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The 1st Cavalry Division had dispatched by Air Force transport a 1,000 man advance party under the command of Brigadier General John M. Wright, Jr., which arrived in An Khe on 27 August. As mentioned earlier, security for the advance party was provided by the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. September was spent in clearing away the semi-jungle area that was to become known as the "Golf Course."

When the ships with the main body arrived at Qui Nhon, the aircraft prepared for flight while on board the carriers. Only the Mohawks and two non-flyable Hueys were off-loaded by floating crane. The Chinooks quickly became the prime movers for troops and equipment between Qui Nhon and An Khe.

Although the Division did not completely reach An Khe until 3 October, it had assumed responsibility for its own security on 28 September, and elements of the division had already seen combat in support of the 1st Brigade of the 101st. In the first week of October, the 1st Cavalry was assigned a tactical area of responsibility which was essentially a private hunting domain in which the Division could operate by simply notifying any friendly forces that were in that area. This area soon grew to a zone approximately 150 by 150 miles. The 3d Brigade was given the populous coastal province of Binh Dinh, the 2d Brigade Kontum Province, and the 1st Brigade operated in the highland province of Pleiku which included the Chu Pong Mountains. The Cavalry Squadron was charged with a wide-sweeping reconnaissance mission throughout the entire area, but most particularly around the Special Forces camps at Pleime, Duc Co, Plei Djereng, Plei Murong, and Dak To that dotted the western highlands.

Major General Henry W.O. Kinnard recognized the vulnerability of the base camp at An Khe and consequently made it as small and compact as it could be so that it could be defended with a minimum number of forces. A 100 meter cleared perimeter completely encircled the camp with obstacles and surveillance devices. Artillery was positioned to develop quick fire concentrations on all likely enemy mortar sites and infantry patrols and ambushes were habitually employed out to enemy mortar range. One Air Cavalry troop was normally retained in the base camp area and aerial rocket artillery aircraft were kept on night strip alert to augment the fire of conventional artillery.

The establishment of the An Khe "hub of the wheel" for the