Tin Oo - Military Career

Military Career

Tin Oo joined the army on 26 February 1946 as a Second Lieutenant in Burma Rifle Battalion. He reached the ranks of Lieutenant on 7 January 1947, Captain on 27 September 1948 and served as executive officer at Armed Forces Training Headquarters. On 22 June 1949, he was transferred to No.1 Burma Rifle Battalion as Company Commander. He was promoted to the rank of Major on 25 January 1950 and became Deputy Battalion Commander (2IC) of No.1 Burma Rifle Battalion and took over the position of acting Battalion Commander on 27 November 1951.

Tin Oo was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 21 January 1954 and became Commander of 4th Infantry Brigade on 30 May 1957. He was then transferred to Army Officer Training School as Commandant on 13 September 1957. Throughout 1958 and 1961, Lieutenant Colonel Tin Oo served as Battalion Commander for No. 14 Infantry Battalion (from 18 November 1958), No. 2 Burma Rifle Battalion (from 16 February 1961) and after his promotion as Colonel, he became acting Commander for No. 13 Infantry Brigade (from 20 February 1961).

He was then given the command of South West Regional Military Command and promoted to the rank of Colonel on 14 February 1963. On 19 September 1964 he became Commander of Central Regional Military Command. He was then promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and became Deputy Chief of Staff (Army) on 20 April 1972. On 8 March 1974 he was promoted to the rank of General and became Commander in Chief of Tatmadaw. He was armed forces Comannder in Chief during the bloody crackdown on student protests surrounding the funeral of former UN Secretary Genral U Thant.

During his military career, General Tin Oo was awarded with Thuya medal, prestigious award for gallantry and bravery in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of Myanmar Armed Forces. He led both tactical and strategic campaigns against the Karen National Union as well as the Communist Party of Burma and various ethnic armed groups, especially in the north and east of the country.