Pacific Stars and Stripes information
for 7/17 CAV
17 CAG
For date 700430
7/17 CAV was a US Army unit
17 CAG was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Pleiku Province, II Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Camp Enari
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "The Fighting Info finders by SP5 Alex Hybel."
Camp Enari (Special) - "Find the enemy, establish contact, develop the situation and pull out with vital intelligence." These are the rules of operation for the 17th Combat Aviation group's 7th Sq., 17th Air Cav., commanded by Lt. Col. Rudolph B. DeFrance. Since its arrival in Vietnam 28 months ago the squadron has been working in such heavily contested areas as Dak To, Ben Het, Bu Prang, Ban Me Thuot, An Khe, Kontum and An Son. Aerial scout teams of two AH-1G Cobra gunships and two OH-6A Light Observation Helicopters (LOH), perform reconnaissance over large areas at tree-top level - and as often as not in the midst of a triple-canopy jungle. If the LOH starts drawing fire or if enemy activity of any kind is spotted, the observer begins firing with his M60 machine gun or the pilot opens up with the ship's minigun. If the suppressive fire does not contain the enemy, gunships are called in to spray the area in question with rockets and minigun fire. After the area has been saturated with air fire, UH1 Huey slicks will insert members of the Cav.'s aero-rifle platoon (ARP) to search the area.
Photo captions: Silhouetted against the rising sum, a Cobra gunship sets out from Camp Enari on a recom mission.
A light observation chopper opens up with its miniguns after spotting North Vietnamese troops in dense jungle.
A light observation chopper searches for enemy troops while a Cobra waits overhead.
Skimming over the treetops, an observer gets a close look at the jungle.
An injured trooper is helped to a light chopper for evacuation.
Comments: LTC DeFrance, Rudolph B.; CO 7/17th CAV; ;
The source for this information was 7004pss.avn supplied by Les Hines 02/02/2000
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
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Last updated
02/03/2000
Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023