x Last Revision:  6 June 2009 - 51st - 97th CA  x      The 2nd Civil Affairs Company (2nd CA) was activated on 30 June 1966 at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Georgia.  The 2nd Civil Affairs was assigned to the 95th Civil Affairs Group also at Fort Gordon which then included only the 42nd Civil Affairs Company.

     In the fall of 1966,  the 2nd CA deployed to Vietnam where it was assigned to Headquarters, Second Field Force - Vietnam (II-FFV).  The II-FFV was the U.S. Army corps-level headquarters that controlled the operations of U.S. Army divisions and separate brigades in the  III Corps Tactical Zone (III-CTZ) and the  IV Corps Tactical Zone (IV-CTZ) of the Republic of Vietnam (RVN). The 2nd CA Base Camp and II-FFV Headquarters were at the  Plantation Compound  which was located on the east side of Highway 1A (new # 316) north of the junction of Highway QL 15 which is just north of the Long Binh Logistics Base and  east of Bien Hoa Air Force Base.

Map - 2nd Civil Affairs HQ at Plantation Base, Long Binh - 1971

     The mission of the  2nd Civil Affairs Company  was  “To Seal the Victory” in the secure areas of Vietnam by “Winning the Hearts and Minds" of the Vietnamese people.  To help the  Vietnamese civilian population improve the quality of their lives and to try to persuade them to support their nationally elected government - the Government of Vietnam (GVN) in Saigon.

     Civil Affairs soldiers are trained to be culturally oriented and linguistically capable to provide functional expertise about civilians and civil operations to the U.S. commanders of direct action missions or unconventional warfare operations  as well as  to assist the  GVN  internal defense operations.

CIVIC  ACTION  PROJECTS  NEVER  KILLED  ANYONE !

Unit Organization

     The Table of Organization & Equipment (TOE 41-500-D) for the 2nd Civil Affairs changed several times - officially and provisionally (P) in Vietnam.  The original organizational concept was similar to the U.S. Army Special Forces unit configurations. There were: "C" Detachments (CA Group Headquarters - 95th Civil Affairs Group); "B" Detachments (Company Headquarters - 2nd CA); "AA Platoons" (in the CA Companies)  and "A Teams"  (special function teams within a Company - Civilian Supply & Transport, Food & Agricultural, Public Health, Public Safety, Refugee Assistance and possibly others not remembered).

     The original configuration of the 2nd CA at Fort Gordon consisted of a Company Headquarters with a Mess Team and a Motor Maintenance Team; three AA Platoons   and  several Teams (at least, one Public Health Team; one Public Safety Team;  two Food & Agricultural Teams;  one Civilian Supply & Transport Team  and  possibly others now forgotten).

     The 2nd CA Company was activated in late June of 1966. The early arriving Officers attended the U.S. Army Civil Affairs School at Fort Gordon while the enlisted members had orientation and training in the company area. Vietnamese language classes were taught several nights per week.  The months of August, September and part of October were spent on Company Field Training and Team Building Exercises.

     Shortly before deployment, the 2nd CA Company was reorganized: the Motor Maintenance Team  was disbanded and their equipment was left behind at Fort Gordon;  the Mess Detachment was disbanded – only one cook volunteered to deployed with the unit.  The authorized size of the unit was increased but the unit was not fully staffed. The elements of the Company began deployment to Vietnam in October and November of 1966.

     Some additional NCO's and Enlisted Men were assigned to the unit in late October but were not Civil Affairs trained.  These late arriving members were called the “Second Increment”.  Simultaneously, two 1st Lieutenants became non-deployable because they were then “90 Days Losses”.  One Lieutenant became the  Officer-In-Charge  of training of the “Second Increment”.

