Upon its activation in March 1966, II Field Force, Vietnam inherited the lineage of its predecessor, XXII Corps, which had earned credit for participation in the Rhineland and Central Europe Campaigns in World War II and served as a Corps Command during the Cold War. Working in support of the South Vietnamese III Corps around Saigon, II Field Force soon grew to become the largest corps command serving in Vietnam (and one of the largest in U.S. Army history).
Headquartered in Long Binh, II Field Force—like I Field Force—was a component of U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV). Working closely with the South Vietnamese III Corps around Saigon, 2 Field Force helped develop new approaches to assigning intelligence-gathering responsibilities of its Vietnamese cohorts. Specific intelligence collection tasks, based on geographical areas were designated for U.S. and allied units operating within III Corps area of responsibility, with close liaisons between U.S. advisers, South Vietnamese Army units, and province and district chiefs maximizing information collection while minimizing duplication of efforts.
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II Field Force, Vietnam Unit Patch (SSI)II Field Force also controlled U.S. and allied units that fought during the famous Tet Offensive of 1968 and in the operations conducted in eastern Cambodia in 1970. In all, II Field Force earned four Meritorious Unit Commendations, along with a Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry and a Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal.
As a result of Vietnamization, U.S. forces began withdrawing from the Republic of Vietnam, resulting in the need for reorganization of U.S. military command structure. Consequently, II Field Force’s headquarters was deployed to Fort Hood (now Fort Cavazos), and the unit was inactivated on 3 May 1971.
II Field Force, Vietnams’ Combat Service Identification Badge (CSIB) features elements similar to those found in the CSIB of II Field Force. Both I and II Field Force’s ties to MACV are borne out by the shape of the shield and crusader’s sword, inspired by the shoulder sleeve insignia of that unit. The sword and the blue arrow upon which it is superimposed are emblematic of 2 Field Force’s mission of repelling and breaking through enemy forces, and the shield’s division into red and yellow halves represents the unit’s numerical designation. II Field Force’s Unit Crest (Distinctive Unit Insignia) features palm fronds representing its major combat operational area around Saigon, as well as successful achievement of mission goals.