Was MACV Special Forces?
Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) was a highly classified, multi-service United States special operations unit which conducted covert unconventional warfare operations prior to and during the Vietnam War.
Did MACV-SOG have Marines?
Composed of Army Special Forces operators, Navy SEALs, Recon Marines, and Air Commandos, SOG also worked closely with the Intelligence Community, often running missions at the request of the CIA.
Was MACV-SOG part of the army?
The Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) was activated, January 24, 1964, to function as a joint special operations task force. Commanded by a U.S. Army Special Forces colonel, MACV-SOG was a subcomponent of MACV. Maritime operations covered the coastal areas of North Vietnam.
What weapons did MACV SOG use?
They included SKS small arms rifles, AK-47s, RPGs, PKM and RPDs and HMG . 51 caliber small and large crew served machine guns.
Who is MACV?
U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) was a joint-service command of the United States Department of Defense. MACV was created on 8 February 1962, in response to the increase in United States military assistance to South Vietnam.
What did MACV SOG carry?
The weapons of the elite MACV-SOG units extended beyond the CAR-15 and the occasional AK47. Every American on these teams would also carry a 40mm grenade launcher, the M79. The M203 grenade launcher was typically mounted to the weapon system; the M79 was carried separately.
Is there such a thing as a MACV-SOG?
This unpopularity also meant that extraordinary men and units, such as the Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG), have fallen through the cracks of America’s consciousness, and are only known to a few old comrades, their families, and a handful of military history enthusiasts.
When did MACV-SOG begin operations in Laos?
The aircraft flew agent insertions and resupply, leaflet and gift kit drops, and carried out routine logistics missions for SOG. On 21 September 1965, the Pentagon authorized MACV-SOG to begin cross-border operations in Laos in areas contiguous to South Vietnam’s western border.
What did the MACV-SOG Task Force do?
This task force, which included U.S. Special Forces operators, was charged with carrying out secretive, unconventional missions, many of which have never been written about or discussed in a public setting.
What kind of uniform does a MACV SOG wear?
The image of MACV-SOG operators is often tied to their uniform — they famously wore the tigerstripe camouflage pattern, which was also worn by South Vietnamese Armed Forces and other Southeast Asian countries. It has even made a comeback now among U.S. Special Forces operators.