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46th Company Thailand

Home > Units > 46th Company

One of the more exotic assignments for Special Forces Soldiers during the Vietnam War was 46th Company in Thailand. This small unit conducted a variety of missions during the conflict in Indochina.

46th Company was deployed to assist the Thai military in resisting Communist guerrilla activity along the Laotian border, among the hill tribes in the north, and in the south on the Malay Peninsula.

Origins of 46th Company. The company was originally organized from personnel of 7th SFGA and reactivated as Company D (Augmented), 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) in April 1966 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Between the activation and deployment the company underwent pre-mission training. In October of 1966 the unit deployed to Thailand where an SFOB was established at Camp Pawai, Lopburi, Thailand. On April 15, 1967 the unit was redesignated 46th Special Forces Company (Airborne), 1st Special Forces.

Basing. In 1968 the comapny was headquartered southeast of Lopburi at Camp Pawai. In 1971 the company relocated to the Royal Thai Army (RTA) Special Warfare Center at Fort Narai, Lopburi. (There are different dates mentioned for this relocation; one suggests the move was in December 1967).

Mission. The 46th Company conducted specialized Special Forces training at the Royal Thai Army (RTA) Special Warfare Center.

Training. Many different Thai military and police units were trained by the 46th.Some of the units trained were the Thai Special Forces cadre and the Border Patrol Police. In addition, in the early 1970s the 46th trained units of the Cambodia military to include FANK Special Forces units. The Thai Ranger School was founded by 46th Company.

Deactivation. The unit departed Thailand in April 1974 and became part of 1st Special Forces Group at Fort Lewis, Washington. Other sources say the company was deactivated on March 31, 1972. Still another source says the company was deactivated on April 1, 1970 and it was reactivated as United States Army Special Forces, Thailand.


Websites with Info on 46th Company

46th Special Forces Company (Airborne) Association
www.46thsfca.org

46th Special Forces Company - by Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
www.vhpadata.org/unit/46thSpecialForces.pdf

46th Special Forces Company (Airborne)
www.thespecialforce.com/Camps/46th_sfc.htm


Papers and Publications with Info on 46th Company

Department of the Army, US Army Special Forces and Similar Internal Defense Advisory Operations in Mainland Southeast Asia, 1962-1967 (U), AD502694, Research Analysis Corporation Technical Paper RAC-TP-354, McLean, Virginia, June 1969. See pages 195 to 205.
http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/ . . . /438.pdf

 

 


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