Pathfinder's were usually assigned to their parent organization's aviation unit.
Operating as four man teams they secured, marked, cleared, and established DZ/LZ's;
Provided initial aircraft guidance at remote locations; and provided some
limited air traffic control capabilities. In Vietnam, the Pathfinder Platoon was
to set up beacons for the the landing zones (LZs) before the helicopters moved
in to an area so they could find.
As a Pathfinder--all too often alone in the middle of a hot LZ--they guided
in helicopters disembarking troops, directed medevacs to retrieve the wounded,
and organized extractions. As well as parachuting into areas and supervising
the clearing of landing zones, Pathfinders acted as air-traffic controllers,
keeping call signs, frequencies, and aircraft locations in their heads as
they orchestrated takeoffs and landings, often under heavy enemy fire.
