Arrived Vietnam: November 1967

Departed Vietnam: March 1971

Location: Kontum

Command and Control Central (CCC) was formed by MACV-SOG in late 1967 as an expansion of its Kontum Forward Operations Base (FOB) under the command of a lieutenant colonel. CCC had responsibility for classified unconventional warfare operations throughout the tri-border regions of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. CCC was organized the same way as other MACV-SOC field commands, and its flexible composition permitted fluctuation in the number of subordinate elements depending on mission requirements. It had around 30 Spike Recon Teams (RT). Hatchet Forces, and four Search-Location-and-Annihilation Mission Companies (SLAM Companies A, B, C and D). RTs were composed of three U.S. Special Forces and nine indigenous personnel per team, the latter drawn from ethnic minority groups and selected for their intense loyalty and excellent jungle-fighting qualities. RTs were capable of diverse special assignments ranging from ambush and calling in air strikes to cache destruction and reconnoiter-and-attack, and were often shifted between MACV-SOC field commands as mission requirements demanded. Originally named after states, RTs later adopted names of Asian poisonous snakes and assorted designations once all state names had been exhausted. Hatchet Forces were composed of five U.S. special forces and thirty indigenous personnel and could perform larger missions as well as reinforce RTs. The four SLAM companies were assigned to exploit promising situations. Their platoons were also capable of independent action as needed. CCC folded in March 1971 when MACV-SOG’s Task Force I Advisory Element was established at Da Nang.