Second Artillery Corps
Tan has served in the Guangzhou Military Region for his entire career, and steadily rose through the ranks. He was appointed chief of staff of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison in May 2007, but was transferred to the 42nd Group Army to serve as its deputy commander only three months later. He attained the rank of major general in 2008, and in March 2010 he became deputy commander of a missile base of the Second Artillery Corps.