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The Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) was a specialist unit of the Australian Army that operated during the Vietnam War. Raised in 1962, the unit was raised solely for service as part of Australia's contribution to the war in Vietnam, providing training and assistance to South Vietnamese forces. It is believed to be the most decorated Australian unit to serve in Vietnam with members of the unit receiving over 100 decorations, including four Victoria Crosses, while it was in existence. The unit was withdrawn from Vietnam on 18 December 1972 and was disbanded in Australia on 16 February 1973. ==History== The unit was raised in 1962 and initially consisted of approximately 30 officers and warrant officers and was tasked to train and advise units of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) as part of the United States Military Assistance Command Vietnam (USMACV). The Australian government's decision to raise the force was announced on 24 May 1962 and shortly afterwards personnel began concentrating at the Intelligence Centre at Mosman, New South Wales. After initial induction training, the team moved to the Jungle Training Centre at Kokoda Barracks, in Canungra, Queensland, for field training. Initially, the unit was designated the "Australian Army Component – Vietnam" on 1 July 1962, and then the "Australian Army Training Component", but on 12 July 1962, the unit was redesignated the "Australian Army Training Team Vietnam". At the conclusion of pre-deployment training, the 30 advisors departed Australia from Mascot, New South Wales, aboard a Qantas charter flight on 29 July 1962. The unit's first commanding officer, Colonel Ted Serong, arrived in Saigon on 31 July – the date that is mistakenly considered the unit's "birthday" – and the main body arrived three days later.〔 On arrival, they joined a large group of US advisors and were dispersed across South Vietnam in small groups. Three groups were dispatched to South Vietnam's northern provinces, while a fourth was based at the Ranger Training Centre at Duc My near Nha Trang in the south; a headquarters was established in Saigon. The groups began training the Vietnamese in barracks, providing instruction in "jungle warfare techniques and technical areas such as signals and engineering", but initially, the team was prevented from actively taking part in combat operations; this restriction was later lifted, but until this occurred, the advisors deployed on operations as observers only. On 1 June 1963, Sergeant William Francis Hacking became the AATTV's first casualty when he was accidentally killed while on duty in Vietnam.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Vietnam War Roll of Honour )〕 In mid-1964, the restriction on the AATTV advisors taking part in combat operations was lifted. The first advisor officially killed in action was Warrant Officer Class Two Kevin Conway at the Battle of Nam Dong on 6 July 1964. With the war escalating the AATTV increased, first to 60 in June and then to approximately 100 personnel – 15 officers and 85 warrant officers – by December. Soon its area of operations stretched from the far south to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) forming the border between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. After June 1964, members of the team were involved in many combat operations, often leading formations of Vietnamese soldiers. Some advisors worked with regular ARVN units and formations – at first mainly infantry, but after 1967 artillery and cavalry units as well – while others, such as Captain Barry Petersen, worked with the Montagnard hill tribes in conjunction with US Special Forces (USSF). A few were attached to Provisional Reconnaissance Units with whom they became involved in the controversial Phoenix Program run by the US Central Intelligence Agency, which was designed to target the Vietcong infrastructure through infiltration, arrest and assassination. Others were attached to the all-Vietnamese Regional and Popular Forces, and the National Field Police Force, or served with the USSF Mobile Strike Force. Members of the AATTV served tours of duty of between 12 to 18 months in Vietnam.〔 In mid-1965, Australia's involvement in the war increased as the government committed a full infantry battalion, the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. Early the following year, this was expanded as the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) was established, operating in its own area of operations in Phuoc Tuy province. But despite the concentration of Australian forces, the AATTV members remained dispersed, often serving with only one other advisor, either Australian or American. Thus, due to its small size and widespread area of operations, it was rare for the entire AATTV to be in the same place at the same time; this usually occurred only on ANZAC Day – the only other occasion the whole unit paraded together was when it received the Meritorious Unit Commendation from the Commander of the US Forces in Vietnam on 30 September 1970.〔 That year, as the Australians and Americans prepared to withdraw, a process of "Vietnamization" began, and the AATTV established a jungle training centre in Phuoc Tuy province. In November 1970, the unit's strength peaked at 227, at which time the team was expanded with an intake of corporals. In 1971, the 1 ATF combat units were withdrawn and the AATTV's role reverted to their original role, of training only. As the final 1 ATF units left the country in early 1972 the AATTV, having been reduced to around 70 personnel, remained in Phuoc Tuy to provide training and advisory assistance to the ARVN and to training Cambodian soldiers of Force Armée Nationale Khmère (FANK). The last Australians left Vietnam in mid-December 1972 – the AATTV left on 18 December〔 – following the election of the Whitlam Labor government. The AATTV had the longest tour of duty of any Australian unit in Vietnam, serving a total of ten years, four months and sixteen days. The unit also had the distinction of being the first Australian unit committed to Vietnam and the last to be withdrawn. It was subsequently disbanded in Australia on 16 February 1973. Over the course of its service, a total of 1,009 men served with the unit, consisting of 998 Australians and 11 New Zealanders. The AATTV was Australia's most decorated unit of the war, including all four Victoria Crosses awarded during the conflict (awarded to Warrant Officer Class Two Kevin Wheatley, Major Peter Badcoe, Warrant Officer Class Two Rayene Simpson and Warrant Officer Class Two Keith Payne respectively). The unit also received the United States Army Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Citation.〔 Individuals who served with the 5th Special Forces Group between 1 November 1966 and 31 January 1968 are also entitled to wear the United States Army Presidential Unit Citation. The Valorous Unit Award was also awarded to B-20, 1st Mobile Strike Force Battalion for service between 3–11 April 1970 and a few members of the AATTV are also entitled to this award. In October 2004, the Australian Army training contingent in Iraq was renamed the "Australian Army Training Team Iraq" in honour of the AATTV. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Australian Army Training Team Vietnam」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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