About this Unit
Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) Team 22, also known as Advisory Team 22, was a U.S. Army advisory unit operating primarily in Phuoc Tuy Province during the Vietnam War. The team’s mission was to provide military advice and support to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 18th Infantry Division and local paramilitary forces. MACV Team 22 played a crucial role in coordinating combat operations, intelligence sharing, and logistical support, working closely with Vietnamese counterparts to improve their combat effectiveness. The team faced frequent combat situations and was instrumental in strengthening South Vietnamese defensive capabilities until the withdrawal of U.S. forces.
Historical Facts
• MACV Team 22: Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) Team 22 was the U.S. Army Advisory Team assigned to the Binh Dinh Province in the II Corps Tactical Zone, South Vietnam.
• Location: Team 22 operated primarily out of the provincial capital of Qui Nhon, a strategic port city on the central coast of Vietnam.
• Mission: The team’s primary role was to advise and support the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), Regional Forces, and Popular Forces in counterinsurgency operations against the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army.
• Provincial Advisory Role: Advisors worked closely with the Binh Dinh Province Chief and his staff, helping to coordinate military and civil operations, including pacification and rural development programs.
• Operation Masher/White Wing: In early 1966, Binh Dinh Province was the focus of Operation Masher (later renamed White Wing), one of the largest search and destroy missions of the war, with Team 22 playing a significant support and coordination role.
• Dangerous Environment: Binh Dinh Province contained several Viet Cong strongholds, especially in its rice-rich coastal plains and mountainous areas, making Team 22’s advisory work hazardous and complex.
• Legendary Advisors: Team 22 included decorated military advisors, such as Major Charles Q. Williams, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the 1965 defense of Dong Xoai (while temporarily attached from Team 22).
• Civil-Military Operations: The team was instrumental in implementing the CORDS (Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support) program, blending military security with economic and social development to win the "hearts and minds" of the local population.
• Enduring Legacy: The MACV Team 22 insignia, featuring a dragon, symbolized strength and vigilance and is still worn by veterans of the unit at reunions and commemorative events.
• POW/MIA Stories: Several members of Team 22 were killed, wounded, or went missing in action, and their stories are remembered as part of the broader legacy of American advisors in Vietnam.
