"A much tougher job," KMAG combat unit advisors in South Korea (1950-53) -- KMAG during the Korean War -- Combat unit advisors -- Advisory structure -- Advisor roles -- Advisor selection and tour length -- Advisor preparation and training -- Challenges of the advisory environment -- Understanding: culture and language -- Developing rapport with counterpart -- US Army pressures: formal and informal -- Counterpart observations -- A special study -- Summary -- "A most difficult and sometimes frustrating task," field advisors in Vietnam -- (1961-73) -- MAAG-V/MACV during combat operations -- Field advisors -- Advisory structure -- Advisor roles -- Advisor selection and tour length -- Advisor preparation and training -- Challenges of the advisory environment -- Understanding: culture and language -- Developing rapport with counterpart -- US Army pressures: formal and informal -- Counterpart observations -- Special studies and other observations -- Rand study, 1965 -- DCSPER-40 (1968 DA study) and the military assistance officer program -- (MAOP) -- A senior officer debriefing report, 1972 -- A study of strategic lessons learned in Vietnam, 1980 -- US Army official publications, 1975-88 -- Summary -- "A particularly tricky business," operations, plans and training teams (OPATT) -- In El Salvador (1984-92) -- Milgroup and the El Salvador civil war -- Combat unit trainers -- OPATT structure -- OPATT roles -- OPATT selection and tour length -- OPATT preparation and training -- Challenges of the advisory environment -- Understanding: culture and language -- Developing rapport with counterpart -- US Army pressures: formal and informal -- Counterpart observations -- Special studies and other observations -- An ambassador's thoughts, 1987 -- The "four colonels' report," 1988 -- An OPATT after action report, 1992 -- A Rand report, 1995 -- Summary -- Observations -- What advisors did: organization and roles -- Who advisors were: selection -- How advisors prepared: training and orientation -- How advisors did: strengths and weaknesses -- Advisors were deaf -- Advisors were partially blind -- Advisors worked in a hostile environment -- Advisors worked with indifferent counterparts -- Advisors worked with limited US military support -- Advisors did not stay long -- Advisors faced US military cultural pressures -- Final thoughts -- A final question.