The Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG): A Strategic Experiment in Counterinsurgency
The Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) was a covert paramilitary initiative launched by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1961 during the early stages of the Vietnam War. Its primary objective was to counter the growing influence of the Viet Cong (VC) in South Vietnam’s Central Highlands by organizing, training, and arming indigenous ethnic minorities…








