45th+MID+by+Robert+Troth,+Commander

45th Military Intelligence Detachment (ARS), 1st MIBARS, RVN

As a captain, I arrived in Saigon in early Oct 1967, and was assigned as the Asst S2/3 in the 1st MIBARS HQ. The 45th MID had been activated at Ft. Bragg and was deployed to Vietnam, arriving at Qui Nhon later in Oct 1967. The detachment convoyed from there to Phu Cat Air Base, where it organized for operations. Although the Det could have been attached or OPCON to the battalion, I believe that the 45th was assigned to the battalion upon arrival in-country. It was thereafter identified as the 45th MI Det (ARS), 1st MIBARS.

I believe the Phu Cat Air Base location had been selected much earlier because of the presence there of USAF reconnaissance operations. However, the XXIV Corps HQ was activated at Phu Bai, in the post-Tet 1968 hot zone, with command over US Forces in the northern two provinces of ICTZ. J2 Air MACV and the battalion (the battalion was assigned to the 525th MI Group, USARV, but OPCON to J2 Air) decided to deploy the 45th from Phu Cat to Phu Bai to support XXIV Corps and the US and allied forces in those two northern provinces.

I was fortunate to be selected to take command of the 45th at Phu Cat, move it to Phu Bai, and commence the new mission operations. I also was given the privilege to pick my officers and NCOs for the Det. Junior personnel were assigned from the other MIBARS detachments to bring the 45th up to full strength. I took command at Phu Cat in Apr 1968 and we moved the Det within a few days to Phu Bai. (Upon the 45th attaining operational status at Phu Bai, the Det B mission area was concurrently reduced by the two northern provinces of ICTZ.) We continued to receive aerial delivery support from the 1st MIBARS Aviation Section stationed at Da Nang, and Det B accommodated 45th Det soldiers while on supply runs to Da Nang.

Conditions at Phu Bai were both substantially more primitive than those in the cities where the other elements of 1st MIBARS were located, and more dangerous. The base was occasionally attacked by enemy fire; I awarded seven of my soldiers the Purple Heart from wounds received in a mortar attack.

The 45th MID had become an integral part of 1st MIBARS in RVN. It was still designated the 45th when I turned over command in Oct 1968. At some point, subsequently, the Det was re-designated Det E, but I don't know when. In any event, it was only a change of name, not of status.

ROBERT S. TROTH, COL, MI (Retired) 15 August 2008



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