Drug Abuse Treatment/Holding Center (DAHC)
Long Binh Post, Bien Hoa provence, III Corps Tactical Zone
~ 720th Military Police Battalion Reunion Association ~ Vietnam History Project ~
This Page Last Updated 15 October 2008
        In 1970 Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) had finally openly recognized the serious problem of widespread heroin abuse among the troops in Vietnam. Throughout the theatre of operations Heroin of almost pure quality was readily available and affordably priced. Soldiers were being sent back to the states with terrible addictions. The deadly cocktail was one part each of: belief in the new counter culture generational mantra of anything goes; mandatory service in a military no longer respected by the youth; service in an unpopular war the government no longer wanted to win; the mix was a perfect soldier ready for reckless risk taking and self destructive behavior through substance abuse.

        In June of 1971 President Richard M. Nixon issued a call for action to counteract the national scope of drug abuse in the United States. MACV responded by initiating a program of urine screening for all soldiers twenty-eight years of age and younger in the Southeast Asian Theater. Mandatory for all troops returning to the states, and random for all other troops in theatre.

        During late 1971 and early 1972, to address the problem the United States Army Republic of Vietnam Headquarters (USARV) hastened the opening and activation of two Drug Treatment Centers (DTC).
        The DTCs were situated at Can Ranh Bay, II Corps Tactical Zone, and Long Binh Post, III Corps Tactical Zone. The medical support was provided by the 44th Medical Brigade and in III Corps at Long Binh Post by the 24th Evacuation Hospital. In their haste the military initiated the operation of the DTCs as standard medical treatment facilities. Their intended goal was to identify and detoxify all soldiers suffering from Heroin addiction identified through the urine screening program. The problem was they were not ready, inexperienced councilors, medical staff, and facilities unsuitable to handle abusive and physically dependent patients were their quick fix answer.
USARV
MACV
44th Med.
24th Evac
18th Bde.
720th
95th
        MACVs first error was to assume that the DTCs could operate as routine medical facilities. The addicted soldiers immediately became uncooperative, belligerent, self destructive, and in some cases violent towards the inexperienced medical staff. To remedy the situation MACV quickly opened a third facility, a Drug Abuse Holding Center (DAHC) or officially known as the United States Army Drug Abuse Holding Center Vietnam (USADAHCV). It was set up at the USARV Stockade on Long Binh Post. At the DAHC soldiers who through their Heroin addiction demonstrated threatening behavior were held in a more secure confinement setting during their detoxification program.
        Security staffing of the facilities with improperly trained military police also posed a major problem. The MP Corps in Vietnam severely lacked the needed number of personnel trained as MOS 95C Correction Specialist.  The temporary fix was to pull line duty MPs trained as MOS 95Bs Military Policeman, from field units and assign them to the facilities creating major disruptions in the ability for their parent units to perform their missions. In 1971 to address the problem at DHAC the 18th MP Brigade reassigned the 300th MP Company (95th MP Battalion) from line duty to correction duty at the DAHC.
        By December 1971 USADAHCV had "processed" more than 700 GI's through the facility.  The processing time and each person's medical treatment procedures at the facility varied but mostly ranged from 2-4 weeks before the patient was cleared for transport out of Vietnam.  Of course, those under criminal charges who were also on drugs took longer.  Most were transported to a detention facility in the US for further processing and evaluation -  many were sent to the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks (USDB) a maximum security facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas from Long Binh. 
        In later years former 18th MP Brigade Commander and Provost Marshal Vietnam, Major General (Retired) Paul M. Timmenberg would admit in his 'Senior Officer Debriefing Report' that assigning MOS 95B's to correctional duties was the "single biggest problem in connection with the operation of the stockades in country [Vietnam]."
        Service at the USADAHCV and DTCs also exposed another embarrassing secret, MPs often had to guard their former fellow MPs who were caught up in the addiction problem and ended their tours at the facilities.
WANTED: Interviews, information, stories and photographs of the DAHC regardless of MOS or unit If you worked or were a patient at the facilities, please use the Email Link at the top right of this page to notify the History Project Manager.
 
Time Line information obtained from 720th MP Battalion Operations Reports - Lessons Learned
 
1971
 

7 July Twenty enlisted military police personnel from the 720th MP Battalion were reassigned to duties at the United States Army Republic Of Vietnam (USARV) Installation Stockade (LBJ) and the Drug Abuse Holding Center (DAHC) on Long Binh Post.

18 August The 18th MP Brigade recalled all Agent XM32 dispersers from the 720th MP Battalion and reassigned them to the 95th MP Battalion and the Long Binh Post Drug Abuse Treatment/Holding Center. The 720th had trained in the use of and maintained the dispersers since May.

22 August The 720th MP Battalion was required to provide forty enlisted men and one officer in support of the Drug Abuse Treatment/Holding Center (DAHC) pending redeployment of the 300th MP Company from Chu Lai to the 95th MP Battalion on Long Binh Post.
        Considerable difficulty was experienced in providing this number of personnel and continuing the normal Battalion mission. Discipline, law and order patrol activities were curtailed at Phu Loi, Vung Tau, Tay Ninh, Xuan Loc, and Bear Cat Detachments. The Battalion convoy escort missions were also curtailed.
TDY to the Drug Abuse Treatment/Holding Center SP/4 Richard J. Bosmans, B & C Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, April 1971 to January 1972.
Detox Unit Security Escorts SGT Philip P. Barbian, B Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, March 1970 to May 1971.
Detox Unit Medical Transports SP/4 Mick Mahoney, 24th Evacuation Hospital, Long Binh Post, January 1971 to January 1972.
It was like we were incarcerated at the DAHC rather than the "patients" we had to guard SP/4 Ronald W. Denbow, 300th MP Company, 95th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, July 1971-March 1972.
1972
It was not a place I would want to spend more than 15 seconds! SP/4 Mel Cheney, 212th MP Company (Sentry Dog) & HQ Detachment, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, February to August 1972.
 
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