A corps-level command that served as successor to Task Force ALPHA and Field Forces Vietnam, I Field Force, Vietnam was activated on March 15, 1966. Headquartered at the coastal city of Nha Trang, I Field Force was a component of U.S. Military Assistance Command, which controlled advisory and assistance efforts in Vietnam. Its Area of Responsibility was Military Region 2, also known as II Corps Tactical Zone (CTZ), comprising the 12 provinces that formed Vietnam's central highlands.
Among its tasks was working to ensure that the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, or ARVN, would have effective artillery support during its combat operations in II CTZ. In August, 1967, 1 Field Force Artillery initiated a program with ARVN's II Corps to establish a channel for requesting U.S. artillery support of ARVN operations. It also conducted a four-month study of ARVN artillery operations to assess the efficacy of their support. These efforts culminated in the I Field Force and ARVN Associate Battery Program, which enabled U.S. artillery units to work with selected Vietnamese battalions, providing quick responses to requests for maintenance, technical, and training assistance.
The crusader's sword in the I Field Force CSIB was inspired by the shoulder-sleeve insignia that had been previously authorized for the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam and the U.S. Army, Vietnam; its protrusion into the red area is symbolic of the ongoing probing of enemy territory, as well as the repulses and defeats of enemy forces made possible by I Field Force.
On April 30, 1971, I Field Force was deactivated. Its assets were used to form Second Regional Assistance Command, also based at Nha Trang.
Related ItemsI Field Force, Vietnam Patch (SSI)