Jinan Military Region


The Jinan Military Region was a PLA Military Region located in the east of the People's Republic of China, covering the Shandong and Henan Provinces, which also form military districts. It appears that Yang Dezhi was one of the first commander of the Jinan MR, from 1958. It was considered a strategic reserve. It includes some of the area previously within the Wuhan Military Region, disbanded in 1985–88.
The 5th Air Corps was established in Weifeng, Shandong Province, in 1952, possibly from the disbanding 11th Corps, but was moved to Hangzhou in the Nanjing Military Region by 1954.
After 1975 the 46th Army was transferred from Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province to Linyi, Shandong. It was disestablished in 1985.
The Jinan Military Region was disbanded in the reorganisation of 2015–16, being replaced and incorporated into a Theatre Command.
There were previously three Group Armies within the Region, the 20th Group Army at Kaifeng, the 26th Group Army at Weifang, and the 54th in Xinxiang. It previously included the now disbanded 67th Group Army.

Organisation

In 2006, the International Institute for Strategic Studies attributed the formation with 190,000 personnel, including two armoured divisions, one mechanised infantry division, three motorised infantry divisions, one artillery division, one armoured brigade, one mechanised infantry brigade, four motorised infantry brigades, two artillery brigades, three anti-aircraft brigades, and an anti-tank regiment.
Organizations affiliated with the Jinan Military Region often use the nickname "vanguard", including the Vanguard Performance Troupe and the Vanguard Newspaper.

Citations