Photos Tiger Stripe Camouflage Uniform Pictures Around the World.

[Kadir93]

South Vietnam, 1969, United States SF NCOs from the 5th Mike Force conducting a patrol outside of Nha Trang. All three men are wearing locally produced versions of tiger stripe. Fairly common practice especially with units where South Vietnamese and US Advisors worked closely together.

 

[santana]

Mobile Strike Force Command (MIKE Force)​

Nickname: MIKE Force
Active: 1965–1971
Parent Unit: 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), U.S. Army
Theater: Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam)

Purpose and Strategic Role​

The Mobile Strike Force Command — or MIKE Force — was a rapid-reaction, counterinsurgency unit created by U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) to reinforce and support Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) camps in the remote highlands of South Vietnam.

Their key missions included:

• Emergency reaction force to relieve CIDG camps under siege.
• Search and destroy missions in VC/NVA-dominated territory.
• Reconnaissance in force to locate and disrupt enemy units.
• Mobile reserve force for each Corps Tactical Zone (CTZ) under the U.S. command structure.
• Training and force multiplication, working alongside and leading indigenous fighters.

Unit Composition​

Each MIKE Force was organized regionally under four different commands, corresponding to the four Corps Tactical Zones of Vietnam:

1. I Corps: Based at Da Nang
2. II Corps: Based at Pleiku
3. III Corps: Based at Bien Hoa
4. IV Corps: Based at Can Tho

Each Force was composed of:

• A small cadre of U.S. Army Special Forces NCOs and officers (usually 12–20 per battalion)
• A large number of indigenous troops, including:
  
  • Montagnards (in II and I Corps)
  • Nungs (ethnic Chinese-Vietnamese mercenaries, especially in III Corps)
  • Khmer Krom (ethnic Cambodians, in IV Corps)
  • Cambodians and Lao tribesmen, in special cases

A typical MIKE Force company consisted of:

• 150–200 irregulars led by 4–6 Green Berets
• Light mortars, heavy machine guns, recoilless rifles, and assault rifles
• Highly mobile and air-lift capable (helicopter-inserted)

Each Corps command could field a battalion-sized reaction force with the ability to deploy quickly anywhere in the region.

 

[santana]

Mike Force Members

 

[santana]

MACV-SOG soldier with a Sterling sub-machinegun

 

[Conhoon]

A tiger stripe clad reconnaissance team member of the 101st Airborne prepares to blow a bunker as part of Operation Van Buren.
Photo taken: February 1966

 

[Kadir93]

Tiger stripe clad Ukrainian SF trooper with a Honda CRF-450 motorcycle, summer 2022.

 

[uktabber]

That SMG is a silenced STEN not a STERLING......FYI

 

[santana]

Jack at Sam Thong (LS-20), Laos, in 1970

Jack Jolis served as a case officer in the CIA, operating the Rascal program out of Lima Site-20 Alternate, or Long Tieng, throughout much of 1970. He also carried out prisoner interrogations.

 

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Vietnam

 

[santana]

US Soldiers in Tiger Stripe Uniform in Vietnam

 

[santana]

A US Marine Colonel in Vietnam

 

[santana]

Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) team 1966

 

[santana]

John Ware Seal Team Two in Vietnam

 

[santana]

US NAVY SEAL TEAM TWO IN VIETNAM

 

[santana]

US Soldier take a break in Vietnam

 

[santana]

Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) team 1966

 

[santana]

71st LRRP, 1968

 

[santana]

US Special Forces in Tiger Stripe Camo

 

[santana]

First group of Green Berets working alongside the Philippine Special Operations Command during training. Rizal, Philippines. April 2024.

 

[santana]

Philippine Navy Sailors participate in a Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure practical scenario training during Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) 2018.

This is the 17th annual SEACAT exercise and includes participants from the U.S., Brunei, Bangladesh, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.