The Deployment to Vietnam

     The Equipment Group was the first element to depart from Fort Gordon at Augusta, Georgia.  During the Summer of 1966,  the Company had just one Jeep (M-151);  just three or four ¾ Tons Trucks (M-37) and three new 2-½ Ton Trucks (M-35 multi-fuel).  The evening before and in the dark early hours of the morning before  the Equipment Group  was to depart for the port of embarkation,  the Fort Gordon Supply Group levied the missing vehicles and equipment from other units on base.  The Company departed with 26 Jeeps, 13  ¾ Ton Trucks, three 2-½ Ton Trucks but without certain authorized TO&E equipment (Radios, M-79 Grenade Launchers and others miscellaneous tools).  The Company’s Equipment was convoyed to Savannah, Georgia where the vehicles  and  Con Ex Containers (12 ±)  were loaded onto the USNS General Simon B. Buckers (T-AP-123) (a Military Sea Transport Service ship - with a DOD civilian crew - retired Navy).  The ship departed in October 1966 sailing first to Norfolk, VA  to pick up additional deck cargo, thence via   the Mediterranean Sea and through the Suez Canal,  stopping at the port of Aden in South Arabia for refueling, then steaming to Nha Trang (to offload deck cargo) and the ship finally arrived at Saigon at the Cholon Docks, in the old French Pier area, sometime in late November 1966.

     The Main Body flew from Augusta, Georgia to Oakland, California and then by ship USNS General W.S. Gordon (T-AP-117) across the Pacific, with a detour to Okinawa and stops at Da Nang, Qui Nhon, Cam Ranh Bay and finally reaching Vung Tau.  The Main Body was air-lifted from Vung Tau to Bien Hoa Airfield by USAF C-123s.  Everyone appreciated being off the ship and onto dry land.  Between the C-123's Rear Ramp and the first Jeep,  the Troop Ship Commander requested beer and booze for everyone because the trip across the Pacific Ocean had been very long and the "boat was dry". The Main Body arrived  "in country"  on  6 Dec 1966.

     The Advance Party  departed Georgia on or after  17 Nov 1966,  flying from Augusta to Atlanta, through Dallas, and unto San Francisco via commercial airliner.  The Advance Party transferred to chartered Boeing 707 (a Piedmont-Northwest Orient Airlines 707) at Travis AFB near Stockton, CA which flew to Seattle, then to Tokyo (the Japanese Government did not allow the Advance Party to get off the plane because they did not want their Sacred Soil stained by American Soldiers going to Vietnam)  thence to Tan Son Nhut Airport at Saigon arriving after midnight on 18 Nov 1966.  The Advance Party stayed at the famous (or infamous) Camp Alpha – on a hot, steamy, smelly night.  Welcome to Vietnam !   The travel time was estimated at 27 Hours (±).

Getting Started

     The Advance Party moved from Camp Alpha to the Plantation Base Camp in Long Binh where it was hosted and assisted by the 53rd Signal Battalion. Ultimately, the 9th Transportation Company (Airborne) provided mess facilities for the 2nd CA Headquarters Detachment.

     The Mailing Address was  APO SF 96266  and the unit identification code was (W) A8GAA.  The original Telephone Number was  Plantation 145  which was replaced by Plantation 5355 and 5716 in the later years.  The establishment of a Radio Net was avoided in 1966-1967  but  an unauthorized  Radio Call Sign  was "Plantation 54".

     When the Advance Party arrived,  the 2nd CA Company Commander was advised that the 2nd CA would  not  function as organized and trained in the U.S.A. and that the CA platoons would be attached to the headquarters of the maneuver brigades in the III and IV Corps areas of Vietnam and within the Second Field Force Vietnam (II-FFV) area of operations.  From the original stateside configuration of three platoon and several specialists teams,  the 2nd CA was initially re-organized into 7 platoons and then over the next two weeks, it was expanded first to 11 platoons and again finally into 14 platoons. Included in this reorganization were three Refugee Assistance Teams from the 41st Civil Affairs Company who were transferred into the 2nd CA Company by the end of December 1966. They had been working with and continued to work with 1st Infantry Division although officers and men from both units were intermixed to share and to gain experience.  The Officers and Men from the 41st CA were welcomed and well respected as seasoned veterans with four months of field operations. 

