The battalions of the 56th and 57th Regiments were veterans of the DMZ. They occupied base camps and strongpoints they had been in for years and their dependents lived in nearby hamlets.[2]: 18 Five out of its nine infantry battalions and its armored cavalry squadron were all units with long combat records, having fought People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces in the DMZ area for several years. Its other four infantry battalions were transferred as complete units, not piecemeal, from ARVN and territorial forces of I Corps.[2]: 165 In contrast to this assessment, other authors assert that the 56th and 57th Regiments were made up of recaptured deserters, released criminals, poorly-trained transferees from the Regional and Popular Forces and fresh draftees, led by officers and NCOs rejected by other units.[3]: 128