The Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan (; ), also known as the Tajik National Army (; ) is the national military of the Republic of Tajikistan. It consists of Ground Forces, Mobile Forces, and the Air Force, with closely affiliated forces including the national guard, border and internal troops. History Background Unlike the other former Soviet states of Central Asia, Tajikistan did not form armed forces based upon former Soviet units on its territory. Instead, the Russian Ministry of Defence took control of the Dushanbe-based 201st Motor Rifle Division. Control simply shifted from the former district headquarters in Tashkent, which was in now-independent Uzbekistan, to Moscow. Also present in Tajikistan was a large contingent of Soviet border guards, which transitioned into a Russian-officered force with Tajik conscripts. For a long period a CIS peacekeeping force, built around the 201st MRD, were in place in the country. Establishment and the Civil War On 18 December 1992, the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon signed the Resolution "On the Establishment of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan" on the basis of the Popular Front and the forces supporting the constitutional government. The Popular Front sported paramilitary formations who were armed by former President Rahmon Nabiyev. On 23 February 1993, in the center of Dushanbe, the first military parade of militants of the Popular Front was held, which has since been considered the day the military formed. Due to the presence of Russian forces in the country and the Tajikistani Civil War, Tajikistan only formally legalised the existence of its armed forces in April 1994. During the 1990s, the armed forces were often suffered from a poor commanded structure and poor discipline while their equipment was under-maintained. Draft-dodging and desertion was commonplace. Reflecting the fragmented militia group origin of the army's units, in late 1995 the 1st (led by Mahmud Khudoiberdiyev) and 11th Brigades (led by Faizali Saidov) of the Army exchanged fire several times, and fighting again broke out between the Army Rapid Reaction Brigade (formerly the Mahmud Brigade) and the Presidential Guard in June 1996. Colonel Khudoiberdiev, commander of the Rapid Reaction Brigade was relieved of his command as a result. Post-war to present Following a 1997 treaty between the Rahmon government and the United Tajik Opposition, several UTO units became part of the National Army, becoming some of its most experienced units. Popular