Commitment of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) to the war in South Vietnam in 1965 provided an opportunity to determine if the concepts developed in training and testing were valid in the environment and against the enemy of that country. Concurrent with the modifications being made to these concepts as a result of combat operations, this thesis is an academic attempt to analyze the air assault concept. Organized along lines paralleling the ROAD infantry division, the airmobile division has certain modifications to give it a large scale airmobile capability. There are eight infantry battalions, six of which may be supported at any one time by an assault helicopter company (twenty UH-1D helicopters) that gives them a capability to maneuver rifle companies rapidly about the battlefield. Medium and heavy artillery are supplanted by aerial rocket artillery and increased reliance on close air support. Parallel radio nets over three modes (FM, AM-SSB, and UHF) permit superior communications. | Analysis Of The Current Concept For Employment Of The Airmobile Division Against Insurgent Forces In An Underdeveloped Area Part 1 by Leon D Bieri