While the pilots and crews of HMM-362 were acquainting themselves with the geography of the Mekong Delta, Colonel Carey and his staff met in Saigon with U.S. and Vietnamese officers from the MACV and III Corps headquarters. There, they established liaison with the three ARVN divisions subordinate to General Nhgiem’s III Corps--the 21st, the 7th, and the 5th--and discussed operational matters. After several conferences, the final details of the command arrangements were completed. It was agreed that all Marine missions would require the approval of MACV, III Corps, and the task unit commander. This arrangement would enable General Harkins’ command to retain actual operational control of the Marine helicopters even though they would be supporting III Corps exclusively. Final approval of all mission requests for Marine support would rest with the Joint Operations Center (JOC) at JGS headquarters in Saigon. Manned by U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, ARVN, and VNAF officers, this agency was part of a recently instituted Tactical Air Support System, the purpose of which was to provide positive control over all military aircraft in South Vietnam. To insure maximum coordination at lower echelons, Marine liaison officers were assigned to the corps headquarters and to the 21st ARVN Division. It was anticipated that this division, headquartered at Can Tho, only 35 miles northwest of Soc Trang, would require more Marine helicopter support than the other divisions that were operating within the corps tactical zone.[5-B] [5-B] I and II Corps had their own agencies within the corps headquarters for control of air assets whereas III CTZ relied directly on the JOC. Under this arrangement, I Corps and II Corps were required to pass mission requests for air support on to the JOC. [Illustration: _Lieutenant Colonel Archie Clapp (second from left), HMM-362 squadron commander, Major General John Condon (fourth from left), Commanding General, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, and Colonel John Carey (extreme right), task unit commander, confer briefly after arriving at Soc Trang. (Photo courtesy of Lieutenant Colonel James P. Kizer, USMC)._] While operational planning was underway, the MABS-16 Marines set about to improve the newly occupied compound. Two diesel-powered generators were put into operation and began furnishing electrical power for the camp. The utilities section, which maintained the generators, then began installing electrical wiring throughout the compound. Toilet and shower facilities were constructed to accommodate the Marines.