     The Second Increment which was left behind at Fort Gordon, Georgia so they could be trained as Medics and Linguists finally departed for RVN on or after February 16, 1967. They sailed across the broad Pacific aboard the USNS General William Weigle (T-AP-119) and came ashore at Vung Tau on March 1, 1967.  Our brothers were welcomed.  Our first family was complete and finally together again.

     When the fifty-two Men, three NCOs, and one Officer finally rejoined the Company,  each platoon was selectively augmented and rounded out so that every platoon had at least one NCO (after year one, an NCO with a Public Safety MOS), one Medic, one Admin Specialist and a Linguist - an American Soldier who spoke Vietnamese, a brother who we could really trust as our interpreter.

After We Were There

     During the late summer and the fall of 1967, while our first year in country (1966-1967) was coming to an end,  an additional eight AA platoons (15-22) were created with arrival of new personnel and the splitting up of the now seasoned 2nd CA personnel.  By the end of 1967, twenty-two AA Platoons had been staffed and deployed.

     On November 25, 1967, the Company staffed seven "CA Teams" (31-37) to work with the MACV's Province Senior Advisors (PSA).  Each "CA Team" was staffed with one officer and two enlisted men.  The CA Teams may have been created and functioned as transition cadre in anticipation of the reassignment of the platoons from the Brigades to the MACV Advisory Teams.

     The VC-NVA began their  TET Offensive  during the early morning hours of January 31, 1968  and  it soon became a major tactical battlefield defeat for the VC-NVA forces.  Most Platoon locations and the Company Headquarters at the Plantation were attacked by VC-NVA infantry assaults.

     The "Periodic Civil Affairs Report - 1 Feb 68 to 29 Feb 68" from the Headquarters, 2nd Civil Affairs Company  refers to  "26 AA Platoon/Teams"  in the field during that month.

     General Orders Number 205  from  HEADQUARTERS, II FIELD FORCE VIETNAM  dated 8 March 1968  confirmed the verbal order of the  Commanding General, II-FFV   effective on 1 March 1968,  to "DETACHED" the seventeen "Team AA Platoons Headquarters" from previous tactical unit attachments in III CTZ and IV CTZ  as well as from the seven CA Teams attached to selected senior province advisors called "CA Team 31" through "CA Team 37" and reassigned them as "generalist teams" to the direct support of provincial revolutionary development projects. 

     However, no reference was made in the General Order to the platoons attached to the 11th Armored Cavalry and to the 199th Infantry Brigade. Thus, the total number of platoons and teams once was  26 (17+2+7=26) as recorded in the 2nd CA's own monthly activity report.

Military Assistance Command, Vietnam  (MACV)

     On March 1, 1968, the 2nd Civil Affairs Company was officially reorganized into 19 AA Platoons in Direct Support of selected Province Senior Advisors with a reconfigured AB Company Headquarters Team; a new BB Civilian Supply Team;  a reactivated BE Civilian Supply & Transport Team;  a new DA Automotive Maintenance Team as well as the original Public Health Team which was always authorized but was often not staffed with a Medical Doctor. The authorized MTOE staffing was 48 Officers plus 124 Enlisted Men and the number of authorized vehicles was increased to 59.

     The 2nd CA Platoons and Teams were withdrawn from the U.S. Army maneuver brigades and were attached to work with the Province Senior Advisors (PSA) of the U.S. Army's Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) and to assist with the implementation of the Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support  (CORDS)  program. The Mission of CORDS was: (1) to eliminate the Viet Cong Insurgency (VC) in South Vietnam; (2) to end the Viet Cong's ability to recruit in South Vietnam and (3) to recruit Vietnamese and indigenous tribes to take up arms against the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army (NVA).

     Some platoons may have been renumbered and / or combined as part of the March 1968 reorganization.  The original 20th AA Platoon attached to the 1st Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division at An Loc or suburban Quan Loi was renumbered as the new 10th AA Platoon during the MACV period.  The original 10th AA Platoon at Dau Tieng was merged into the 18th AA Platoon.  In addition, there are a few other unit number inconsistencies which we hope to clear up with your assistance in the coming years.

