Military Police (South Vietnam)

The Military Police is a variation of the Military Police that was formed from the French army to the Vietnamese National Army. It was officially established in 1959 under the First Republic of President Ngo Dinh Diem's Government.

A. Military Police Operations

B. Military Police Judicial (Former Gendarmerie)

1. Maintaining military discipline in the Army:

Enforce discipline and adjust the conduct of military personnel from officers, non-commissioned officers to soldiers in all units from the rear to the front line in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, and coordinate with units (Company level) of Military Police and Control of military branches such as: Navy (201st Company), Air Force (203rd Company), Paratroopers (204th Company), Marines (202nd Company), Rangers (Ks Bđq), Armored Corps [vi], Artillery, Engineers [vi], etc. and sub-regions (Regional and Militia). Military schools and national training centers to enforce martial law. Major military schools such as Vietnamese National Military Academy also khown as Dalat Military Academy, Thủ Đức Military Academy, The School of the Non-commissioned officers of the Vietnam Military Forces [vi], Quang Trung National Training Center, Duc My Ranger Training Center [vi], etc. all have Military Police units of the Military Police branch.

2. Escort and guide military convoys:

Troop movement, logistics and other public affairs etc.

3. Operate Military Police Stations:

Set up Checkpoints to check military personnel.

4. Operation of prisoner of war camps: Large prisons such as: Chi Hoa, Con Dao, Phu Quoc. In addition, there are small prisons in 4 military regions and prisoner of war camps in Qui Nhon, etc.

5. Management of military camps:

Military prisons of 4 military regions: Da Nang (military region 1), Nha Trang (military region 2), Go Vap (military region 3), Can Tho (military region 4). Temporary detention camps: Nguyen Van Sam Camp (Binh Chanh, Gia Dinh), Military Affairs of the town (Saigon), military towns in the Special Zones, Special Zones and temporary detention camps in the military regions, sub-regions and sub-regions nationwide. Transition camps for repatriated soldiers in 4 Central Administration units of 4 military regions.

6. Escorting soldiers:

Soldiers who commit criminal offenses, soldiers who desert or violate discipline to military prisons, military front courts and transfer to prisons after these elements have served their sentences.

7. Escorting prisoners of war:

Prisoners from the front to the rear and to prisons.

8. Protecting security at military bases.

1. Investigate and handle violations of military law.

2. Support the Military Front Courts:

Including the Central Front Courts (Saigon), the Front Courts of the 4 Military Regions. In addition, there are mobile Front Courts nationwide.

3. Assist the Military Justice Department:

Establish files on criminal cases.

Investigate judicial cases and prosecute violations of criminal law related to the military.

4. Manage the Judicial Military Police units:

In the early 1960s, the National Gendarmerie was commanded by Major Le Nguyen Phu.^[1] The headquarters was located on Gia Long Street, in front of the Ministry of National Defense. When ordered to disband, some Gendarmerie personnel transferred to the Military Police, some transferred to the Republic of Vietnam National Police.

In 1974, a number of Military Police Battalions were transferred to combat units to form the 8th Ranger Group.

On April 30, 1975, like all units in the Armed Forces, when they heard President Dương Văn Minh order to lay down their weapons and stop fighting, they automatically disbanded and deserted.

No.	Name	Rank	In office	Note
1	Nguyễn Công Khanh[2] Local Military Academy South Vietnam Vung Tau[3]	Lieutenant Colonel[4]	1959–1963	Promoted to Colonel in 1960. Later Chief of Research Department of the Ministry of Defense.
2	Nguyễn Ngọc Thiệt[5] Dalat Military Academy K5	Major	1963–1965	First Commander
3	Nguyễn Hiếu Trung[6] Thu Duc Martial Arts School K4	Colonel	1965–1968	Later, he was transferred to the Inspector General's Office of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces.
4	Nguyễn Ngọc Thiệt	Colonel	1968–1972	Second Commander
5	Nguyễn Chấn Á [vi]	Major general	1972	After holding the position of Advisor to the General Department of Political Warfare
6	Nguyễn Hữu Phước[7] Dalat Military Academy K5	Colonel	1972–1973	Later Deputy Director of Military Security Department
7	Nguyễn Văn Kinh[8] Thu Duc Martial Arts School K5	Colonel	1973–1975