3rd Corps () or Tây Nguyên Corps (, literally: Corps of Tây Nguyên or Corps of the Western Highlands) was one of the three regular army corps of the Vietnam People's Army. First organised in 1975 during the Vietnam War, 3rd Corps had a major role in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign and the Cambodian–Vietnamese War. Before disbanding, the corps was stationed in Pleiku, Gia Lai.
History In July 1973, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam after its 21st conference issued a resolution of strengthening the armed forces to unify the country. In executing the issue, three months later the Ministry of Defence and the Military Commission of the Central Committee approved the plan of organising regular army corps for the Vietnam People's Army. On 26 March 1975, General Võ Nguyên Giáp, Minister of Defence, signed the edict that led to the establishment of the 3rd Corps in Tây Nguyên, from which came the name Tây Nguyên Corps of the unit. The first headquarters of the corps consisted of party committee secretary (bí thư) Đặng Vũ Hiệp and commander (tư lệnh) Vũ Lăng.
During the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, it was 3rd Corps that advanced through the maritime regions of Phú Yên, Khánh Hòa Province and later captured Tan Son Nhat Airport. After the Vietnam War, 3rd Corps continued to engage in the Cambodian–Vietnamese War, the corps was awarded the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces (Anh hùng Lực lượng vũ trang nhân dân) in 1979.
On 13 September 2024, the plan to merge the 3rd and 4th Corps to form the 34th Corps was announced in the 3rd Corps Emulation Congress. The corps was disbanded on 7 December 2024 to form the 34th Corps.
Organisation Headquarters Department of Staff 28th Reconnaissance Battalion 27th Guards Battalion 29th Signals Battalion 21st Chemical Battalion Department of Politics Department of Logistics 827th Transportation Battalion (ZiL-130, KAMAZ-43253) 81st Warehouse Company 211th Military Hospital Department of Technicals 30th Repair Battalion Z9 Warehouse
Combat forces 10th Division 24th Infantry Regiment 28th Infantry Regiment 66th Infantry Regiment 4th Artillery Regiment (2S1 SPHs, BM-14MM MLRS) 16th Air Defense Battalion 17th Engineer Battalion 18th Signals Battalion 31st Division 866th Infantry Regiment 922nd Infantry Regiment 977th Infantry Regiment 320th Division 48th Mechanized Infantry Regiment (T-54/T-55, BMP-1) 52nd Infantry Regiment 64th Infantry Regiment 20th Reconnaissance Company 234th Air Defense Brigade 1st Air Defense Battalion (Type 65 anti-aircraft guns) 3rd Air Defense Battalion (Type 65 anti-aircraft guns) 19D32 Observation Post 273rd Tank Brigade (T-54/T-55 tanks) 40th Artillery Brigade 1st Artillery Battalion (M-46 field guns) 2nd Artillery Battalion (M101 howitzers) 3rd Artillery Battalion (BM-21 MLRS) 198th Commando Brigade 7th Engineer Brigade 3rd River Crossing Battalion (PMP floating bridge)
Commanders Time Commander Notes1975–1977 Maj. Gen. Vũ Lăng Later promoted to Colonel General1977–1979 Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Kim Tuấn 1979–1982 Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Quốc Thước Later promoted to Lieutenant General, Commander of the 4th Military Region.1982–1989 Maj. Gen. Khuất Duy Tiến Later promoted to Lieutenant General, Director of the Department of Armed Forces, General Staff.1989–1991 Maj. Gen. Trần Tất Thanh Later promoted to Lieutenant General1992–1993 Maj. Gen. Lê Quang Bình Later promoted to Lieutenant General, Chairman of the National Defense and Security Committee of the National Assembly.1993–1997 Maj. Gen. Đỗ Công Mùi 1997–2000 Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Hữu Hạ 2002–2004 Maj. Gen. Phạm Xuân Hùng Later promoted to Lieutenant General, Deputy Chief of the General Staff.2004–2007 Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Trung Thu Later promoted to Lieutenant General, Commander of the 5th Military Region.2007–2009 Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Vĩnh Phú 2009–2012 Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Đức Hải Later promoted to Lieutenant General2012–6.2015 Maj. Gen. Đậu Đình Toàn Later promoted to Lieutenant General6.2015–7.2018 Maj. Gen. Vũ Văn Sỹ 7.2018–2.2020 Maj. Gen. Thái Văn Minh 4.2020–9.2023 Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Anh Tuấn 10.2023–12.2024 Maj. Gen. Nguyễn Bá Lực Later Commander of the 34th Corps, promoted to Lieutenant General, Deputy Chief of the General Staff.
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