     On 6 June 1968, the 2nd Civil Affairs Company was officially transferred from II-FFV and reported directly to the United States Army Vietnam (USARV).  And a few months later on 28 September 1968,  the 2nd CA was transferred from USARV back to the II-FFV.  These changes in the 'Chain of Command' had no effect on platoon operations, however, a significant amount of paper work was created for the 2nd CA's Headquarters Detachment. Promotions may have been delayed at a higher headquarters but your R&R and DEROS dates were definitely not delayed at Company Headquarters.

     In 1969, USARV determined there was a need for additional U.S. Army Civil Affairs units in the First Corps Tactical Zone  (I-CTZ) and on 13 July 1969 our 11th, 15th and 17th Platoons  (totaling 6 officers and 12 enlisted men) were airlifted to the I-CTZ where they were "fully attached" to the 29th Civil Affairs Company.  On 9 March 1970, the 29th CA was transferred from the operational control of the USMC's Third Marine Amphibious Force and was assigned to the U.S. Army's XXIV (24th) Corps.  When the XXIV Corps relocated from Phu Bai to Da Nang,  the 2nd CA's  11th, 15th and 17th Platoons were deactivated on 24 March 1970.  At this point in time, the 2nd CA had only  16 platoons  in the field.

     The 2nd CA activated a "new" 11th AA Platoon on 8 April 1970 from "Company assets" and it was attached to MACV Team 48 for Binh Tuy Province at the town of Ham Tan.  At various times, the 11th AA Platoon was tasked to assigned two man civic action teams to work with the MACV District Advisory Teams in the three populated areas within Binh Tuy Province. The Company size was increased to 17 platoons.

     When two or more 2nd CA Platoons were attached to the same Province Senior Advisor (PSA), the 2nd CA Captains normally worked at Province Advisory Office and the 2nd CA Lieutenants with the platoon members worked with MACV SubSector (District) Advisor Teams. The combined platoons referred to themselves as the "3/16 AA Platoons" and the "2nd and 14th AA Platoons".

     In August 1969, the USARV directed the 2nd Civil Affairs Company to create their own in-house training unit - Civil Affairs Functional Affairs Specialist Team (CAFAST) to provide training for all newly assigned company personnel in grades "O-3 and below" because most of the men (80%) assigned to the 2nd CA did not attend the U.S. Army's Civil Affairs School at Fort Gordon, Georgia.  The Training Team was commanded by a Captain with the assistance of four Lieutenants plus two ARVN NCO Interpreters who conducted courses in: Language and Cultural Affairs; Economic Development; Food & Agriculture; Public Administration and Public Safety.

     In January 1970,  the 2nd Civil Affair Company was advised that it would be deactivated as part of a withdrawal increment.  Accordingly, on 25 January 1970, five platoons (8th, 9th, 10th, 12th and 13th) stood down, turned in their equipment and the personnel were reassigned to other II-FFV units.  However on  3 February 1970, II-FFV verbally rescinded the stand down orders.  The platoons returned to their previous locations and were reattached to the MACV Provincial Advisory Teams.  Reacquiring their equipment was difficult.

     Most of the 2nd CA Platoons were withdrawn from MACV's operational control in early 1970 and were again reattached to the U.S. Army maneuver brigades to perform their original mission of Refugee Assistance during tactical operations in anticipation of future operations.

Going into Cambodia - May 1970

     Ten Platoons from the 2nd Civil Affairs Company entered into Cambodia and functioned as 'Refugee Assistance Teams' in support of the tactical operations with the Maneuver Brigades and Battalions from: the 9th Infantry Division, the 25th Infantry Division, the 1st Cavalry Division, the 11th Armored Cavalry and the 199th Infantry Brigade.  After at least 60 days in Cambodia, all of the 2nd Civil Affairs Platoons attached to U.S. combat brigades were withdrawn by July 2, 1970.

