emblems of the Vietnam People's Army

a) Single pine branch for general officers;

b) Single pine branch for colonels and majors.

2. Background and shape of the emblem

a) Emblem background is parallelogram-shaped; Infantry red, Border Guard green, Air Defense-Air Force light blue, Navy dark purple. The background of general officers' emblems has a 5 mm wide gold border on three sides.

b) Emblem shape is golden:

Combined Arms - Infantry: Crossed sword and rifle;

Mechanized Infantry: Armored vehicle on crossed sword and rifle;

Special Forces: Dagger on explosive device, below with arrow loop;

Tanks-Armored Vehicles: Side view of tank;

Artillery: Crossed cannon barrels;

Chemical: Radiation beam on benzene ring;

Engineers: Shovel and pickaxe on half-track wheel;

Communications: Radio waves;

Border Guard: Crossed sword and rifle on incomplete circle, above curved arc with national border symbol;

Air Defense-Air Force: Star on bird wings;

Paratroopers: Plane on open parachute;

Missiles: Missile on cloud background;

Anti-aircraft: High-altitude gun;

Radar: Radar wing on pedestal; Navy: Anchor;

Naval Infantry: Anchor on crossed sword and rifle;

Logistics-Finance: Crossed sword and rifle below with ear of rice;

Medical-Veterinary: Red cross in circle;

Technical: Compass on hammer;

Drivers: Steering wheel on car spring;

Prosecution-Military Control: Wooden block on crossed swords;

Military Music: Flute and clarinet crossed;

Physical Education-Sports: Bow and arrow;

Culture-Arts: Music symbol and guitar.

3. The Minister of National Defense shall specify the models, colors, nameplates, military branch symbols, logos of objects in the Vietnam People's Army.

Article 8. Combined insignia of the People's Army of Vietnam

1. The insignia background is rectangular; the Army Corps is red, the Border Guard is green, the Air Defense-Air Force is light blue, the Navy is dark purple. The background of the insignia for generals has a gold border 5 mm wide on three sides.

2. On the insignia background:

a) For generals: Attach the insignia emblem and gold stars, except for the combined corps general insignia which does not include the emblem, the number of stars is as follows:

Lieutenant General, Rear Admiral: 1 star;

Major General, Vice Admiral: 2 stars;

Lieutenant General, Admiral: 3 stars;

General: 4 stars.

b) Officers, officer students, and professional soldiers: Attach the insignia emblem, vertical stripes, and gold stars, colonels have 2 stripes, captains have 1 stripe. The number of stars is as follows:

Second Lieutenant, Captain: 1 star;

Lieutenant, Major: 2 stars;

First Lieutenant, Lieutenant Colonel: 3 stars;

First Lieutenant, Colonel: 4 stars.

c) Non-commissioned officers: Attach the insignia emblem, 1 vertical stripe and gold stars, the number of stars is as follows:

Senior Sergeant: 3 stars;

Corporal: 2 stars;

Private First Class: 1 star.

d) Soldiers: Attach the insignia emblem and gold stars, the number of stars is as follows:

Private First Class: 2 stars;

Private: 1 star.

đ) Officer trainees; non-commissioned officer trainees, technical staff trainees: Attach the insignia emblem with a 5 mm wide gold vertical stripe in the middle for officer trainees, and a 3 mm wide stripe for non-commissioned officer trainees and technical staff trainees.

Chapter III

CLOTHING OF THE PEOPLE'S ARMY OF VIETNAM

1. Cap

a) Style: The cap has an oval-shaped top; the button of the cap for generals, rear admirals, vice admirals, and admirals is embossed with the National Emblem, while that of colonels and captains is embossed with a five-pointed star; there is a sunshade in the center of the front of the cap for attaching the military badge, a coiled cord at the front edge of the brim, and two ears of rice at the lower edge of the brim.

b) Color:

The top of the cap for the Army Corps and Border Guard is dark olive; Air Defense-Air Force is dark blue; Navy is dark purple.

The body of the cap for the Army Corps is red; Border Guard is green; Air Defense-Air Force is light blue; Navy is dark purple.

The lining of the cap crown, the brim, and the strap are black.

The coiled cord and ears of rice are yellow.

2. Trousers and jacket

a) Model

Coat: Long-sleeved style with a V-neck, four patch pockets on the front, a slit at the back, shoulder straps for rank insignia, lined with both body and sleeves. The Navy coat has stripes indicating rank above the elbow.

