Tatmadaw
Post Name and Rank Ethnicity
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Smith Dun BC 5106 Karen
Chief of Army Staff Brigadier General Saw Kyar Doe BC 5107 Karen
Chief of Air Staff Lieutenant Colonel Saw Shi Sho BAF-1020 Karen
Chief of Naval Staff Commander Khin Maung Bo Bamar
North Burma Sub District Commander Brigadier General Ne Win BC 3502 Bamar
South Burma Sub District Commander Brigadier General Aung Thin BC 5015 Bamar
1st Infantry Division Brigadier General Saw Chit Khin Karen
Adjutant General Lieutenant Colonel Kyaw Win Bamar
Judge Advocate General Colonel Maung Maung ( Bull dog ) BC 4034 Bamar
Quarter Master General Lieutenant Colonel Saw Donny Karen
History -- Post-independence ( 1948–2010 )
UBS Mayu At the time of Myanmar 's independence in 1948 , the Tatmataw was weak , small and disunited . Cracks appeared along the lines of ethnic background , political affiliation , organisational origin and different services . Its unity and operational efficiency was further weakened by the interference of civilians and politicians in military affairs , and the perception gap between the staff officers and field commanders . The most serious problem was the tension between Karen Officers , coming from the British Burma Army and Burmese officers , coming from the Patriotic Burmese Force ( PBF ) . [ 19 ] In accordance with agreement reached at the Kandy Conference in September 1945 , the Tatmataw was reorganised by incorporating the British Burma Army and the Patriotic Burmese Force . The officer corps shared by ex-PBF officers and officers from the British Burma Army and Army of Burma Reserve Organisation ( ABRO ) . The British also decided to form what were known as `` Class Battalions '' based on ethnicity . There were a total of 15 rifle battalions at the time of independence and four of them were made up of former members of PBF . None of the influential positions within the War Office and commands were manned with former PBF Officers . All services including military engineers , supply and transport , ordnance and medical services , Navy and Air Force were commanded by former Officers from ABRO and British Burma Army . [ 19 ] Ethnic and Army Composition of Tatmataw in 1948 [ 20 ] Battalion Ethnic/Army Composition No . 1 Burma Rifles Bamar ( Military Police + Members of Taungoo Guerilla group members associated with Aung San 's PBF ) No . 2 Burma Rifles 2 Karen Companies + 1 Chin Company and 1 Kachin Company No . 3 Burma Rifles Bamar / Former members of Patriotic Burmese Force - Commanded by then Major Kyaw Zaw BC-3504 No . 4 Burma Rifles Bamar / Former members of Patriotic Burmese Force - Commanded by the then Lieutenant Colonel Ne Win BC-3502 No . 5 Burma Rifles Bamar / Former members of Patriotic Burmese Force - Commanded by then Lieutenant Colonel Zeya BC-3503 No . 6 Burma Rifles Formed after Aung San was assassinated in later part of 1947 , Bamar / Former members of Patriotic Burmese Force - First CO was Lieutenant Colonel Zeya No . 1 Karen Rifles Karen / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO No . 2 Karen Rifles Karen / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO No . 3 Karen Rifles Karen / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO No . 1 Kachin Rifles Kachin / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO No . 2 Kachin Rifles Kachin / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO No . 1 Chin Rifles Chin / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO No . 2 Chin Rifles Chin / Former members of British Burma Army and ABRO No . 4 Burma Regiment Gurkha Chin Hill Battalion Chin The War Office was officially opened on 8 May 1948 under the Ministry of Defence and managed by a War Office Council chaired by the Minister of Defence . [ 19 ] At the head of War Office was Chief of Staff , Vice Chief of Staff , Chief of Naval Staff , Chief of Air Staff , Adjutant General and Quartermaster General . Vice Chief of Staff , who was also Chief of Army Staff and the head of General Staff Office . VCS oversee General Staff matters and there were three branch offices : GS-1 Operation and Training , GS-2 Staff Duty and Planning ; GS-3 Intelligence . Signal Corps and Field Engineering Corps are also under the command of General Staff Office . [ 21 ] According to the war establishment adopted on 14 April 1948 , Chief of Staff was under the War Office with the rank of major general . It was subsequently upgraded to a lieutenant general . Vice Chief of Staff was a brigadier general . The Chief of Staff was staffed with GSO-I with the rank of lieutenant colonel , three GSO-II with the rank of major , four GSO-III with the rank of captain for operation , training , planning and intelligence , and one Intelligence Officer ( IO ) . The Chief of Staff office also had one GSO-II and one GSO-III for field engineering , and the Chief Signal Officer and a GSO-II for signal . Directorate of Signal and Directorate Field Engineering are also under General Staff Office . [ 21 ] Under Adjutant General Office were Judge Advocate General , Military Secretary , Vice Adjutant General . The Adjutant General ( AG ) was a brigadier general whereas the Judge Advocate General ( JAG ) , Military Secretary ( MS ) and Vice Adjutant General ( VAG ) were colonels . VAG handles adjutant staff matters and there were also three branch offices ; AG-1 planning , recruitment and transfer ; AG-2 discipline , moral , welfare , and education ; AG-3 salary , pension , and other financial matters . The Medical Corps and the Provost Marshall Office were under the Adjutant General Office . [ 21 ] The Quarter Master General office also had three branch offices : QG-1 planning , procurement , and budget ; QG-2 maintenance , construction , and cantonment ; and QG-3 transportation . Under the QMG office were Garrison Engineering Corps , Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Corps , Military Ordnance Corps , and the Supply and Transport Corps . [ 21 ] Both AG and QMG office similar structure to the General Staff Office , but they only had three ASO-III and three QSO-III respectively . [ 21 ] The Navy and Air Force were separate services under the War office but under the Chief of Staff . [ 21 ]
The Tatmadaw (, , ) is the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar (Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force. Auxiliary services include the Myanmar Police Force, the People's Militia Units and until 2013 the Frontier Forces, locally known as Na Sa Kha. According to the Constitution of Myanmar, the Tatmadaw directly reports to the National Defence and Security Council (NDSC) led by the President of Myanmar. The NDSC is an eleven-member National Security Council responsible for security and defence affairs in Myanmar. The NDSC serves as the highest authority in the Government of Myanmar. Currently, there is no military draft in Myanmar. Thus, all service personnel are theoretically volunteers, but the People's Militia Law allows for conscription if the President considers it necessary for Myanmar's defence that the provisions of the law be activated. The Tatmadaw has been engaged in a bitter battle with ethnic insurgents and the narco-armies since the country gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948. Recently, the Tatmadaw is widely accused by Western-backed organisations for its widespread human rights offences including ethnic cleansing, torture, sexual assault and massacre of civilians. Nevertheless, a 2014 survey conducted by the American International Republican Institute across all Myanmar demographics shows military is the most favourable institution, with 84% of respondents saying either very favorable or favorable ahead of other institutions such as media, government and Burmese opposition. The military proposed a defence budget of K 2.36 trillion (US$2.39 billion) for 2014-15 and was approved by the Parliament.