Combined Action Program

The Combined Action Program (CAP) was a United States Marine Corps initiative during the Vietnam War, established in 1965. Its primary mission was to integrate small teams of Marines with local South Vietnamese Popular Force militias in rural villages, creating Combined Action Platoons. These units worked together to provide security, conduct counterinsurgency operations, and win the "hearts and minds" of the local population. The CAP proved effective in disrupting Viet Cong activities and fostering cooperation between U.S. forces and Vietnamese civilians, serving as an early example of successful embedded counterinsurgency tactics.