The B-52 Tips - Combat Recon Manual, Republic of Vietnam: POI 7658, Patrolling FTX - Special Forces

As with the 1970 RECONDO MANUAL received long ago in another time and place, with good intentions, this COMBAT RECON MANUAL was likewise, removed from my library. I was truly glad when I learned of these two manuals' reprints.This little ditty, pertaining to the how-to's of combat reconnaissance, is short but sweet, and to the point, designed to quickly aid the operator toward achieveing a high degree of efficiency and effectiveness, in the tropic jungle climate, to be used in conjunction with: "on the job training" and experience in a heavy combat zone.Prepared by the PROJECT (B-52) Delta program, headquartered in Nha Trang, this was a manual filled with reminders for the operator to review and refer to and remember, in order to help said operator to manage weeks at a time in heavy, enemy controlled jungle, without daily logistical support. These tips were primarily designed for MIKE Forces operating in heavily enemy-traffic areas, and to do so without being detected until it was time to be detected, if that was the mission parameter.Movement, RONs, equipment/equipment set up, weapons handling, tracking, patrolling, E&E are all addressed without fluff. Again, as with all things clandestine and covert, common sense is the rule, guided by a need for a strong sense of strategic purpose, which was, unfortunately, not usually present.These tips have stood the test of time and their base of success go back to when guerrilla actions began to be documented by the bureaucracies that had to deal with such clandestine and covert deployments of enemies (Sun Tzu, Rome, Napoleon, Robert Rogers, Mao Tse Tung, to name a few). Given the 20th century technology of the time, allowances were made to utilize these technical tools within the operating parameters of secrecy, deniability, stealth, surprise and aggressiveness of action.While the focus is on successful tactical jungle operations, without a strong strategic template upon which to base these actions, no matter how successfully these tactical skills are deployed and executed at their tactical and operational level, they will fail in the long run, if a strong and solid strategic goal guides these actions, which we learned the hard way long ago in the environment for which these tid bits were formed. These actions worked well at the tactical level, only to lose at the strategic level of operating.Keep this book in its proper perspective.A. Bodhi

Great manual written by the man in the field

My dad was in SF back during Vietnam and little books like this one were quite common amongst us army brats, although finding an original today would be a tall order. It's full of neat tips you won't find easily anywhere else.

A great collection of tips that will well serve any military and tactics buff. I read an updated version from the 90's of this online. This book is better.

Perhaps the standard setter of SOPs for the military or even for a small militia of professional soldiers.Its definitely a good read, especially for those who enjoy old field manuals.

It's a military manual not a thriller

This was a really interesting book to read. I think anyone interested in this will enjoy it. It is definitely a keeper.

good

Dieses Buch bietet wirklich brauchbare Einsichten in das Wesen der Special-Forces zur Zeit des Vietnamkrieges. Hierdurch versteht man, warum diese Einheiten so erfolgreich waren. Es wird sehr viel Wert auf praktische Umsetzbarkeit in der damaligen Truppe gelegt. Eigentlich ein Muß für jeden der Interesse am Vietnamkrieg hat.