[1] Taking especial care to select educated and physically fit young Laotian candidates, two separate groups or "classes" of 40 men each were raised during early 1969.

[3] In March 1969, a U.S. Special Forces (USSF) 17-man team was sent to Phitscamp, Thailand, in order to set up a training camp there for the Commando Raiders' course.

Some of the USSF team's members had prior experience in unconventional warfare as participants in the earlier Operation Pincushion or with the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG); the latter organization devised the three-month curriculum for the training program to be held at Phitscamp.

After completing the Commando Raider course, they were then sent to their operational base in Laos, an isolated CIA camp located northeast of Savannakhet dubbed "Whiskey-3".

[4] By 1972, the Commando Raiders strength peaked at about 200 officers and enlisted men, all airborne-qualified volunteers, organized into three independent para-commando companies, comprising three headquarters (HQ) sections and each broken into 12-men teams: The Commando Raiders were initially employed primarily on bomb damage assessment, cross border reconnaissance forays, hazardous ambushes and raids, pathfinder insertions, prisoner of war acquisition for interrogation, and tracking targets, though they were deployed in other military regions to demonstrate symbolic support from the Royal Lao Government.

[9] In late 1969, the northern class comprising 40 Commando Raiders was deployed to the Ban Pha Khao staging base, accompanied by an experienced CIA case officer.

Dropped by Air America helicopters to the west of their target but still within Laos, the Raiders slipped across the border and staged a rocket attack on an officers' meeting at a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) headquarters.

This contingent returned to MR 2 to find itself engaged in the battle to retake Sam Thong, losing their own commander in the course of action.

The Commando Raiders were sent to disable an anti-aircraft site near the strategic Mụ Giạ Pass crossing of the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

These were generally indirect fire operations with improvised rocket launchers, supported by an idling helicopter waiting to whisk the Commandos away afterwards.

[21] Later on November 20, the Commando Raiders secured a landing zone north of Ban Phone at the start of Operation Thao La.

Based at Pakse Site 22 Camp (PS 22) on the eastern rim of the Bolovens Plateau,[6] the newly raised Raiders teams were employed on special operations in Communist-occupied Attopeu Province.

[7] On 27 July 1971, the Commando Raiders were employed in the pathfinder role during Operation Sayasila, successfully securing the airfield located near the town of Salavan, capital of the namesake province, in just 12 minutes without facing any significant opposition.

[23] Late that year, the MR 4 Commando Raiders were used in a more conventional role as light infantry in clearing operations along Route 23, which led their American adviser to resign in protest for their misuse.