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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. Some members of 46th Company were based at
Nakhon Phanom (NKP) (link to Google Maps) and assisted Recon
Teams from Command & Control North (CCN) based in Danang,
Vietnam from 5th SFG(A) wh were running missions into Laos.
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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