     While in Cambodia, the 2nd CA Platoons coordinated the repatriation of thousands of Vietnamese and the relocation of local tribes from the Cambodian cross-border areas back to a safe area in RVN;  planned the building of resettlement camps in Vietnam;  arranged for the movement of and redistribution of hundreds of tons of rice captured from NVA and VC warehouses to the needy;   inventoried captured weapons;   made solicitation payments;  arranged for the delivery of building materials to rebuild Cambodian villages destroyed during the battles; conducted numerous MedCAPs and even helped the  Cambodian Boy Scouts  conduct their weekly meetings.

Back with MACV and the final year

     After the 1970 Cambodian Incursion, the 2nd CA Platoons were once again assigned to worked with the MACV Province and SubSector Advisory Teams.

     Only 17 AA Platoons were then in the field and the MTOE strength was reduced to: 41 Officers and 100 Enlisted Men.  (From the 19 Platoons once authorized, three platoons had been sent to the 29th CA and a new 11th Platoon had been formed from the Company's own assets)

     The Company now had 59 vehicles.  Over the years, the quantity of 3/4 ton trucks (M-37) had been increased from one per platoon to two per platoon. From the original quantity of 13 of the M-37s deployed in 1966, the MTOE for this type of vehicle had been increased to 41 units while the three original and 'once brand new' 2-1/2 tons trucks (M-35) continued to serve faithfully.  Most of the men were then armed with "borrowed" M-16s.  And yet, even after being 'in-country' for more than four years, the all important 2nd CA Radio Net still had not been authorized by II-FFV  and a  2nd CA SOI  had NOT been put into operation.

     When the U.S. maneuver brigades started to withdraw from Vietnam, there were conflicting stand down orders and at least two platoons were stood down. Then a week later, the stand down orders were cancelled and the platoons were reactivated for service again with the MACV Advisory Teams. There were problems reacquiring the men and their equipment.

     On May 2, 1971,  Headquarters, Second Field Force - Vietnam (II-FFV) was deactivated and the 2nd Civil Affairs Company was transferred to the operational control of the Third Regional Assistance Command (TRAC) until the 2nd Civil Affairs was deactivated.

The Furling of the Colors

     The 2nd Civil Affairs Company was deactivated on  July 27, 1971  as part of Withdrawal Increment VIII.   The total time "in-country" was 1,711 days. Over the five years of its existence,  at least  750 men  served in this unit.

So what did we really do when we were there ?

Help - your help is requested

     We need your help.  Please add the Names of the other members of your units; pictures of team members and projects; and tell us about your accomplishments  during  1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970 and 1971.

Maps of Vietnam

     OK, enough with the unit history. I really need a Map  to find out  exactly where was I stationed ?   A legitimate request.

     U. S.  Army  Tactical  Maps  for the III Corps and IV Corps  areas of RVN exists at the web address below.  The University of Texas has a collection of Vietnam Maps on-line which includes the 1:250,000 Series Maps from the mid 1960s.  Click the link below:

http://www.Lib.UTexas.edu/maps/ams/indochina_and_thailand/

     Select map NC 48-7 SAIGON  for the greater Saigon and Long Binh area; or map NC 48-3 FREY VENG  which covers the Tay Ninh and Dau Tieng;  or map NC 48-4 AN LOC  which covers  Lai Khe, An Loc, Song Be and Vo Dat; and map NC 48-8 PHAN THIET  which covers the areas east of Xuan Loc north of Vung Tau and over to Ham Tan.   At the bottom of each map,  there is a layout of the adjacent maps for other areas.

