National Armed Forces of The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela - Branches of The Military

Branches of The Military

According to Article 9 of the Organic Law of the National Armed Forces, which entered into force on 26 September 2005, the FAN is composed of four components, the Army, Navy, the Air Force, National Guard, which operate in an integrated manner and are supplemented by the National Reserve and Territorial Guard, gathered at the General Command of the National Reserve and National Mobilization, as the fifth component of it, to meet defense and participate in the defense of the Nation. Each component has its own command and general staff, logistical structures and training schools, with the exception of the Reserve, which is fed by tables of NCO, sergeants and officers previously trained in other branches, but it has its own training centers, and has initiated special courses for training officers.

About 83,000 soldiers were integrated in the military through a fifth service branch, the Armed Reserve, although some of this force is more of a militia than a formal, professional armed corps.. In 2006 the FAN was transformed into six service branches, the Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Reserve and the Territorial Guard. The Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard will serve under the Strategic Operational Command (Comando Estratégico Operacional), the National Reserve and the Territorial Guard will serve under the National Reserve and Mobilization Command (Comando General de la Reserva Nacional y Movilizacion Nacional), also called the National Militia General Command (Comando General de la Milicia Nacional).