Ron

While many different kinds of weapons were used by MACV-SOG operatives depending on the mission, the XM177 or CAR-15 was a preferred weapon for reconnaissance personnel. A submachine gun version of the traditional M16, the CAR-15 was both lighter and shorter -- yet still carried enough firepower to finish the job. MACV-SOG was one of the most hazardous duties for U.S. personnel in Vietnam, with a casualty rate exceeding 100% -- the highest sustained casualty rate since the American Civil War. Nevertheless, through expert training and weaponry such as this, MACV-SOG also boasted the highest "kill ratio" in U.S. military history -- approximately 158-to-1 by 1970.