The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; Vietnamese: Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam (QĐNDVN)), also recognized as the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) or the Vietnamese Army (Vietnamese: Quân đội Việt Nam), is the military force of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the armed wing of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam. The PAVN is a part of the Vietnam People's Armed Forces and includes: Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard and Coast Guard. However, Vietnam does not have a separate Ground Force or Army branch. All ground troops, army corps, military districts and specialised arms belong to the Ministry of Defence, directly under the command of the Central Military Commission, the Minister of Defence, and the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army. The military flag of the PAVN is the fl