Australian Army Training Team Vietnam

Australian Army Training Team Vietnam
Ward, Peter Anthony · CC0 · source
Unit name	Australian Army Training Team Vietnam
Dates	1962–1972
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Training and advisory unit
Role	Counter-insurgency training, advisory, reconnaissance
Size	~30–100 (varied)
Garrison	Saigon
Battles	Vietnam War
Notable commanders	Lieutenant Colonel Peter Schreiber, Colonel Ted Serong

Australian Army Training Team Vietnam was a small, specialist Australian unit deployed to Republic of Vietnam from 1962 to 1972 to advise, train and assist Army of the Republic of Vietnam and allied forces during the Vietnam War. Established before major Australian combat deployments, the unit combined counter-insurgency expertise, jungle warfare instruction and special reconnaissance to support South Vietnamese, United States Armed Forces and regional partners. Over a decade of service, the team influenced training doctrine, engaged in advisory combat, and produced numerous decorated veterans who later shaped Australian Defence Force thinking.

Background and Formation

Australia's decision to commit advisors arose amid Cold War tensions after the Gulf of Tonkin Incident and escalating Second Indochina War. Influenced by precedents such as Australian involvement in the Malayan Emergency and advisors in the Korean War, Canberra authorized a specialist training mission to support the Republic of Vietnam. The team formed under directives from the Australian Government led by Prime Minister Robert Menzies and later administrations, coordinating with the United States Department of Defense, Australian Army Training Command, and regional partners. Initial cadres drew on personnel from Australian Special Air Service Regiment, Royal Australian Regiment, and the School of Infantry.

Organization and Structure

Organizationally small and flexible, the unit maintained rotating detachments embedded with South Vietnamese formations and joint advisory groups such as the Military Assistance Advisory Group. Command relationships linked the team to Australian Army Headquarters in Canberra and to operational control in Saigon through liaison with United States Army Pacific. Elements included advisory teams, jungle training instructors, signals advisers, medical officers, and logistics specialists. Ranks ranged from warrant officers and captains to colonels; many advisors were veterans of earlier counter-insurgency campaigns including personnel from the 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and cadres with experience from the Special Air Service Regiment.

Operations and Training Activities

The unit conducted external training at facilities such as the Hải Dương Training Centre and operated mobile training teams across provinces including Phuoc Tuy Province, Quảng Nam Province, and Bình Định Province. Activities encompassed small-unit tactics, ambush drills, reconnaissance, marksmanship, demolitions instruction, and civil-military cooperation techniques used in pacification programs like Strategic Hamlet Program. Advisors supported combined operations with units from the United States Marine Corps, United States Army Special Forces, Republic of Korea Armed Forces, and indigenous forces including the Montagnard irregulars and South Vietnamese Regional Forces and Popular Forces. The team also ran counter-IED awareness and jungle survival courses reflecting lessons from engagements such as the Battle of Long Tan.

Combat and Advisory Role

Although primarily advisory, members frequently accompanied Vietnamese units on combat patrols and reconnaissance missions, engaging in firefights during operations like Operation Crimp and provincial sweeps around Saigon. Advisors coordinated artillery and close air support with assets from United States Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force platforms, and liaised with naval gunfire from the United States Seventh Fleet when required. The dual advisory-combat role mirrored practices of U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam advisors and occasionally required direct offensive action against Viet Cong and People's Army of Vietnam units. The team's operations contributed to joint counter-insurgency campaigns and training of South Vietnamese forces for independent operations.

Personnel and Notable Members

Personnel included senior officers and enlisted advisers drawn from units such as the Special Air Service Regiment, 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and specialist schools. Notable members who served or were associated with the mission include Lieutenant Colonel Peter Schreiber, Colonel Ted Serong, and decorated non-commissioned officers who later influenced Australian military doctrine. Several veterans went on to publish memoirs and analyses influencing works at institutions like the Australian War Memorial and Australian Defence Force Academy.

Awards, Decorations and Casualties

Advisors received a range of Australian and allied awards including the Victoria Cross for Australia—awarded to Australians for actions in Vietnam—alongside the Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross, Distinguished Conduct Medal and various campaign medals such as the Vietnam Medal. Casualties were sustained from ambushes, sapper attacks, and artillery; fatalities and wounded included both Australian and allied personnel embedded with advisory teams. The unit's casualty figures were lower than larger combat formations but losses had significant impact given the small team size.

Legacy and Historical Assessment

Evaluation of the team’s impact appears in historiography by authors at the Australian War Memorial, analysts from the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and scholars at universities including Australian National University and University of New South Wales. Assessments emphasize the unit’s role in transferring counter-insurgency techniques, shaping Australian military doctrine, and fostering interoperability with United States Forces. Critics debate the long-term strategic effectiveness regarding the survival of the Republic of Vietnam, while proponents highlight professional development, lessons applied in later conflicts such as deployments to East Timor and Iraq War (2003–2011). Commemorations occur in memorials and regimental histories, and veterans associations maintain records, artefacts and oral histories informing contemporary military education.

Category:Military units and formations of Australia in the Vietnam War