Programs Evaluation Office
Encyclopedia
The Programs Evaluation Office was a military mission to Laos
, established in 1955 by the United States Department of Defense
.
, Laos was no longer under the French Union
but entirely sovereign and was governed by the Royal Lao Government
. The Royal Lao Army
was placed under the Ministry of Defense in Vientiane
. The agreements reached at the Geneva Conference (1954)
prohibited Laos from having foreign military bases and participating in any foreign military alliance, but allowed a small French military training mission which supported the Royal Lao Army. As part of its goal of containment
, the U.S. sought to ensure that the Royal Lao Army was capable of meeting the threat posed by the Pathet Lao
, who were backed by communist North Vietnam
.
As a subterfuge to get around the prohibition against foreign military personnel imposed by the Geneva Agreements
– which the United States had pledged to honor – the Department of Defense in December 1955 established a disguised military mission in Vientiane
called the Programs Evaluation Office (PEO). The PEO became operational on December 13, 1955 and worked under the cover of the civilian aid mission and was staffed by United States military personnel and headed by a general officer, all of whom wore civilian clothes and had been removed from Department of Defense rosters of active service personnel. From 1955 to 1961, the PEO gradually supplanted the French military mission in providing equipment and training to the Royal Lao Army.
emerged as a head of state. As an anti-communist, Phoumi was concerned by the spread of the Pathet Lao's influence, and he requested additional help from the United States. By 1959, the PEO had more than 100 members on its staff, and the United States was paying the entire cost of the Royal Lao Army's salaries.
, a paratroop officer of the Royal Lao Army. PEO headquarters in Vientiane became inactive following the coup, but the PEO branch office in Savannakhét
-- Phoumi's headquarters -- continued to supply and pay Phoumi's troops. Eventually, Phoumi re-captured Vientiane. In April 1961, the PEO was upgraded to a Military Assistance Advisory Group
(MAAG), and its members were allowed to wear uniforms. The MAAG was withdrawn in 1962 under the terms of the Geneva Agreement, and CIA personnel operating from a base in Thailand
took over the support of those opposed to the Pathet Lao.
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, established in 1955 by the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
.
Motive
With the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Laos was no longer under the French Union
French Union
The French Union was a political entity created by the French Fourth Republic to replace the old French colonial system, the "French Empire" and to abolish its "indigenous" status.-History:...
but entirely sovereign and was governed by the Royal Lao Government
Royal Lao Government
The Royal Lao Government was the ruling authority in the Kingdom of Laos from 1947 until the communist seizure of power in December 1975 and the proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic...
. The Royal Lao Army
Royal Lao Army
The Royal Lao Army was the armed forces of the Kingdom of Laos. Its predecessor was the National Laotian Army - NLA of the French Union, created in 1947 from 'maquis', or guerrilla units gathered by French commandos. It was created in 1954 after the French granted Laos complete autonomy...
was placed under the Ministry of Defense in Vientiane
Vientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...
. The agreements reached at the Geneva Conference (1954)
Geneva Conference (1954)
The Geneva Conference was a conference which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, whose purpose was to attempt to find a way to unify Korea and discuss the possibility of restoring peace in Indochina...
prohibited Laos from having foreign military bases and participating in any foreign military alliance, but allowed a small French military training mission which supported the Royal Lao Army. As part of its goal of containment
Containment
Containment was a United States policy using military, economic, and diplomatic strategies to stall the spread of communism, enhance America’s security and influence abroad, and prevent a "domino effect". A component of the Cold War, this policy was a response to a series of moves by the Soviet...
, the U.S. sought to ensure that the Royal Lao Army was capable of meeting the threat posed by the Pathet Lao
Pathet Lao
The Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after the Laotian Civil War. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with Vietnamese communists...
, who were backed by communist North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
.
As a subterfuge to get around the prohibition against foreign military personnel imposed by the Geneva Agreements
Geneva Agreements
The Geneva Agreements of 1954 arranged a settlement which brought about an end to the First Indochina war. The agreement was reached at the end of the Geneva Conference. A ceasefire was signed and France agreed to withdraw its troops from the region. French Indochina was split into three...
– which the United States had pledged to honor – the Department of Defense in December 1955 established a disguised military mission in Vientiane
Vientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...
called the Programs Evaluation Office (PEO). The PEO became operational on December 13, 1955 and worked under the cover of the civilian aid mission and was staffed by United States military personnel and headed by a general officer, all of whom wore civilian clothes and had been removed from Department of Defense rosters of active service personnel. From 1955 to 1961, the PEO gradually supplanted the French military mission in providing equipment and training to the Royal Lao Army.
Change of Government in Laos
A coalition government emerged in Vientiane in 1957, which included royalists as well as the Pathet Lao, but lasted only until July 1958, when there was a right-wing coup through which General Phoumi NosavanPhoumi Nosavan
Phoumi Nosavan was a Lao military and political figure of the Vietnam War . Nosavan was of Chinese descent....
emerged as a head of state. As an anti-communist, Phoumi was concerned by the spread of the Pathet Lao's influence, and he requested additional help from the United States. By 1959, the PEO had more than 100 members on its staff, and the United States was paying the entire cost of the Royal Lao Army's salaries.
Up-grade
On August 9, 1960, Phoumi’s government was removed in a lightning coup d'état by a group termed the Neutralists led by Captain Kong LeKong Le
Kong Le is a former paratrooper captain in the Royal Lao Army known for overthrowing the government of Laos in a 1960 coup d'état. He obtained his training from the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 1957 and joined the Royal Lao Army in 1960.-Coup of 1960:...
, a paratroop officer of the Royal Lao Army. PEO headquarters in Vientiane became inactive following the coup, but the PEO branch office in Savannakhét
Savannakhet
Savannakhet or Kaysone Phomvihane is a city in western Laos and the capital of the Savannakhet Province, previously known as Khanthabouli . This is the second-largest city in Laos, after Vientiane. The city is birthtown of Kaysone Phomvihane, former president of Laos, and was named after him in...
-- Phoumi's headquarters -- continued to supply and pay Phoumi's troops. Eventually, Phoumi re-captured Vientiane. In April 1961, the PEO was upgraded to a Military Assistance Advisory Group
Military Assistance Advisory Group
Military Assistance Advisory Group is a designation for American military advisers sent to assist in the training of conventional armed forces of Third World countries. Before and during the Vietnam War, there were three of these groups operating in Southeast Asia...
(MAAG), and its members were allowed to wear uniforms. The MAAG was withdrawn in 1962 under the terms of the Geneva Agreement, and CIA personnel operating from a base in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
took over the support of those opposed to the Pathet Lao.