Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG, pronounced "sid-gee") was a program devised by the CIA in early 1961 to counter expanding Viet Cong influence in South Vietnam's Central Highlands. Beginning in the village of Buon Enao, small A Teams from the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) moved into villages and set up Area Development Centers. Focusing on local defense and civic action, the Special Forces teams did the majority of the training. Villagers were trained and armed for village defense for two weeks, while localized Strike Forces would receive better training and weapons and served as a quick reaction force to react to Viet Cong attacks. The vast majority of the CIDG camps were initially manned by inhabitants of ethnic minority regions in the country (especially Montagnard), who disliked both the North and South Vietnamese and therefore quickly took the American advisors. The program was widely successful, as once one village was pacified, it served as a training camp for other local villages. By 1963, the military felt that the program was a great success, but also that the CIDG units and Special Forces units were not being employed properly, and ordered Operation SWITCHBACK, which transferred control of the CIDG program from the CIA over to MACV. The CIDG Program was rapidly expanded, as the entire 5th Special Forces Group, United States Army Special Forces, moved into Vietnam, and the CIDG units stopped focusing on village defense and instead took part in more conventional operations, most notably border surveillance. Most of these were converted to Vietnam Army Ranger units in 1970. The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... A Viet Cong soldier, heavily guarded, awaits interrogation following capture in the attacks on Saigon during the festive Tet holiday period of 1968. ... Tây Nguyên, translated as Central Highlands, is one of the regions of Vietnam. ... This article is about the U.S. Special Operations Force. ... The Degar (referred to by French colonists as Montagnard) are the indigenous peoples of the central highlands of Vietnam. ... The Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV, pronounced as mac vee) was the United States command structure during the Vietnam War from 1962 until the wars end. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The United States Army Special Forces —Special Forces or SF — is an elite Special Operations Force of the United States Army trained for unconventional warfare and special operations. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Battle of A Shau
• Battle of Dong Xoai
• Battle of Hiep Hoa
• Battle of Kham Duc
• Battle of Nam Dong

See Vietnam Studies, U.S. Army Special Forces 1961-1971, CMH Publication 90-23, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C. 1989 (First Printed, 1973) Combatants United States South Vietnam North Vietnam Strength 395 2,000 Casualties U.S: 8 killed, 12 wounded and 5 missing South Vietnam: 47 killed or missing Unknown (U.S estimates put the number at 800) The Battle of A Shau was waged in 1966 during the Vietnam War. ... Combatants Viet Cong South Vietnam United States Commanders Le Trong Tan Cao Van Vien, Charles W. Williams Strength 1,500 10,000 Casualties 700+ estimated KIA ARVN: 800+ killed U.S: 7 killed, 15 wounded and 13 missing The Battle of Dong Xoai was a battle that occurred during the... Combatants Viet Cong United States South Vietnam Strength 500+ 219 Casualties Unknown, 7 bodies left behind 41 killed, 120 wounded, 32 missing and 2 captured The Battle of Hiep Hoa was a minor battle of the Vietnam War. ... Combatants North Vietnam Viet Cong United States South Vietnam Australia Strength 10,000+ 1,760+ Casualties  ??? 270+ killed or missing 9 aircraft loss The Battle of Kham Duc was the struggle for the United States Army Special Forces camp located in Quang Tin province, South Vietnam. ... Combatants South Vietnam United States Australia Viet Cong Commanders Captain Roger H. C. Donlon Unknown commander Strength 200+ 1,000+ Casualties South Vietnam: 115 dead and wounded US:9 dead and wounded Australia: 1 dead 62+ bodies left The Battle of Nam Dong was fought on July 6, 1964, when...