Appendix D
U.S. ARMY SPECIAL FORCES ENGINEER ACTIVITIES
Engineer support of Special Forces
operations from 1961 through 1965 came from three sources: the noncommissioned
officer engineer of the A detachment, an engineer construction advisory team, or
a naval Seabee technical assistance team.
The engineer noncommissioned officer of
each A detachment was basically a demolitionist and usually had no particular
training or experience in construction. In some cases, however, he had
previously served with conventional combat engineer units where he had acquired
essential combat construction skills.
Engineer construction advisory teams
provided engineer support on a temporary duty basis from both Okinawa and Fort
Bragg, North Carolina. These units were detachments formed under Table of
Organization and Equipment 5-500C; each consisted of two officers and two
noncommissioned officers equipped with hand tools only. The teams were used
primarily in civic action projects such as improving sanitation facilities,
schools, and agriculture. That they were obliged to borrow equipment from both
the U.S. Operations Mission and the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Works points
to an unfortunate deficiency in the table of organization and equipment.
Naval Seabee technical assistance
teams, highly skilled, having organic mechanized equipment, and tailored for
specific kinds of construction tasks were used during this period with great
success. They played a major role in airfield and camp construction.
From 1965 through 1968 engineer support
shifted from cellular teams to units of the Free World Military Assistance
Forces, as conventional units arrived in Vietnam. Although cellular engineer
teams from all sources were used during most of this period, less emphasis was
placed upon them because of a reduction in the number of men assigned to
temporary duty in Vietnam. By late 1967 the 31st Engineer Detachment, which was
organized under Table of Organization and Equipment 5-500E, had arrived in
Vietnam, was attached to the 5th Special Forces Group, and was operational.
Thereafter it was the primary source of engineer cellular teams for the 5th
Special Forces. The engineer detachment
