7. If the recruitment of men for replacements and for unit
 infiltration into the South should become a critical problem for
 Hanoi, as a last resort it could draw down its standing military
 establishment in North Vietnam. The number of troops which could be
 released for out-of-country duty would be influenced greatly by Hanoi's
 concern to retain a sizable force for defense against a possible
 invasion. If, for example, Hanoi should want to keep some 225,000
 troops for the defense of North Vietnam and another 85,000 as a
 training base and for command and administration, then some 65,000
 additional NVA troops could be made available for use outside of
 North Vietnam.
 C. Military Training and Leadership
 8. Special preinfiltration training of North Vietnamese
 recruits has averaged about 3 months, although incressing numbers
 of prisoners report training of only 1 month prior to infiltration.
 There is evidence of a growing deficiency of properly trained
 personnel to fill the ranks of squad leaders, platoon sergeants,
 and platoon leaders. There are indications that the normal source
 of platoon leaders, the Infantry Officers' School near Son Tay,
 has reduced its 2-year course to 8 months. The bulk of the reserve
 -9-
 
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