     After the buildup of U.S. Forces in 1966-1967, it was quickly realized that the traditional maps showed many roads without road names or road numbers which was creating confusion.  A new series of maps was introduced with many roads receiving a  Circled Number  designations to eliminate location confusion and to assist in travel planning.  Click the Nexus.net  link below:

Maps - Numbered Roads and Highways

     You can download a GOOGLE EARTH  (free) to find your old operations area. Many of the base camp areas are now either non-existent or have been converted into wall-to-wall new village housing.  Try to follow the roads from a known location (start by typing Saigon, Vietnam)  and follow the roads to where you think your old base camp or compound was.  Some of the aerial image results are great and some are under whelming.  Good luck.

     Alternately go to  GOOGLE  and type  Maps Vietnam.  A number of U.S. Armed Forces Reunion Web sites have tactical maps for their campaigns and areas of their operations.

Vietnamese Dictionary

     I would really like to find out  HOW TO SPELL  some Vietnamese words or to get the  PROPER TRANSLATION  of a some Vietnamese phrases.  Click the link below and try a few words and phrases.

http://VDict.com/

Special  Acknowledgements

     The Officers and Men of the 53rd Signal Battalion for hosting the Advance Party and for the initial supply of tentage, cots and wood dunnage for flooring and home-made furniture before the arrival of the Equipment Ship and the receipt of the WABTOC kit.

     The Officers and Men of the 9th Transportation Company (Airborne) for sharing their mess facilities and providing electric power from their much overworked generators.

Civil Affairs Units  -  Yesterday's  Vietnam Era Units

     In 1968,  the authorized strengths of the U.S. Army Civil Affairs units in Vietnam was:  the 2nd CA with 172 men;  the 29th CA with 117 men  and the 41st CA with 140 men thus totaling 429.  The U.S. military strength in Vietnam was  536,000  and ARVN strength was 820,000.  In addition, the USMC had  Civil Action Platoons  in   I Corps  of RVN.

     The VC and NVA strength including base camp housekeepers, carpenters, day laborers and translators  remains a mystery to all - then and now.

     The other functioning U.S. Army Civil Affairs Companies then known to be on active duty in 1965-1973 era were:  the 1st CA Company at Fort Bragg, N.C.;  the 29th CA Company headquartered at Da Nang in I Corps, Vietnam; the 41st CA Company headquartered at Nha Trang in II Corps, Vietnam and  the 42nd CA Company at Fort Gordon, GA.

     All of the Vietnam Era active duty Civil Affairs Companies have now pasted into military history - 1st CA,  2nd CA,  29th CA,  41st CA  and  42nd CA  are gone but not forgotten.

 Links to Civil Affairs Websites

     The Members of the 41st Civil Affairs Company were the first group to establish a website for their unit which has motivated the start of the 2nd Civil Affairs website.  Click the link below for the 41st Civil Affairs website.  Other links for the 2nd Civil Affairs and 29th Civil Affairs on MILITARY.COM are below. A website for the 29th Civil Affairs Company is now under discussion.

2nd Civil Affairs and my other Unit Pages on MILITARY.COM

29th Civil Affairs Company

41st Civil Affairs Company

Overview of a few  " Lessons Learned "

     From the available "Lessons Learned",  the Company Commanders almost always requested additional trained manpower especially the assignment of second tour officers who had subsequently attended the U.S. Army Civil Affairs School.

     One of the monthly reports noted that during the previous six month period that only one Captain was assigned to the unit and that he had 'prior tour' experience and he did attended Civil Affairs School but the other ten new Platoon Commanders were Lieutenants and they had not attended the Civil Affairs School.

     The establishment of a Civil Affairs  Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) for NCOs and Enlisted Personnel was suggested but not approved.

     The U.S. Army higher headquarters did NOT always champion, support or endorse the recommendations of the Commanding Officers of the 2nd Civil Affairs Company for Civil Affairs School trained officers.

Recent E-Mail Advice

     Since this web site has been live (June 2008), the following information has been received about the existence of other  Civil Affairs  Companies, Battalions and Groups  in the 1960-1970 era:  the 28th CA Company  with the XVIII Corps (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, NC and the 36th CA Company  with the 96th CA Group assigned to the 22nd FASCOM (Field Army Support Command) at Fort Lee, VA.

