0 - The Black Vault

THE BDM CORPORATION
S~6-6
The redeployment plan developed as a result of this effort became
the basis tor subsequent withdrawal actions. Although modified several
times to provide for changes adopted in the RVN
force structure, US p-esidential
decisions on timing of withdrawal increments, and updates cf assessments
on expected DRV actions, the plan provid2d a general roadmap for
accomplishing gradual withdrawal of US fo,'ces,
2, Change in Objectives f. r he Field Commander
The existing mission statement for US
forces in Southeast Asia,
under the Johnson administration, was to "defeat thp enemy and force its
withdrawal to North Vietnam."
The new mission statement (which went into
effect 15 August, 1969) focused on:
*
I
Providing maximum assistance to the South Vietnamese to strengthen
forces.
Supporting pacification efforts,
. Reducing the flow of supplies to the enemy.
Reportedly the president changed his mind on the new mission
sta'ement at the last minute but Secretary Laird had already issued the new
instructions on the change in mission.19/
In an earlier position critical of the US
military strategy for
Vietnam, Kissinger stressed that US mi; tary operations through 1968 had
little relationship to the US declared political objectives -- the US
fought a military war, while our opponents fought a political war; the US
sought physical attrition, while our opponents aimed for our psychological
exhaustion,
Further, the criteria and indicators used to assess or measure
attainment of our objectives were ambiguous and misleading.20/ While
Vietnamization and Pacification were the priority programs prom 1969
onward, under the new commander, General Abrams, the military policy was
changed from "search and destroy" to "clear and hold" with a major effort
!?voted to clearing and holding operations to keep NVA
populated areas -- this was a major task of the remaining US
was increasingly being taken over by ARVN.21/
units out of the
forces but it
On 6 January 1971 Secretary
of Defense Laird annour.ced that the US ground combat role would end by
mid-summer; thereafter the US role would oe to provide air and logistics
support.,