To kill or capture

by Maj Marshall N. Carter

Rapid intelligence processing and aggressive

 small unit leadership were the ingredients

 for a successful raid against an unsuspecting enemy

In the conduct of counterguerrilla operations enemy forces are extremely vulnerable to two factors: dogged pressure and accurate in­telligence. These two factors are closely re­lated since accurate intelligence will allow appli­cation of pressure; the more pressure applied the more information comes to light through prisoners, defectors and a disgruntled guerrilla support base within the population. Accurate and timely intelligence allows effective and eco­nomical application of decisive combat power. The ultimate refinement of these factors occurs when friendly forces are able to eliminate enemy leadership. The loss of even a few key leaders or cadre personnel can significantly set back local guerrilla efforts.

Striking the enemy outside normal friendly operational areas can destroy his confidence in safe havens as well as undermine the guerrillas' prestige and influence with the support base.

Marine Corps Gazette    •  June 1973

The morale effect of a swift and devasting attack by friendly forces can be significant since the guerrilla cannot explain to the local populace why he lost so many men or equipment.

During the summer of 1966 U. 5. Marine Corps units in South Vietnam began using former Viet Cong as scouts and information gatherers. These defectors, called Kit Carson scouts, dressed as Marines and paid $44 per month, provided valu­able assistance when employed in areas in which they had operated during their previous time as Viet Cong. The operation described in this ar­ticle, a helicopterborne company size raid, re­sulted directly from information provided by a Kit Carson scout. It happened this way...

On 10 January 1967 a unit from the 3rd Battal­ion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, acting on information provided by its Kit Carson Scout, ambushed an enemy platoon resulting in 13 enemy KIA. One of the enemy dead was a VC