     Other CA units could have organized elsewhere.  The unit status (active or carrier), their mission, and the staffing of these other organizations is presently unknown.  Most units were activated in 1967 and deactivated by 1974.

Other Recent Information   ( Revised:  6 June  2009  -  CA units  and  USMC )

     In 1965, the 97th Civil Affairs Group was stationed with 1st Special Forces Group on Okinawa and it did dispatch personnel to I-CTZ in RVN.  Their TDY assignment may have commenced with the arrival of the first contingent of United States Marines at Da Nang and may have ended with the arrival of the 29th Civil Affairs Company.

     In 1966, the 1st Civil Affairs Company was known to be an active duty unit attached to the 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  Later in 1967, the 1st Civil Affairs "Company" may have been redesignated as a "Battalion" and the 1st Civil Affairs Battalion may have relocated to Okinawa where it was attached to the 97th Civil Affairs Group which was then part of the U.S. Army's  1st Special Forces Group  then headquartered on Okinawa.

     In 1968, the U.S. Army activated the independent 51st Civil Affairs Platoon (MTOE  21 Oct 1968) with 2 Officers and 8 Enlisted Men which was initially attached to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) [DAGO 1970-39].  And later in 1969,  the U.S. Army activated three additional units - the 52nd, the 53rd and the 54th Civil Affairs Platoons (MTOE  25 October 1969) - each with 3 Officers and 4 Enlisted Men.  At various times, these small units have been referred to either as "Platoons" or as "Companies".  All four units were initially attached to the 29th Civil Affairs Company with the USMC's 3rd MAF and later to the U.S. Army's XXIV (24th) Corps [DAGO 1973-20].  The 52nd Civil Affairs Platoon which was inactivated in June 1970  while the 51st, the 53rd and the 54th Civil Affairs Platoons were inactivated in September 1970.

     If the U.S. Army unit numbering system is cumulative and sequential,  the U.S. Army's total commitment to Civil Affairs units was 54 platoon size units plus other supporting specialty teams and three company headquarters units.

     The United States Marine Corps fielded 114 USMC Civic Action Platoons in I-CTZ.  Each platoon was composed of 8 civic action specialists as well as two organic rifle squads totaling 19 men.  These 27 man Civic Action Platoons worked, lived, ate and slept in Vietnamese hamlets and villages.

     Additional historical information and recorded debriefing interviews from the veterans of the Vietnam Conflict can be found at the following website:

The Vietnam Center and Archives at Texas Tech University

Opinion

     In retrospect,  one must question the wisdom of the staffing of the two stateside Civil Affairs units when the work that needed to be done was in South Vietnam.  If the U.S. Army  really  wanted the Civil Affairs mission accomplished in Vietnam,  then the U.S. Army should have assigned the men with prior tour experience and civil affairs education to do the job in Vietnam !

Civil Affairs Units  -  Today

     The 95th Civil Affairs Group has been renamed the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne) and the active duty subordinate units are 91st Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) (AFRICOM);  the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) (CENTCOM);  97th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) (PACOM) and the 98th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne) (SOUTHCOM)  plus the 96th Psychological Warfare Battalion (Airborne).

     The U.S. Army has reestablish Civil Affairs as a Branch within the active duty U.S. Army which includes specialty MOSs for Civil Affairs Officers and Enlisted Men.

     The Civil Affairs mission was never fully understood by the majority of the traditional units of the U.S. Armed Forces.  Some respect is finally given to the Civil Affairs Mission by the inclusion of the Civil Affairs units into the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) which includes the U.S. Army Special Forces Command, the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 160th Aviation Regiment,  the 4th Psychological Operations Group and now our former parent unit,  the 95th Civil Affairs - click link below.

95th Civil Affairs - today

     Today, the U.S. Army's regular Civil Affairs units are often supplemented with U.S. Army Reserve Civil Affairs units for service in Iraq and Afghanistan. The current Civil Affairs units (battalions and companies) have unit numbers in the 300-400 series.

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