PARALLELS

Despite the stark cultural, geographic and generational differences and the decades that separate Vietnam and Iraqi Wars, the fundamentals and the roles of U.S. Military Advisors remains essentially the same. Tried and true methods which worked so successfully in the jungles and villages of Southeast Asia are currently being employed in the desert tribal provinces of Iraq, even in Iraqi urban centers. The parallel experiences of today's Military Advisory teams and their Vietnam counterparts can only be fully appreciated when their stories are told first-hand.

“The Vietnamese wanted a commitment from us at that time and we never gave it to them. From what I understand, if we were to give the tribal leaders in Iraq assurances that advisors will remain as long as needed, they would be more likely to commit to us.”

- 1st Lieutenant Bob McMahon