The Army Officers Training School, Bahtoo (, abbreviated OTS) is an

officer candidate school An officer candidate school (OCS) is a military school which trains civilians and Enlisted rank, enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a Commission (document), commission as Commissioned officer, officers in the armed forces of a country. H ...

for the

Myanmar Army The Myanmar Army (; ) is the largest branch of the Tatmadaw, the armed forces of Myanmar, and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations. The Myanmar Army maintains the second largest active force in Southea ...

located in Bahtoo Station,

Shan State Shan State (, ; , ) is a administrative divisions of Myanmar, state of Myanmar. Shan State borders China (Yunnan) to the north, Laos (Louang Namtha Province, Louang Namtha and Bokeo Provinces) to the east, and Thailand (Chiang Rai Province, Chia ...

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

. The Commandant of the OTS is Brigadier General Myo Zaw Win (BC - 27081). OTS trains army

warrant officers Warrant officer (WO) is a Military rank, rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ...

and

non-commissioned officers A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...

, and is one of the country's main institutions for training army officers, along with the

Defence Services Academy The Defence Services Academy (, ) located in Pyin Oo Lwin, is the premier military service academy of Myanmar, training future officers for all three branches of Myanmar military. The Ministry of Defence administered academy offers bachelor's d ...

(DSA). Coursework at OTS typically spans nine months, and graduating cadets receive army commissions. OTS cadets generally have more experience in civilian life than other counterparts.

History

The predecessor to the OTS was founded in Mingaladon Township, Rangoon (now

Yangon Yangon, formerly romanized as Rangoon, is the capital of the Yangon Region and the largest city of Myanmar. Yangon was the List of capitals of Myanmar, capital of Myanmar until 2005 and served as such until 2006, when the State Peace and Dev ...

) by the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

on 20 August 1942, becoming the first military training school in the country. After achieving independence in 1948, Myanmar's military established OTS in Maymyo (now Pyin Oo Lwin), near

Mandalay Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. It is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631 km (392 mi) north of Yangon. In 2014, the city had a population of 1,225,553. Mandalay was founded in 1857 by Ki ...

. OTS was relocated to Bahtoo Station in

, to make way for the

, which would become the country's premier military academy. Since 1988, OTS has largely admitted cadets who have already earned undergraduate degrees. Political observers have noted long-standing power struggles between OTS and DSA. In 2016, 7% (4) of the military-appointed delegates to the

Amyotha Hluttaw The Amyotha Hluttaw (, ; House of Nationalities) is the ''de jure'' upper house of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the bicameral legislature of Myanmar (Burma). It consists of 224 members, of which 168 are directly elected and 56 appointed by the Myan ...

, the upper house of Myanmar's national legislature were OTS graduates, while none of the military-appointed delegates to the

Pyithu Hluttaw The Pyithu Hluttaw (, ; House of Representatives) is the ''de jure'' lower house of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the bicameral legislature of Myanmar (Burma). It consists of 440 members, of which 330 are directly elected through the first-past-the ...

, the lower house of Myanmar's national legislature were OTS graduates.

Notable alumni

* Kyi Maung, 1st intake * Tin Oo, 3rd intake * Than Shwe, 9th intake * Khin Nyunt, 25th intake *

Ohn Kyaw Myint Captain Ohn Kyaw Myint (; died July 27, 1977) was a Burmese army officer who was well known for his unsuccessful coup attempt against the Myanmar government led by General Ne Win. Military career Ohn Kyaw Myint graduated from Rangoon University ...

, 29th Intake * Sein Win, 54th intake * Teza Kyaw, 73rd intake * Ye Win Oo, 77th intake * Toe Yi, 77th intake

References

{{authority control Universities and colleges in Shan State Military academies of Myanmar Educational institutions established in 1942 1942 establishments in Burma Schools in Myanmar