The Battle of Ia Drang was the first significant battle between the main players in the Vietnam War, the US Army and the NVA, but also the first battle to be occupied such an important place for the helicopter and the American doctrine of air mobility. Many of the developments from this era are still present today or are direct precursors to our current helicopters and doctrine. This article will discuss the historical context and preludes to the battle, the helicopters, tactics and the roles they fulfilled, as well as lessons learned. History The Howze Board had already begun work on the concept of air power promoting mobility on April 25, 1962, even before the board's opening directive was issued on May 3, its formation being prompted by a memorandum from Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Secretary McNamara went so far as to state in the memo that "I would be disappointed if the Army's review simply produced logistical recommendations for more of the same products, rather than a plan for employing concepts." new and perhaps unorthodox ones that would give us a significant increase in mobility. »1 The Howze Council was made up of several committees, including tactical mobility, firepower, and reconnaissance. The various committees of the Howze Council referred their work to the field testing group, which then tested the various recommendations and theories. The committee's final statement was obvious: "The Army's adoption of the airmobile concept - however imperfectly it may be described and justified in this report - is necessary and desirable in some respects, just as it was." from animals ... middle of paper ... superior firepower to nullify the strength of enemy numbers, as Colonel Nguyen Huu An noted: “Move inside the column, seize - them by the belt and thus avoid; victims of artillery and aviation. » 11 Works Cited Askew, Samuel. “Airmobile Warfare and the Battle of Ia Drang Valley.” Voice.Yahoo.com. March 24, 2010 Galloway, Joseph L. “Ia Drang – The Battle That Convinced Ho Chi Minh He Could Win.” »Historynet.com. October 18, 2010. Mason, Robert. Chickenhawk. New York, Penguin, 1983. Moore, Harold G; Galloway, Joseph L. We Were Once Soldiers...and Young — Ia Drang: The Battle That Changed the Vietnam War. New York, Open Road, 2012.Stanton, Shelby L. Anatomy of a division: 1st Cav in Vietnam Novato: Presido, 1987.Tolson, Lt.Gen. John J. Airmobility 1961-1971 (Vietnam studies). Washington DC: Department of the Army, 1989.