Australian Citizen want to join VN's armed forces

You might want to think that twice... not sure about Australian army, but here it is two years if I remember right..

My Vietnamese wife has just declined to accept her approved application for VN citizenship because it would mean her 5 year entry visabwould be cancelled, she would have to travel on a VN passport to and from VN, and she could be easily prevented from leaving the country.   
Nor can i imagine VN ever accepting a foreigner into their armed forces. VN is no longer a communist country, but is a very restrictive, one-party state. I suggest you broarden your knowledge of the ADF by subscibing to CONTACT, their very well produced and informative magazine and forget all wishfull thinking about VN armed forces.

Vietnam would not accept my stepson into the Army because Vietnamese father lives in the US.  I can't imagine that you would fare any better.  I don't know about AU but I do know that the US has loosened up on dual citizenship.  However, it is actually written in a US passport that you may lose citizenship for "serving in the armed forces of a foreign state."  However, the operative word is "may."   You might want to check on AU law first.

#4- good point.  Another point is that Nguyen is likely to fail to get a security clearance for many jobs in the ADF if he lets it be known that he wants to join the VN army. It really is not a good idea. This opinion is based on having served  in the Oz army for eight years and having lived in VN for 13 years.

Here's another thing to consider.  In most western armies, soldiers are primarily focused on their combat specialties, with either direct involvement or constant training in peacetime armies.  Hired civilians carry out many of the humdrum support tasks.  The military forces of Vietnam seem to follow the model of the Chinese PLA and use enlisted soldiers in work details.  Join the VN military and you could find yourself with a long row to hoe supplying the mess hall vegetables, or you could be making boots in a factory for less than even normal Vietnamese wages.

Ngvyen wrote:

Pretty much as the title says, I'm 23 years old currently studying fulltime. I have always had an inkling to join the military just for a taste however due to personal reasons, I would much rather enlist in the country of my background's forces - instead of Australia's. Nothing against the ADF at all, I love Australia as a country however Vietnam holds a really special place in me.

I haven't done much research and the only real hurdles I think I may face are the fact that VN is a communist country - I'm sure this won't affect my dual citizenship application however will the fact that I am an Australian Citizen wanting to serve in a communist army affect my process at all?

Very much a military newb, but it all interests me and I'm keen to learn.

Thank you for your time,
Tony.

You may be an Australian citizen but your names suggest you or your parents are former Vietnamese citizens. The majority of whom fled as refugees. Your chances of getting in are like zero.

THIGV wrote:

Here's another thing to consider.  In most western armies, soldiers are primarily focused on their combat specialties, with either direct involvement or constant training in peacetime armies.  Hired civilians carry out many of the humdrum support tasks.  The military forces of Vietnam seem to follow the model of the Chinese PLA and use enlisted soldiers in work details.  Join the VN military and you could find yourself with a long row to hoe supplying the mess hall vegetables, or you could be making boots in a factory for less than even normal Vietnamese wages.

Enlisted soldiers are sources of cheap labour. The military in Vietnam is one of the wealthiest organisations given a monopoly to run airports, hotels, mobile networks...construction. I knew a daughter of a LT Colonel... but he's not what you would picture him to be...he worked on road construction and helped build that tunnel leading to da nang...commercial arm of the army.

Hello,

I'm curious when Vietnam no longer became a communist country?

After the renovation (doi moi) policy was introduced. It is no longer "State ownership of the means of production", it's "invest, develop, and make lots of money. "

Vietnam is technically still a communist country having one-party rule, that is the Communist Party of Vietnam.