The US began sending military advisers to South Vietnam in 1955, who primary goal was to train the South Vietnamese army. Between 1955 and 1960 there had been up to 1,500 advisers in Vietnam. When President Kenedy came into power however, he increased the number of advisers to 3,200 in 1961 which increased to 16,000 in 1963. This could be due to the creation and increasing strength of the Viet Cong.
Between 1960-63 strategic hamlets became in use. This was were South Vietnamese villagers, seen as being in threat of being won over by the invading Viet Cong, would be moved to new, more secure 'hamlets', which were often surrounded by barbed wire. This tactic was likely uneffective as the secrative nature of the Viet Cong meant it was impossible to know who in the village was actually a member of the VC
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