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Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3 NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011

needed to bring the Viet Cong under effective control.

The turn of events in Laos has created further serious problems with regard to the maintenance of the GVN as a free and sovereign non-Communist nation. In particular, the uncovering of the Laotian-Viet Nam border to DRV or DRV-supported forces creates a serious threat of increased covert infiltration of personnel, supplies, and equipment to the Viet Cong. With such increased support, the Viet Cong undoubtedly hope to seize firm military control of a geographic area and announce the establishment therein of a "rebel" government for South Viet Nam which would then be recognized by and receive military support from the DRV, Communist China, and Soviet Russia. (Example: The present situation in Laos.)

Confronted with this combination of an intensified Communist-directed insurgency campaign within the country and an ever-increasing danger from overt military aggression by superior forces from the North, the RVNAF has taken the calculated risk of deploying almost its entire regular forces against the Viet Cong guerrillas. The present conditions of internal subversion require the massive and widespread application of military power by highly-trained, disciplined forces. By thus providing fully adequate strength to do the job, it is intended to reduce the current insurgency situation rapidly to manageable proportions where it can then be maintained by the normal internal security forces.

2.

a. The major elements of ARVN under the 150,000 force structure were the Joint General Staff; a Field Command Headquarters; three Corps Headquarters;

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