Trousers: European-style long pants with two diagonal pockets, full-length zipper closure.

b) Color: Army Corps and Border Guard are dark olive; Air Defense-Air Force is dark blue; Navy is dark purple.

3. Underwear shirt: Loose-fitting, worn inside the trousers, long-sleeved, standing collar, white color.

4. Necktie: Pre-tied, matching the coat color.

5. Belt: Leather core; Army Corps and Border Guard brown, Air Defense-Air Force and Navy black, for generals, rear admirals, vice admirals, and admirals, double-layer leather, for colonels and captains, single-layer smooth leather. The belt buckle is gold metal with a five-pointed star embossed within a circle.

6. Leather shoes: Black; for generals, rear admirals, vice admirals, and admirals, smooth-toed lace-up style; for colonels, horizontal-grain toe lace-up style; for captains, horizontal-grain toe tied style.

7. Socks: Tube-knit style, matching the color of the trousers.

Clause 1. Soft cap

Point a) Model: A soft cap with a brim all around, foldable ear flaps and back flap, featuring a badge holder on the forehead front, a cooc dong cord on the front edge of the cap, and two ears of rice embroidered below the brim.

Point b) Color: The Army and Border Guard wear dark olive; Air Force and Airborne troops wear dark blue; Navy wears charcoal gray. The cooc dong cord and ears of rice are yellow.

2. Trousers and jacket

Point a) Model:

Coat: Long-sleeved model with a V-neck, two protruding pockets at the front bottom, shoulder straps and waist pleats, a slit at the back bottom, and epaulettes for insignia. For the Navy, there are stripes indicating rank above the cuffs.

Trousers: European-style long trousers with two vertical pockets and a full-length zipper.

Point b) Color: The Army and Border Guard wear dark olive; Air Force and Airborne troops wear dark blue; Navy wears charcoal gray.

Clause 3. Under-shirt: Loose-fitting shirt with a waist belt, worn tucked into trousers, long-sleeved with a stand-up collar, white in color.

4. Necktie: Pre-tied, matching the coat color.

Clause 5. Leather shoes: Square-toed shoes with high heels, featuring an odê loop lace-up decoration, black in color.

Clause 6. Socks: Tube socks matching the color of the trousers.

1. Cap

Model and color follow the provisions of Clause 1, Article 9 of this Decree, except that the summer cap top is white and the cap band is charcoal gray.

2. Trousers and jacket

a) Model

Coat: Long-sleeved model with a V-neck. At the front bottom, there are two inset pockets with pointed flaps fastened with buttons. The coat has two rows of buttons, each with three buttons. Above the cuffs, there are gold stripes indicating rank. In winter, it has lining in the body and sleeves; in summer, it does not have lining in the body and sleeves.

Trousers: European-style long pants with two diagonal pockets, full-length zipper closure.

Point b) Color: White in summer, charcoal gray in winter.

3. Underwear shirt: Loose-fitting, worn inside the trousers, long-sleeved, standing collar, white color.

Clause 4. Necktie: Pre-tied, matching the winter coat color.

Clause 5. Belt: Made of leather, with admirals and vice admirals having double-layered belts; colonels and majors have single-layered smooth leather belts. The buckle is made of gold metal with a five-pointed star embossed within a circle. Black in winter, white in summer.

Clause 6. Leather shoes: Admirals and vice admirals have square-toed shoes with laces; colonels have square-toed shoes with horizontal patterns and laces; majors have square-toed shoes with horizontal patterns and ties. White in summer, black in winter.

7. Socks: Tube-knit style, matching the color of the trousers.

Clause 1. Cap, trousers, belt, leather shoes, socks: Colors and models follow the provisions of Clauses 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 of Article 9 of this Decree, except for the Navy: Cap top is white, cap band is charcoal gray; trousers, belt, and shoes are white.

Clause 2. Shirt

Model: Short-sleeved shirt with a V-neck, four protruding pockets at the front bottom, a slit at the back bottom, and shoulder straps for insignia.

Color: The Army and Border Guard wear dark olive; Air Force and Airborne troops wear dark blue; Navy wears white.

Clause 1. Soft cap: Model and color follow the provisions of Clause 1 of Article 10 of this Decree, except for the Navy where the cap top is white and the brim is charcoal gray.

