0 - The Black Vault

THE BDM CORPORATION
security ard village defense to border surveillance and border site
security,
6. The Territorial Forces -- Civil Guard and Self-Defense Corps
As
discussed in Volume II, Chapter 5, the early force st'ijcture
of the RVNAF was organized into two principal components. the regular
forces and the territorial forces. Regular forces consisted of infantry,
airborne, marines, rangers, etc., which for the most part were cconver-
[tionaily organized iito divisions with organic support elen,ents similar to
US counterparts, and whose primary mission was to destroy the enemy thirough
combat operations and to defend the national borders, The territorial
for'ces, on the other hand, were made up of Civil Guard (,G) and Self-
Defense Corps (SDC) elements, which eventually were designated to be the
Regional Forces (RF) and Pcpular Forces (PF), respectively. iheir organization
was local, being kept mustly at small unit size (platoon and company),
lightly equipped and tasked for pacification and territorial
m ~securi ty. 70/
The territorial forces, whose employment figured into the CIP of
1961, were placed under the direct control of sector and subsector commanders
to assure Iccal security. The Civil Guard (became Regional Forces
I.
in 1964) was basically organized into rifle companies augmented as required
by a number cf river boat companies, mechanized platoons. heavy-weapons
platoons, -econnaissance units, administration and logistics support com-
Sanies and elemeits of command and czntrol. Although normally involved in
companv-ýize operations, they were capabla of conducting multi-company
operations. The Self-Oefense Corps (bL-amv the Popular Forces in 1964),
were basically platoon-size units and were conceived for combat in defense
of villages and hamlets, These forces were essentially infantry; their
equipment and mode of subsistence were more austere than those of the Civil
Guard.
Operational rules were established:
t.'e Civil Guard (or Regional
Forces) served the province and the Self-Defense Corps (or Popu.ar Forces),
the district, but their goals remained about the same --
to conduct operation
ageinst local enemy forces.,71/
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