ɐ sˈɪɹiz ʌv pəlˈɪɾɪkəl ænd mˈɪlətˌɛɹi sˈɛtbæks stˈɑːɹɾɪŋ æz ˈɜːli æz nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti tˈuː hɐdbɪn ɡɹˈædʒuːəli ɪɹˈoʊdɪŋ ðə kˈɑːmbæt ɪfˈɛktɪvnəs ʌvðɪ ˈɑːɹvən fˈoːɹsᵻz, ɚɹˈɪdʒɪnəli mˈoːɹ ðˌænə mˈætʃ fɚðə vˌiːsˈiː wɪð ðɛɹ juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts səplˈaɪd hˈɛlɪkˌɑːptɚz ænd ˈɑːɹmɚd pˌɜːsənˈɛl kˈæɹɪɹz.
A series of political and military setbacks starting as early as 1962 had been gradually eroding the combat effectiveness of the ARVN forces, originally more than a match for the VC with their United States supplied helicopters and armored personnel carriers.