Hi Emergov; re your #97.
HQ 1ATF was initially structured as a Joint Force HQ via Army/RAAF planning in accord with doctrine existing at the time. This embraced a Task Force Air Commander, Task Force Air Support Officer, small transport ops cell and a (close) air support cell with essential communications infrastructure. These latter bits were small annexes of the Command Post.
9&35SQNs were properly based at Vung Tau with a Base Support Flight that was later enlarged to 1 Operational Support Unit when a RAAF cantonment had been developed on Vung Tau airfield. The anomolous situation then was that only 9SQN was under operational control of 1ATF with 35SQN Caribou under opcon US 7th Air Force; so the initial Air Force representation at Nui Dat was arguably top heavy, although conforming with JSPs.
After the cantonment was established, TFAC moved to Vung Tau to become a virtual RAAF base commander and 9SQN provided a TFAC Representative at Nui Dat. This was a defacto TFASO role shared by Squadron Leaders and experienced Flight Lieutenants.
Post-Battle of Long Tan, there was soul searching within 1ATF regarding command and control aspects among Army fighting arms which was ultimately sorted. Late 1967/early 1968, another battalion was added plus a squadron of tanks and 9SQN doubled in aircraft and personnel strength. A very comprehensive upgrade of 1ATF SOPs was undertaken involving 9SQN and thereafter, the system hummed along quite smoothly in joint fashion.
Opcon of 9SQN activities was exercised by the CP via the small transport ops tasking cell manned by a couple of RAAF junior officers and clerks. TFAC Rep acted as an air advisor as did the FAC in the offensive air support cell, although both got involved in the planning aspects for major activities. The secondary function of TFAC Rep was to monitor the integrity of 9SQN operations.
I usually only spent enough time in the CP to stay across all of the briefings and to get the Sitreps at start and end of each day. The only time I ever intervened in a CP decision was when the 9SQN night dustoff aircraft was tasked to recover a badly wounded prisoner whom the Intell guys wanted to interrogate. The aircraft captain was a pretty inexperienced young pilot who was approaching a strobe light in dense jungle for winching up the prisoner and reported seeing 2 strobe lights in close proximity. I was monitoring all of the radio nets and the ground callsign was adamant they only had one strobe light. The opposition had another nearby so I directed the aircraft captain to abort. The G2Ops got pretty peeved but the prisoner died soon after.
There was no requirement to refer tasking aspects for 9SQN beyond local command, either to higher headquarters in Saigon or in Australia.
Post-Vietnam, the Air Force established Air Liaison Officer appointments at several major Army formations in Australia.
Finally, the RAAF has long been criticised for basing 9SQN at Vung Tau, just 10 minutes flight time from Nui Dat; but proceedings of the Chief of Army History Conference 2002 belatedly acknowledged that 1ATF should have been based at Vung Tau in lieu of Nui Dat.
Last edited by Bushranger 71; 18th Jul 2010 at 05:25.