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 FLEXIBLE RESPONSE

judged unnecessary and others that were undermanned and underequipped could now be deleted with minimum controversy and their assets used to field contingency forces. Among the units inactivated were the last six combat divisions in the Army Reserve—the 63d, 77th, 81st, 83d, 90th, and 102d Infantry Divisions—and the 79th, 94th, and 96th Command Headquarters (Division). The 103d Command Headquarters (Division) was converted to a support brigade headquarters.

In the spring of 1965 the Army also responded to a crisis in the Caribbean area. To help restore political stability and protect United States citizens and property, President Johnson sent the 82d Airborne Division and other forces to the Dominican Republic. Subsequently, the Inter-American Peace Force was organized there, and by the autumn the only United States combat force left was one brigade of three battalions from the 82d Division. The Joint Chiefs of Staff asked that the brigade be returned to the United States so that the 82d could resume its place in the strategic force as a full-strength unit. In response, the Army selected the 196th Infantry Brigade to replace the divisional brigade in June 1966, But by the time the 196th had completed its training, stability had returned to the Dominican Republic, and the president withdrew all United States forces from the country.

To meet Westmoreland's continuing demand for more troops in Vietnam, President Johnson then approved the transfer of the 196th Infantry Brigade to Southeast Asia. As the unit had been trained for street fighting and riot control,