DIVISIONAL AIR CAVALRY TROOP
IN VIETNAM 1967

The air cavalry troop, organic to the armored cavalry squadron of the infantry division operating in Vietnam, as its mission states, is extending by aerial means the reconnaissance and security capability of the unit to which assigned or attached and is engaging in offensive or defensive combat against lightly armed forces in the true tradition of the cavalry. Its actions are characterized by speed, maneuverability, shock action, and teamwork operating with other elements of the armored cavalry squadron. Many of the former misgivings of the effectiveness of air cavalry units concerning survivability, endurance and other limiting factors have been overcome. When operating under the control of its parent armored cavalry squadron, air cavalry has proven to be highly effective in security, reconnaissance and economy of force operations. A typical day of deployment for an air troop employed in a counterinsurgency role is described here to show its effectiveness and versatility and ability to work as an integral part of the divisional armored cavalry squadron.

Alpha Troop conducting night convoy escort on the division Main Supply Route (MSR) receives intelligence reports from the ARVN sub-sector that a suspected Viet Cong company is planning an ambush on the MSR. At 0230, lead scouts of Alpha Troop find the dwellings adjacent to the road vacated by the local civilians. The troop commander requests a security element from the air cavalry troop to assist movement of the convoy through the danger area. Delta Troop (Air) sends airborne an aero-weapons team of two gun ships and a UH-lD equipped with one million candle power aerial flares to support A Troop. The illumination helicopter commences illumination of the danger area while the aero-weapons team screens the flanks of the convoy. An hour later the convoy clears the danger area and the Alpha Troop commander releases the air cavalry elements.

That morning at 0630 a light scout team of two armed OH-12Gs performing a route reconnaissance along the MSR discovers a large crater in the road that will impede vehicular movement. A spot report is sent to squadron and the necessary engineer support is laid on to effect repairs before the morning convoy moves out. 0830 finds a light scout team investigating a supposedly pacified village flying the Viet Cong flag. Reports are rendered and the local ARVN District is notified.

Later that day the air cavalry troop commander has planned an area reconnaissance in an assigned tactical Area of Operations (AO) astride the MSR. This operation is designed determine the presence of Viet Cong forces and military structures in the AO and will check identity cards of all military age personnel to attempt to uncover VC sympathisers. To accomplish the mission he has task organized his troop to fit the mission. Platoon elements are provisionally formed the first consisting of a light scout section, of two light scout teams, and two aero-rifle squads and are assigned one sector of the A.O. Another provisional platoon consisting of a heavy scout section of two teams of gunships with mini-guns and rockets and two aero-rifle squads are assigned another sector of the A.0. The aero-weapons section stands by at a nearby secure fire support base for immediate fire support with its 2.75" rockets and 40mm grenades. The troop commander is airborne in his command and control helicopter with the troop forward observer and necessary personnel to control the operation. The service platoon is standing by with its helicopter and resources to provide emergency maintenance services and evacuate the crews of downed aircraft and or injured personnel. As the operation commences, we find the platoon employing light scouts operating over open rice paddy/hedgerow country. It is using both aero-rifle squads airborne to drop down and check out suspicious eligible male personnel they find in the paddies and along the streams and rivers. The platoon, that is employing the heavy scouts, is working over thicker vegetation in hedge row and forested terrain, is employing one aero-rifle squad airborne and one in reserve, at ground idle, at a nearby fire support base. After about two hours of reconnaissance, and 15 suspect detainees later, the troop commander makes a decision to conduct a dismounted sweep of an area of hedgerow country. He makes this decision based on the information provided by the heavy scout leader that the activity in this area is unusual and prior intelligence that the location is frequented by the enemy. Using past experience of the enemy and area he believes the VC may have moved back into the area. The commander makes an aerial and map reconnaissance of the area and formulates his plan. His plan calls for the rearrangement of forces, so he unscrambles the provisional platoons. In this plan he calls for the Aero Scout Platoon's, heavy section to make a low level reconnaissance of the objective area in the attempt to flush out or draw fire from the enemy. Followed by the simultaneous movement into the objective area of a light scout section and the air landing of the Aero Rifle Platoon. The Aero-weapons team escorts the aero-rifle helicopters into and out of the landing zone and returns to the fire support base to stand by. Almost immediately upon lending the aero-rifles, one of the light scouts picks up movement in a hedge row to the flank. The Aero, Rifle Platoon Immediately orients on the enemy and rapidly moves in on them, directed by the light scouts and covered by both light and heavy scouts. The close-in proximity of the light scouts with their noise and movement suppression enables the rifle platoon to rapidly move in on the enemy position. One VC is killed and two are taken prisoner. Rapid interrogation of the EPOWs reveals their parent organization, unit, size and disposition. A significant element of the information they reveal in that there are approximatly50 VC In the immediate area. The air cav commander informs squadron operations of the situation and the squadron commander places an armored cav platoon under operational control of the air cav troop. Squadron alerts the remainder of B troop to be prepared to react. As the aero-rifles continue to sweep the surrounding area the EPOW's are evacuated by helicopter. Upon arrival in the AO, the opcon platoon from B Troop is guided into the area by a light scout team. One thousand meters short of the objective area a questionable ford is discovered and determined to be impassable. The armored cav platoon dismounts and the lift helicopters from the Aero-rifle platoon land, pick them up, and insert them into the aero-rifle perimeter. The remainder of B troop prepares for airmobile insertion as needed. The air calvary troop continues sweeping the area, while doing so, the commander utilizes artillery to seal off the area. As the dismounted platoons are sweeping a Viet Cong is flushed out of a hedgerow and a light scout hovering near by takes the individual under fire. The heavy scout team over head maneuvers into firing position and strikes the area with mini-gun fire and 2.75 rockets. While providing protective cover over the operational area the heavy scouts discovers a camouflage bunker, trench and spider hole emplacement about me kilometer away. The Aero-weapons Team is called up from its stand-by position to strike the emplacements with rockets and 40-mm grenades and the FO lays on artillery fires to further subdue the position.

About three hours after the light scouts first initiated the action the operation winds down. The troop commander calls off the sweep and the armored cavalry platoon returns the its parent unit. The tally for the operation is 4 VC bodies, 2 EPOW's, 5 small arms and a B40 rocket launcher with Ammo.

At 1800 a light scout team on its last light patrol along the MSR finds no enemy activity and does little more than relay a few transmissions for the ground troops pertaining to the progress of the convoy. Later that evening C troop, conducting night convoy escort, has one vehicle hit by a B-40 rocket and deploys off the road to pursue the fleeing VC. The air cav troop sends aloft a weapons team, flare ship and a medevac ship from the Aero rifles to evacuate one wounded soldier. The Aero-weapons team on station is directed by the C Troop Commander to strike a wood line to his front that the VC have moved into. The C Troop Commander adjusts his supporting aerial fire support and moves strong armored units into the tree line employing mobile fire power. Although no bodies were found by the attacking troops there are heavy blood trails leading from the area. The il1umination from the UH-ID continues its support until the evacuation of the disabled track is completed and the convoy moves on.

The actions described here do happen on a daily basis in Vietnam today. They are just a small segment of the routine mission that the Divisional Armored Cavalry Squadron is conducting in its day-to-day operations. Through the close coordination and mutual support between armored and air cavalry elements within the squadron, the influence of the Viet Cong in their operational area is being reduced day by day. The areas the insurgents can influence are being reduced and wrested from his control. The cavalry is not alone in the work to diminish the influence of the insurgents. It is just one of the major elements effectively being employed in the struggle to insure the internal security of Vietnam and provide time and space for effective nation building.