CIDG

The Counter-Insurgency and Group Disruption (CIDG) program was a component of United States efforts in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Initiated in 1961, it aimed to counter the Viet Cong insurgency by organizing and arming local Vietnamese villagers. The CIDG program operated under the umbrella of the U.S. Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS) organization.

The primary objective of CIDG was to create self-defense forces within villages to protect them from Viet Cong attacks and infiltration. These forces were trained by U.S. Special Forces and other military personnel. Participants received weapons, equipment, and basic military training, enabling them to patrol their areas, gather intelligence, and engage enemy forces. The program also emphasized civic action and development within the villages, seeking to gain the support of the local population and undermine Viet Cong influence.

CIDG units were often comprised of ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards in the Central Highlands, who had distinct cultural ties and motivations for resisting the Viet Cong. The program provided these groups with a means of self-determination and protection. Over time, the scope of CIDG expanded to include more conventional military operations, with units sometimes operating in conjunction with regular U.S. and South Vietnamese army forces. The program underwent several organizational changes and reorganizations throughout its existence before eventually being phased out as U.S. involvement in Vietnam drew to a close.