Lao Special Guerrilla Unit ( SGU )

The Lao Special Guerrilla Unit (SGU) was a covert paramilitary force established in the 1960s during the Laotian Civil War, supported and trained by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Primarily composed of Hmong and other ethnic minorities, the SGU played a crucial role in conducting guerrilla operations against North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao forces along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. These units performed critical tasks such as intelligence gathering, sabotage, and rescuing downed American pilots. Despite facing overwhelming odds, the SGU remained a vital component of the U.S.-backed "Secret War" in Laos until the fall of the Royal Lao Government in 1975.