Myanmar Army

The Myanmar Army, officially the Defence Services (Army) (Burmese: တပ်မတော်(ကြည်း), romanized: Tatmadaw (Kyi); pronounced [taʔmədɔ̀ tɕí]), is the largest branch of the Myanmar Defence Services (Tatmadaw), the combined military of Myanmar, and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations. Its official name was Burma Army (Burmese: ဗမာ့တပ်မတော်, romanized: Bama Tatmadaw) before being renamed to Defence Services (Army) (Burmese: တပ်မတော် (ကြည်းတပ်), romanized: Tatmadaw (Kyi Tat)) in 1956. The Myanmar Army maintains the second largest active force in Southeast Asia after the People's Army of Vietnam. It has clashed against ethnic and political insurgents since its inception in 1948. The force is headed by the Commander-in-Chief (Army), currently General Kyaw Swar Lin, concurrently the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services. The highest rank in the Myanmar Army is Senior General, equivalent to field marshal in Western armies. In 2011, following a transition from military government to civilian parliamentary government, the Myanmar Army imposed a military draft on all citizens: all males from age 18 to 35 and all females from 18 to 27 years of age can be drafted into military service for two years as enlisted personnel in time of national emergency. The ages for professionals are up to 45 for men and 35 for women for three years service as commissioned and non-commissioned officers. The Government Gazette reported that 1.8 trillion kyat (about US$2 billion), or 23.6 per cent of the 2011 budget was for military expenditures.