Although the U.S. Army Support Group was the Army component command within Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) in 1962, its functions were limited to logistical and administrative matters and excluded operational matters, which were the concern of the chief of Military Assistance Advisory Group, Vietnam.

The entire Army military assistance and advisory effort should, he contended, be the exclusive function of USARV, freeing MACV to concentrate on the control of its components.

Engler concluded that MACV was no longer operating as a military assistance command in the true sense of the term, since U.S. tactical forces had been so greatly increased and their mission expanded.

[1]: 81–2 Engler maintained that logistics should not be separated from operations and advisory activities, and therefore these functions should be performed by USARV, in an expanded role as a full-fledged Army component.

This action was prompted by Palmer's conviction that logistic advisory responsibilities were equal in importance to the mission of supporting U.S.

Its purpose was to examine the problems that had arisen because the MACV organization lacked a single staff focal point to coordinate and monitor all aspects of the assistance effort.

[1]: 82 USARV controlled the activities of all U.S. Army service and logistical units in South Vietnam through ten major support commands and also supervised 71 smaller units under the organizational titles "offices", "agencies", "groups", "facilities", "centers", "depots", "teams", "activities", "elements", "companies", and "detachments".

[2]: 441 In early 1967,in order to improve South Vietnamese military morale and reduce desertion rates, COMUSMACV ordered USARV to assume responsibility for improving the South Vietnamese military field ration utilization, for garrison ration commodities and for the distribution system.

[4] By mid-1967, USARV, 1st Logistical Command, and many other Army units dispersed in Saigon were moved to Long Binh Post to resolve centralization, security, and troop billeting issues.

Abrams claimed late in 1971 that he held onto the USARV command primarily because "I wanted control over assignment of General Officers."

A-1-408)[8] A gold color metal and enamel device 2 inches (5.1 cm) in height consisting of a design similar to the shoulder sleeve insignia.