Clause 2. Skirt and shirt

a) Model

Shirt: Short-sleeved shirt with a V-neck, two protruding pockets at the front bottom, shoulder straps and waist pleats, a slit at the back bottom, and shoulder straps for insignia.

Skirt: Fitted skirt reaching below the knee, with an inner lining, and a slit at the back bottom.

Point b) Color: The Army and Border Guard wear dark olive; Air Force and Airborne troops wear dark blue; Navy wears white.

Clause 3. Leather boots: High-collared boots with a zipper, collar height reaching mid-calf, smooth toe, textured sole; black in color, except for the Navy which is white.

Clause 4. Stockings: Flesh-colored.

Article 14. Attire for ceremonial occasions of workers and civil servants in national defense

1. Men shall wear suits, women shall wear traditional Vietnamese ao dai, with leather shoes and socks.

2. The Minister of National Defense shall provide detailed regulations on types of items, styles, and colors of attire for ceremonial occasions of workers and civil servants in national defense.

Article 15. Attire for ceremonial occasions of non-commissioned officers - soldiers, officer trainees, technical staff; regular uniforms, field uniforms, service uniforms, working uniforms; cold-weather hats and coats of the Vietnam People's Army

1. The attire for ceremonial occasions of non-commissioned officers - soldiers, officer trainees, and technical staff includes winter and summer ceremonial uniforms, consisting of: Hats, pants, shirts, belts, shoes, socks; the color of the uniform is specified according to each branch and service.

2. Regular uniforms for officers, professional military personnel, officer trainees, female non-commissioned officers - soldiers, workers, and civil servants in national defense include winter and summer regular uniforms:

a) Winter regular uniforms consist of: Hats, pants, overcoats, undershirts, ties, belts, shoes, socks; the color of the uniform is specified according to each branch and service;

b) Summer regular uniforms consist of: Hats, pants, shirts, belts, shoes, socks; the color of the uniform is specified according to each branch and service.

3. Regular uniforms for male non-commissioned officers - soldiers; male officer trainees who are not yet officers, male officer trainees, and technical staff: Use a common uniform for both winter and summer, including: Hats, pants, shirts, belts, shoes, socks; the color of the uniform is specified according to each branch and service.

4. Field uniforms for officers, professional military personnel, officer trainees, and non-commissioned officers - soldiers include: Training and combat helmets, soft field caps, field uniforms, field boots, field belts; the color of the uniform is specified according to each branch and service.

5. Service uniforms for forces performing ceremonial duties, military control, military courts, guards, border gate guards, bilateral patrols, communication line operations, ship operations, submarine operations, military pilots, underwater special forces, anti-terrorism, search and rescue, and other specialized branches and services include winter and summer service uniforms, consisting of: Hats, uniforms, shoes or boots, gloves, belts, victory bands; the color of the uniform is specified according to each branch and service.

6. Working uniforms for specialized professions within the Vietnam People's Army, when performing special tasks, include: Hats, pants, shirts, shoes or boots; the color of the uniform is specified according to each branch and service.

7. Subjects in the Vietnam People's Army are provided with cold-weather hats and coats; officers and professional military personnel are additionally provided with military overcoats; male non-commissioned officers - soldiers on guard duty are additionally provided with guard overcoats. The color of the uniform is specified according to each branch and service.

8. The Minister of National Defense shall specify the styles and colors of the uniforms prescribed in this Article.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 16. Effective Date

This Decree takes effect from July 1, 2016, and replaces Government Decree No. 52/2002/NĐ-CP dated April 29, 2002, which stipulates insignia, rank badges, shoulder marks, and ceremonial uniforms of the Vietnam People's Army.

Decision No. 109/2009/QĐ-TTg dated August 26, 2009, of the Prime Minister stipulating insignia, rank badges, shoulder marks, and ceremonial uniforms of the Vietnam People's Army ceases to be effective from the date this Decree takes effect, except for provisions regarding insignia, rank badges, shoulder marks, and uniforms of the Vietnam Coast Guard.

Article 17. Transitional Provisions

Insignia, rank badges, shoulder marks, and uniforms of the Vietnam People's Army issued before the date this Decree takes effect, if still within their service life, may continue to be used without being replaced or newly issued.

Article 18. Responsibility for Implementation

1. The Minister of National Defense shall provide detailed regulations on the provisions assigned and guide the implementation of this Decree.

2. The Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairmen of provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees are responsible for implementing this Decree./.