Phase I	Phase II	Phase III
Mid 65-Mid 66	Mid 66-Late 67	68-Continuing
Build up to 400,000
Successful defense of RVN	Drove enemy into sanctuaries	Destruction of enemy forces
Revitalization and expansion of ARVN	Improved and expanded ARVN	Continued upgrading of ARVN and territorial forces
Development of adequate logistical base	Encouraged combined ARVN-US operations	Preparation of ARVN to accept ever increasing share of combat
	Entered base areas, destroyed supplies, raised enemy losses beyond his input capabilities	Continue to isolate guerrilla from people and help GVN destroy shadow gov’t
	Saw free election, installation of civilian a	Help GVN to enhance law and order and to respond government to popular aspirations

I’m certain that you won’t miss the possible edit and re-use of the above Vietnam table for todays Iraq. Perhaps the following will remind you even more:

Regardless of the terms, all three missions contributed to the same objective, that is, a sense of security and confidence for the South Vietnamese people. Since these operations competed for the same resources, senior commanders in Vietnam were required to achieve and constantly adjust a balance between them. The principal variables that influenced the balance were intelligence, weather, terrain, and availability of trained troops and support. Some knowledge of the changes that affected these variables during the different phases of the war is essential to an understanding of the shifting balance.

Four phases of the Vietnam strategy have been described by General Westmoreland. All four phases emphasized strengthening the Republic of Vietnam armed forces. In addition, during the first phase, from mid-1965 to mid-1966, the enemy offensive was blunted.. The second phase, from mid-1966 to the end of 1967, saw the mounting of major offensives that forced the enemy into defensive positions and drove him away from the population centers. In phase three, beginning in early 1968, the Vietnamese armed forces were additionally strengthened, and more of the war effort was turned over to them. (Chart 1) The final phase called for further weakening of the enemy and strengthening of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam as the U.S. role became, in the words of General Westmoreland, “progressively superfluous.”

See REF

Sadly I was there. Even more regrettably we’re all there again. This time I get to complain without pulling sandbag or body bag duty.