United States Press International

The United States Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) was originally established in 1950 to support the defense of Indochina against communism. Tasked to oversee logistical and material support to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam; the MAAG mission shifted drastically after the Geneva Accords in 1954. After the withdrawal of French forces from Indochina, MAAG reorganized into three separate organizations designed to support each country individually. In 1955, the MAAG in Vietnam began focusing on logistical, material, and training support in the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). The MAAG began training Army of the Republic of Vietnam (Lục quân Việt Nam Cộng hòa) soldiers for traditional warfare. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam struggled, however, to combat the guerilla style fighting, assassinations, and intimidation tactics of the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong).