Army Security Agency ONLINE 509th RADIO RESEARCH GP 403d RR SOD (Abn)
08-15-00
403d Radio Research Special Operations Detachment (Airborne)
Deployed: 27 September 1966
Cover Designation: 403d Radio Research Special Operations Detachment (Airborne)
Assigned Command: 509th US Army Security Agency Group
Supported Command: 5th Special Forces Group
Location: Nha Trang
InactIvated: 15 December 1970
Vietnam Campaign Credit: 4-14
Vietnam Honors: 1 PUC, 1 MUC, 3 RVN CGP, and 1 RVN CA
Lineage : The 403d Army Security Agency Special Operations Detachment (Airborne) was organized and activated 25 Sept 1964 by authority of GO (General Order)59.
GO Nr. 75 ,HQUSASA dated 18 Nov 1964 attached the 403d SOD (Abn) to the 3d Special Forces Group (Abn),Fort Bragg, N. Carolina, effective ,1 December 1964.
The detachment was deployed to RVN by authority of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the Commanding General US Army Security Agency (CGUSASA) through Letter Orders 8-904,HQ US Army JFK Center for Special Warfare, dated 9 th Aug 1966 and at that time was initially assigned to HQ US ASA Pacific (USASAPAC).
GO Nr 55 (fm HQ USASAPAC) further assigned the 403d SOD (Abn) to the 509th RRGp Saigon, Vietnam. Terms of attachment to the 5th SFG (Abn) were stated in GO Nr 3 ,HQ 509th RRGP.
Mission:
a. The Primary mission of the 403d Radio Research Special Operations Detachment (Airborne)
,(403d RR SOD (Abn) ), is to provide Communications Intelligence, Communications Security and
limited Communications Countermeasures support to the Commanding Officer, 5th Special Forces
Group (Airborne).
b. Detachment personnel are trained as (blanked out - probably SIGINT and COMSEC)personnel and as analysts as well as being trained in Special Forces skills. Personnel therfore may be called upon to perform a Special Forces function by the supported command, however, the primary mission of the detachment is placed above all other requirements.
c. The 403d RR SOD (abn) provides tactical support to the Commanding Officer, 5th Special Forces
Group (Airborne) and also supplies strategic as well as tactical intelligence to the Radio Research
theater commander. Again, however, timeliness and accuracy of support to the supported command
are the foremost considerations.
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