Mobile Riverine Forces

​The U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy jointly formed the Mobile Riverine Force (MRF), a substantial part of the brown-water navy. The brown-water navy is a naval force capable of operations in littoral zone (close to shore) waters. The term originated during the American Civil War. The Navy had barracks ships and barrage barges to house both Army and Navy personnel. The purpose of the riverine forces was to take advantage of the inland waterways. As there were several distributaries of the Mekong River, it was difficult for the South Vietnamese to adequately protect the waterways. The intent of the U.S. Mobile Riverine Force was to seize the initiative from the communist Viet Cong. The Viet Cong used the distributaries to move and resupply their forces. The Mobile Riverine Forces’ permanent base was Dong Tam, near My Tho. Eleven umbrella operations in the Mekong Delta were launched by the Mobile Riverine Force. This occurred from June 1967 to March 1968. Due to the remarkable cooperation between the Army and Navy, the Mobile Riverine Force was able to transform the Mekong Delta from terra incognita (uncharted land) to chartered and American controlled area. 
Veterans Administration (VA) is expanding their health care benefits starting on March 5 ,2024. All veterans exposed to toxins either at home or abroad while serving in the U.S. military are eligible to enroll directly in the VA. If you served in Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan or deployed in support of the Global War on Terror or were exposed to toxins or other hazards during military service, you are eligible to apply for benefits. The Veteran Service Officer for Eastern Montana is Earl Edmonds. His phone number is 406-232-1203 or email [email protected].  You can also call the VA directly at 800-698-2411 (TTY: 711).