Office of the Historian

111. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (McNamara)1

JCSM-518-61
Washington, August 3, 1961.

SUBJECT

  • Increase of GVN Armed Forces to 270,000
1.
Reference is made to the memorandum by the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense (ISA) dated 10 July 1961,2 subject as above, requesting the Joint Chiefs of Staff to submit recommendations on increasing the Republic of Viet-Nam Armed Forces (RVNAF) to 270,000.
2.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff do not believe that an ultimate force of 270,000 would be required to enable the RVNAF to conduct counterinsurgency operations and concurrently be prepared to meet overt aggression.
3.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff are of the opinion that for the foreseeable future the force objectives for Viet-Nam of a nine division equivalent force (200,000) is adequate. The Joint Chiefs of Staff will continue to assess the Government of Viet-Nam (GVN) and RVNAF capabilities and will be prepared to recommend increases in the force objectives for Viet-Nam should circumstances indicate there is a requirement.
4.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff recommend that:
a.
The strategic force objectives for Viet-Nam remain at the nine division equivalent force level (200,000), subject to future assessment.
b.
Priority efforts be continued to enhance the capabilities of the already authorized 20,000 RVNAF augmentation, 68,000 Civil Guard (CG), 48,000-52,000 Self Defense Corps (SDC) and the rotation and retraining of existing forces.

For the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

L.L. Lemnitzer3
Chairman
Joint Chiefs of Staff
  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, Lansdale Files:FRC 63 A 1803, Forces for Viet-Nam 1961. Top Secret. Printed also in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 11, pp. 239-240.↩
  2. Not found.↩
  3. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