# Chief of the General Staff (Vietnam)

The Chief of the General Staff (alternatively the General Chief of Staff; Vietnamese: Tổng Tham mưu trưởng) is the chief of staff of the General Staff of the People's Army of Vietnam. The Chief of the General Staff performs the task of advising the Minister of Defense in terms of state management and military command, by that practically being the second highest-ranking professional leader of the Vietnam People’s Army alongside the Chief of the General Department of Political Affairs. The Chief of the General Staff also serves ex officio as Standing Deputy Minister of Defense. He is appointed by the President of Vietnam, who is the Commander-in-Chief. The current Chief of the General Staff is Army General Nguyễn Tân Cương

## List of Chiefs of General Staff

| No. | Chief of General Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Minister of Defence | President | Ref. |
| 1 | Thái, Hoàng VănArmy general Hoàng Văn Thái (1915–1986) | 7 September 1945 | 1953 | 7–8 years | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Chu Văn Tấn Phan Anh Võ Nguyên Giáp Ta Quang Buu Võ Nguyên Giáp | Hồ Chí Minh | – |
| 2 | Dũng, Văn TiếnArmy general Văn Tiến Dũng (1917–2002) | 1953 | 1954 | 0–1 years | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Võ Nguyên Giáp | Hồ Chí Minh | – |
| (1) | Thái, Hoàng VănArmy general Hoàng Văn Thái (1915–1986) | 1954 | 1954 | 0 years | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Võ Nguyên Giáp | Hồ Chí Minh | – |
| (2) | Dũng, Văn TiếnArmy general Văn Tiến Dũng (1917–2002) | 1954 | 1978 | 23–24 years | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Võ Nguyên Giáp | Hồ Chí Minh Tôn Đức Thắng | – |
| 3 | Tấn, Lê TrọngArmy general Lê Trọng Tấn (1914–1986) | 1978 | 5 December 1986 † | 7–8 years | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Võ Nguyên Giáp Văn Tiến Dũng | Trường Chinh | – |
| 4 | Anh, Lê ĐứcArmy general Lê Đức Anh (1920–2019) | 5 December 1986 | 16 February 1987 | 73 days | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Văn Tiến Dũng | Võ Chí Công | – |
| 5 | Khuê, ĐoànArmy general Đoàn Khuê (1922–1999) | 16 February 1987 | 10 August 1992 | 5 years, 176 days | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Lê Đức Anh | Võ Chí Công | – |
| 6 | Luyện, Đào ĐìnhColonel general Đào Đình Luyện (1929–1999) | 10 August 1992 | December 1995 | 3 years, 3 months | Vietnam People's Air Force | Đoàn Khuê | Võ Chí Công Lê Đức Anh | – |
| 7 | Trà, Phạm VănArmy general Phạm Văn Trà (born 1935) | December 1995 | 29 December 1997 | 2 years | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Đoàn Khuê | Lê Đức Anh | – |
| 8 | Lịch, Đào TrọngLieutenant general Đào Trọng Lịch (1939–1998) | 29 December 1997 | 22 May 1998 † | 144 days | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Phạm Văn Trà | Trần Đức Lương | – |
| 9 | Dũng, Lê VănArmy general Lê Văn Dũng [vi] (born 1945) | 22 May 1998 | May 2001 | 2 years, 11 months | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Phạm Văn Trà | Trần Đức Lương | – |
| 10 | Thanh, Phùng QuangArmy general Phùng Quang Thanh (1949–2021) | May 2001 | 31 August 2006 | 5 years, 3 months | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Phạm Văn Trà | Trần Đức Lương | – |
| 11 | Nghiên, Nguyễn KhắcColonel general Nguyễn Khắc Nghiên (1951–2010) | 31 August 2006 | 13 November 2010 † | 4 years, 74 days | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Phùng Quang Thanh | Nguyễn Minh Triết | – |
| 12 | Ty, Đỗ BáArmy general Đỗ Bá Tỵ (born 1954) | 22 November 2010 | 21 May 2016 | 5 years, 190 days | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Phùng Quang Thanh | Nguyễn Minh Triết Trương Tấn Sang | – |
| 13 | Giang, Phan VănArmy general Phan Văn Giang (born 1960) | 21 May 2016 | 8 April 2021 | 4 years, 322 days | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Ngô Xuân Lịch | Trần Đại Quang Nguyễn Phú Trọng | – |
| 14 | Cương, Nguyễn TânArmy general Nguyễn Tân Cương (born 1966) | 9 April 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 315 days | Vietnam People's Ground Force | Phan Văn Giang | Nguyễn Xuân Phúc Vo Van Thuong Tô Lâm | – |

### Gallery
## Chairmen of Chief of Staff by branches of service

* Air Force – 1
* Ground Force – 13
* Navy Force – 0