Army Security Agency Vietnam
Among other missions, the Army Security Agency {ASA} was (and is) tasked with providing Signals Intelligence to the operational commanders. In Vietnam, this mission included operating ground- and air-based listening posts. The ASA units usually operated under cover names - most commonly as "Radio Research" {RR} units.
ASA presence in Vietnam began with the 400th ASA Unit (Provisional) in May 1961, operating as the 3rd RR Unit under command of the Army Security Agency Pacific. In September 1961 the unit was redesignated as the 82nd ASA Special Operations Unit and in November 1964 as the 53rd ASA Special Operations Command. On 1 June 1966, in response to the growing American presence in Vietnam, the command functions of the 53rd ASA Spec Ops Cmd were transferred to the newly formed 509th ASA Group. The command structure shown below is taken, in abbreviated form, from the
ASA Online Order of Battle.
509TH ASA GROUP (509th Radio Research Group)
- ASA Field Station, Pleiku (330th RR Field Station)
- ASA Company, Can Tho (335th RR Company)
- ASA Communications Unit, Vietnam (18th RR Unit)
- 101st ASA Det(7th RR Unit)
- ASA Field Station, Bien Hoa (175th RR Field Station)
Reassigned from 303rd ASA Bn 30 Sep 1971
- 405th ASA Det
Reactivated 30 September 1971 as the 405th RR Det
- 8th Army ASA Field Station (8th RR Unit)
Redesignated ASA Field Station, Phu Bai on 15 December 1967
Cover Redesignation 8th RR Field Station
- Det 'A', 358th ASA Company (Det A, 358th RR Co)
Redeployed: 15 July 1968
- 407th ASA Det(Det 4, 3rd RR Unit)
Inactivated 3 May 1966; reactivated 28 July 1968 as 407th RR Det
Inactivated 1 April 1972
- 4O3d ASA Special Operations Det(Abn) (403d RR Special Operations Det(Abn))
- 224th Aviation Battalion (RR)
- HQ & HQ Company, 224th Aviation Battalion (RR)
Redesignated HHC Company, 224th ASA Battalion on 19 May 1971
Cover Redesignation 224th RR Battalion
- 1st ASA Company (Aviation) (1st Aviation Company (RR))
- 138th Aviation Company (RR)
- 144th Aviation Company (RR)
- 146th Aviation Company (RR)
- 156th Aviation Company (RR)
- 303rd ASA Battalion (303rd RR Battalion)
- HHC, 3O3rd ASA Battalion
- 265th ASA Company (265th RR Company)
- A CO, 3O3rd ASA BATTALION (16th RR Unit)
Redesignated 372nd ASA Company on 15 October 1966
Cover Redesignation 372rd RR Company
- C CO, 3O3rd ASA BATTALION (374th RR Company)
Redesignated 374th ASA Company on 15 October 1966
Cover Redesignation 374th RR Company
- 371st ASA Company (371st RR Company)
Reassigned from the 313th ASA Bn on 16 October 1968
- 337th ASA Company (337th RR Co)
Former B/313th ASA Bn, reassigned to 303rd effective 10 May 1966
- 335th ASA Company (335th RR Company)
- 4O4th ASA Det(Det 1, 3rd RR Unit)
Reassigned to 303d ASA Battalion in May 1966
Cover Redesignation 404th RR Deton 29 July 1966
Reassigned to 313th ASA Battalion on 1 December 1967
Reassigned to ASA Field Station, Pleiku on 30 September 1971
- 405th ASA Det(Det 2, 3rd RR Unit)
Cover Redesignation as 405th RR Det
Reassigned to 303rd ASA Battalion on 28 September 1968
Inactivated 5 December 1969; Reactvated 30 September 1971
- 175th ASA Company (175th RR Company)
Redesignated ASA Operations Company, Saigon 15 December 1967
Relocated and redesignated ASA Operations Company, Bien Hoa 15 July 1968
Redesignated ASA Field Station, Bien Hoa 30 September 1971
Cover Redesignation 175th RR Field Station
Reassigned to 509th ASA Group 30 September 1971
- 408th ASA Det(408th RR Det)
Reassigned to 313th ASA Battalion 12 April 1967
Inactivated 20 November 1968
- 409th ASA Det(409th RR Det)
Inactivated 6 March 1971
- 856th ASA Det(856th RR Det)
Inactivated 6 March 1971
- BRIGADE RR Det(PROVISIONAL)
Discontinued 30 September 1971
- 313th ASA BATTALION (313th RR Battalion)
- HHC, 313th ASA BATTALION (13th RR Unit)
- B CO, 313th ASA BATTALION (11th RR Unit)
Reassigned to 303rd ASA Bn on 10 May 1966
Redesignated 337th ASA Company 30 September 1966
Cover Redesignation 337th RR Company
- C CO, 313th ASA BATTALION (10th RR Unit)
Redesignated 371st ASA Company on 15 October 1966
Cover Redesignation 371st RR Company
Reassigned to ASA Field Station, Phu Bai 23 February 1968
Reassigned to 303d ASA Battalion on 16 October 1968
- 328th ASA Company (328th RR Company)
Reassigned to ASA Field Station, Pleiku on 30 June 1971
Reassigned to ASA Field Station, Phu Bai on 24 October 1971
- 330th ASA Company (12th RR Unit)
Cover Redesignation to 330th RR Company on 18 July 1966
- 4O6th ASA Det(Det 3, 3rd RR Unit)
Cover Redesignation 406th RR Deton 29 July 1966
Inactivated 20 November 1968
- 408th ASA Det(408th RR Det)
Reassigned from 303rd ASA Battalion 12 April 1967
Inactivated 20 November 1968
- 415th ASA Det(415th RR Det)
Inactivated 20 November 1968
- 601st ASA Det(601st RR Det)
Inactivated 20 November 1968
- PROVISIONAL RR Company
Redesignated Americal RR Company (Provisional) on 7 October 1967
Discontinued 20 November 1968
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Last updated on 31 August 2002
