SPECIAL OPERATIONS

by David Nuttle

In cases where it is found to be in U. S. national security interests, the U. S. Army Special Forces will be asked to undertake what is known as "force multipliers" where they assist the local populations under armed attack. The concept is helping the locals defeat an enemy force rather than send regular U. S. military forces to engage the attacking terrorists, narco-terrorists, or insurgents.

U. S. Army Special Forces A-Teams, of 12-men each having different specialties, contact leaders of the population they are assigned to help protect to see if they can assist in their fight against enemies attacking villages and communities. A person or persons representing the host government typically introduces A-Teams to the populations they will seek to assist. Combat training, weapons, and tactical assistance is offered by the A-Teams along with the offering civic action programs known to be needed by the population. Such offer of help is typically medical aid/ health assistance most all rural and tribal populations need in most of the developing nations.

POTUS JFK initiated a Special Operations effort is S. Vietnam to assist the Montagnard and Viet populations there in defeating attacking communist forces seeking to gain control over that nation by force of arms. JFK refused the DOD's (U. S. Dept. of Defense's) request to send regular U. S. military forces due to the proven incompetence and corruption of the GVN (Govt. of S. Vietnam) under its President Ngo Dien Diem. With Special Forces help, the local populations were consistently defeating attacking communist Viet Cong and PAVN regular military forces from communist North Vietnam. I was there at the time, with a CIA Special Ops Team, assisting in this effort as detailed in the book "Vietnam's High Ground," by J. P. Harris (a distinguished historian).

After JFK's assassination, VPOTUS LBJ became POTUS and effectively ended JFK's work

to defeat the communists with Special Forces. U. S. Army Special Forces Teams were then ordered to abandon defense efforts for S. Vietnam's population and construct as well as fully defend forts on the border of Laos and S. Vietnam. This order allowed communist forces to soon take control of the populations, and it altered the Special Forces mission to one that was never intended or planned for. Said forts proved to be of no real help in war efforts. As I have noted in other blogs here that LBJ made many errors causing U. S. loss of the Vietnam War.

Special Operations forces have a complete set of military skills and battlefield medics to take care of teams and lead civic action efforts. Most have local language skills and special training; e. g. jungle warfare and unconventional operations in the case of Vietnam. Our U. S.

regular army troops had little special training to serve in Vietnam. Moreover, the conventional bang-and-boom operations in Vietnam were of little value since communist forces had well prepared numbers of large underground facilities. These shelters fully protected against our conventional aerial bombings as well as artillery bombardments.

Civic action efforts typically were expanded to include providing potable water, safe grain storage, improved health & sanitation programs, development of farms & cottage industries,

market improvements, irrigation canals, livestock facilities, added safe housing, schools. and community facilities. I helped perfect these Civic Action programs for our Special Ops VDP

(Village Defense Project). As requested by the U. S. Marines in Vietnam, I wrote & published a Civic Action Field Guide for their use. As they conducted Civic Action in their operational area (OA) they found that the Viet villagers they we assisting were always giving them notice of pending communist forces attack on any one of their units.

Navey SEALS and Delta Force Units have different missions that the U. S. Army Special Forces. The SEALS conduct small unit special ops, in various environments, against high- value targets. Delta Force undertakes high stakes counterterrorism, rescue, and recon ops, worldwide. CIA Special Ops generally conducts sensitive operations assigned by whatever POTUS is in command; e. g. the "Bay of Pigs" failed invasion of Cuba. In Vietnam, CIA had the initial assets to start the Village Defense Project POTUS JFK wanted to test as a valid means to defeat attacking communist forces. U. S. Army Special Forces and the USAF Air Commandos were asked to support this effort.

When used as planned and prepared, U. S. Special Operations forces have proven to be a great asset in assisting achieve U. S. national defense objectives.