Mobile Strike Force – EAGLE FLIGHT – CIDG MERCENARY – Vietnam War
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Description
Mobile Strike Force – EAGLE FLIGHT – CIDG MERCENARY – Vietnam War
The Mobile Strike Force Command, or MIKE Force, was a U.S. Army Special Forces rapid-reaction unit active from 1965 to 1971.
- Purpose: Created to serve as a mobile reserve force capable of quickly reinforcing Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) camps and conducting aggressive search-and-destroy missions in enemy territory.
- Composition: A MIKE Force company consisted of a small group of U.S. Special Forces soldiers, typically 4 to 6 Green Berets, leading 150 to 200 indigenous irregulars.
- Indigenous Troops: The irregulars were recruited from local minority groups, such as the Montagnards, Nungs (ethnic Chinese), and Khmer Krom.
- Regional Structure: MIKE Forces were organized into battalions corresponding to the four Corps Tactical Zones of South Vietnam, with commands in Da Nang, Pleiku, Bien Hoa, and Can Tho.
Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG)
The Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) was a CIA-developed program that involved training and arming indigenous ethnic-minority populations for village defense and counterinsurgency.
- Purpose: The initial goal was to defend remote villages and counter the growing influence of the Viet Cong in areas with little government presence.
- Expansion: The program’s focus later shifted toward more conventional operations under U.S. military command.
- Mercenaries: The CIDG fighters are often described as mercenaries because they were paid and equipped by the U.S. to fight against the communists.
- Connection to MIKE Force: MIKE Forces were created specifically to support and relieve CIDG camps when they came under attack.
Eagle Flight
The term “Eagle Flight” referred to a type of combat operation rather than a specific unit like MIKE Force.
- Mobile Operation: An “Eagle Flight” involved using helicopters to rapidly insert troops into a target area to investigate suspicious activity or pursue fleeing enemy forces.
- Origin: The first Mobile Strike Force was formed in late 1964 as a direct outgrowth of the “Eagle Flight” detachment, a reaction force created to handle emergencies at Special Forces camps in the highlands.
Summary of relationship
- CIDG were the local irregular forces based out of camps who were trained and advised by U.S. Special Forces.
- MIKE Force was the highly mobile, battalion-sized reaction force created to support and reinforce the CIDG camps and conduct offensive operations.
- Eagle Flight was a term for the specific helicopter-borne, rapid-insertion combat mission that was executed by various units, including the early MIKE Force detachment.
Additional information
| Weight | .41 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 9 × 6 × 2 in |
