Target selection was almost invariably done in Washington, and relayed through the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific (CinCPAC), in Honolulu, and the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), in Saigon. If the strike aircraft were to be working in Laos, or were based in Thailand, there were additional complications as local ambassadors assumed a primary authority.

Such a chain of command has some merit in a long-range, strategic war, but in the fluid tactical environment of Vietnam it led to some ridiculous situations. A target that is there at any given time may not be there in a matter of minutes. It had to be struck immediately, without waiting for its name or description to appear on a list teletyped from halfway around the world.