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Operation ‘mixmaster’ further contributed to the ‘musical chairs’ confusion by ripping apart the unit integrity so vital in combat. Senior ranking NCOs were also pulled along with their favorite commanding officer as he moved up the chain of command. Many of us were befuddled with the ever- changing landscape of our units but I had no idea how pervasive it was until years later when I was able to study the history of ‘our’ war. I learned that the average ‘tour of duty’ for battalion commanders in the Seventh Marine Regiment from 1965-1969 was approximately THREE MONTHS!
( Dirty Little Secrets of the Vietnam War-Leadership , pgs. 203-210 )This startling fact verifies that our battalions were always in flux with each change of command—further contributing to the lack of unit integrity which many of us felt.
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