Advising Indigenous Forces: American Advisors in Korea, Vietnam, and El Salvador

Ramsey's historical study examines three cases in which the US Army performed an advisory mission. In Korea during the 1950s, in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, and in El Salvador in the 1980s the Army was tasked to build and advise host nation armies during a time of war. The author makes several arguments about the lessons the Army thought it learned at the time: the need for US advisors: to have language and cultural training; the lesser importance for them of technical and tactical skills training; and the need to adapt US concepts and tactics to local conditions. These lessons are still important and relevant today. Robert D. Ramsey III retired from the US Army in 1993 after 24 years of service as an Infantry officer that included tours in Vietnam, Korea, and the Sinai. He earned an M.A. in history from Rice University. Mr. Ramsey taught military history 3 years at the United States Military Academy and 6 years at the US Army Command and General Staff College.