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MAJ Mark E Cooper
to remember
Dalton, Gary Lee, MSG.
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MOS 11F10-Infantry Operations And Intelligence Specialist
Base, Fort or City Not Specified
State/Country Vietnam, South (Vietnam)
Patch
Detachment B-50 (Project Omega), Company E (Provisional) Detachment C-5 (Special Operations) Details
Special Forces Detachment B-50 Project Omega was established in July 1966 and was initially based at Nha Trang, and later at Ban Me Thout. Created with the purpose of providing I Field Force Vietnam a means of long range patrol and intelligence gathering in the far flung remotest area's of their Corps tactical zones.
As with project Sigma (B-56), project Omega was to have had a regular ARVN Ranger Battalion attached to it. However Special Forces were unhappy with this arrangement and there by provided it's own forces in the form of three Mike Force companies. The Mike Force companies were called commando companies and were used as a reaction/exploitation force. To exploit small unit contacts, and to assist in the extraction of compromised teams.
B-50 was composed of 4 (later 8) Road Runner teams which conducted long range reconnaissance on the enemy's trail networks. The Road Runner teams consisted of 4 indigenous people posing as local VC, and moved with impunity through a designated target area to a prearranged pick up point, observing enemy activity on the way. In 1968 the Road Runner teams were transferred to SFOD B-57 to continue their intel gathering patrols. B-50 also initially had 8 (later this was increased to 16) recon teams which conducted saturation patrols through designated reconnaissance zones.
SFOD B-50 used Jah, Sedang, and Rhade Montagnards, and Cham and (ethnic) Chinese personnel in its units. SFOD B-50 (supposedly?) departed Vietnam in June 1972. Project Omega possibly had its own cloth patch although details of this are a bit sketchy. If one existed then it is thought it was based on the Greek "Omega" character and possibly had a parachute and lightening bolt on it with the words "Project Omega" above and below the parachute respectively
