0 - The Black Vault

THI
THE BDM CORPORATION
the future.7/ US joint planning for possible intervention in Indochina
before 1965 fit the pattern of similar US planning for contingencies in
other parts of the woId. The JCS issued the Joint Strategic Capabilities
Plan (JSCP) to assign tasks, allocate forces, and provide guidance to
commanders of unified and specified commands.8/ Guidance issued annually
in the JSCP was used by commanders of unified aqd specified commarnds to
develop or revise contingency plans (operation plans, or OPLANs) for areas
of concern in their theaters. (Soe Figure 3-1). After approval by the JCS
of the unified command's plan, detailed supporting plans were developed by
that comaand's component commanders. Concurrently, the military services
determined logistic resupply requirements for each contingency plan 9/ In
the 1950s and early 196Os, the Army component of Pacific Command, US Army,
Pacific (USARPAC), played a major role in contingency planning, since its
commander was the designated joint field commander in each of the contingency
pians for Indoc:,ina.lO/ Wher, U'SMACV was formed as a subordinate
unified command, ite staff planning responsibilities were dire'ctly to
ClNCPAC.
In view of the complexity of the various contingency plars and
the need for extensive coordination, considerable time was required to
complete the planning sequence. In some cases, nine or more wonths were
needed. In another case, the revision cycle for OPLAN 32-64 -- the basic
plan providing for US combat participation in defense of Southeast Asia --
required over 18 months.ll/
2. Objectives
US planners had witnessed encroachment by communist-backed forces
in several parts of the globe, and some believed that ýhe Indochinese
countries would soon be ripe for a communist move. As pointed out in
official documents, three major perceptions dominated US planning and
policymaking on Indochina during this time: the increased importance of -
Asia in world politics; the tendency to view the wooIdwlde communist threat
as a monolith, cent-ally directed frem Moscow; and the view u, Ho Chi
Miri:i's attempts to evict the French as a local manifestation of the worldwide
communist thrust.12/
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