 In August 1964, Sir Walter Cawthorn, then head of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), had instructed Serong to "...Get me ten years...", time that had to be bought to strengthen the other nations of the region against insurgency, as well as to destroy the Soviet Union economically.After handing over command of the AATTV to Colonel David Jackson in 1965, Serong remained in Vietnam as an advisor, seconded to the US Department of State.In 1965 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for "outstanding courage and devotion to duty" while commanding the AATTV.