CHAPTER V

The Combined Special Forces CIDG On the Offensive

Between May 1966 and May 1967 there were wide-ranging changes and improvements in the operational employment of the Special Forces and the Civilian Irregular Defense Group program assets Areas in which substantial progress was made during these twelve months were enumerated in the debriefing report of 31 May 1967.

Emphasis was placed on mobility in operations in all camps, the report notes. Mobile guerrilla forces were formed and operated in enemy-controlled zones; mobile strike forces doubled in number, were airborne-qualified, and participated in many operations as exploitation forces and as reserves for camps needing additional strength at critical times. Two or more CIDG camps conducted operations within the same corps tactical zone or across corps boundaries.

The CIDG program grew. Twenty-two new camps opened and nine camps in relatively pacified areas were closed; the new camps were constructed as 'fighting camps' and, in the case of the delta region, 'floating camps.' The number of CIDG combat reconnaissance platoons was increased from thirty-four to seventy-three. The Military Assistance Command Recondo School to prepare selected soldiers for long-range reconnaissance duty was established in September 1966 with sixty students per three-week course; by January 1967 the number of students had doubled.

Operational responsibility for Camp Plei Mrong was transferred to exclusive Vietnamese Special Forces control, with supervision by Detachment B-94 (Kontum) and Company B (Pleiku). This was the first time a CIDG camp had been turned over to the Vietnamese Special Forces and may be viewed as a first step in so called Vietnamization. Operations were integrated with nearby U.S. and Free World forces with surprisingly good results. The integration was most evident in operations and intelligence and pointed up the need for further effort in the communications field.