Advising in Government: An Account of the District Advisory Program in South Vietnam
Abstract
An effectively functioning local government organization is widely accepted as a sine qua non for successfully overcoming a Communist-inspired "war of national liberation." In South Vietnam, the Viet Cong have long centered their attack on the lower echelons of the government. By late 1963, the Viet Cong, aided by government policies that sought to replace the traditional village-oriented structure with one emphasizing the hamlet, had for practical purposes destroyed the government apparatus in large regions of the countryside. Shortly after President Ngo Dinh Diem was overthrown on 1 November 1963, the ruling Military Revolutionary Council adopted a new pacification plan to replace the bankrupt strategic hamlet program. Spelled out in the Chien Thang (Victory) plan, the new scheme envisioned decentralizing pacification activities to defeat the Viet Cong and rebuild the nation. This change in orientation precipitously thrust the South Vietnamese district into a key, if not the major, role in carrying out the government's local programs. How the United States coped with this new situation by instituting the District Advisory Program (DAP) to "advise in government" is an important chapter in the record of U.S. activities in South Vietnam. This essay seeks to demonstrate the necessity for effective local government in South Vietnam, describes the DAP as the major U.S. action to strengthen the vital district organization, and assesses the results obtained to date. From a 13-team pilot project started in April 1964, the DAP has expanded to include more than two-thirds of the 242 districts in South Vietnam. The original two-man team, composed of one officer and one noncommissioned officer, has grown to six men. The essay is based on the personal experiences of the author in South Vietnam from September 1963 to June 1965, which included an intimate working relationship with the DAP both in the field and at the policy level.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 18, 1966
- Accession Number
- ADA497994
Entities
People
- Robert M. Montague Jr.
Organizations
- United States Army War College