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| United States Psychological Operations | |
|---|---|
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| Country | United States |
| Role | Special Operations Forces |
| Part of | &sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:United_States_Special_Operations_Command_Insignia.svg){kind=small} Special Operations Command:
Marine Corps: |
| Garrison/HQ | Army: Fort Liberty, NC Marine: Quantico, VA Air Force: Middletown, PA Navy: Norfolk, VA |
| Patron | Saint Gabriel (Army) |
| Motto(s) | "Persuade, Change, Influence" (Army) "Never Seen, Always Heard" (Air Force) |
| Colors | Army Bottle-green piped with silver gray. |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol | Army ♞ Knight (chess) |
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Psychological operations (PSYOP) are operations to convey selected information and indicators to audiences to influence their motives and objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of governments, organizations, groups, and large foreign powers.
The purpose of United States psychological operations is to induce or reinforce behavior perceived to be favorable to U.S. objectives. They are an important part of the range of diplomatic, informational, military and economic activities available to the U.S. They can be utilized during both peacetime and conflict. There are three main types: strategic, operational, and tactical. Strategic PSYOP includes informational activities conducted by the U.S. government agencies outside of the military arena, though many utilize Department of Defense (DOD) assets. Operational PSYOP are conducted across the range of military operations, including during peacetime, in a defined operational area to promote the effectiveness of the joint force commander's (JFC) campaigns and strategies. Tactical PSYOP are conducted in the area assigned to a tactical commander across the range of military operations to support the tactical mission against opposing forces.
PSYOP can encourage popular discontent with the opposition's leadership, and by combining persuasion with a credible threat, degrade an adversary's ability to conduct or sustain military operations. They can also disrupt, confuse, and protract the adversary's decision-making process, undermining command and control.[1] When properly employed, PSYOP have the potential to save the lives of friendly or enemy forces by reducing the adversary's will to fight. By lowering the adversary's morale and then its efficiency, PSYOP can also discourage aggressive actions by creating indifference within their ranks, ultimately leading to surrender.
The integrated employment of the core capabilities of electronic warfare, computer network operations, psychological operations, military deception, and operations security, in concert with specified supporting and related capabilities, to influence, disrupt, corrupt or usurp adversarial human and automated decision making while protecting our own.[2]
Between 2010 and 2014, PSYOP was renamed Military Information Support Operations (MISO), then briefly renamed PSYOP in August 2014, only to return to MISO shortly thereafter in 2015.[3][4] The term was again renamed back to PSYOP in October 2017.[5]
- ^ Air Force Doctrine Document, 2-5.3 Psychological Operations (27 August 1999)
- ^ Joint Chiefs of Staff (July 12, 2007) [12 April 2001], Joint Publication 1-02: Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, Amended
- ^ Whitlock, Craig (July 7, 2013). "Somali American caught up in a shadowy Pentagon counterpropaganda campaign". Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 8, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
- ^ "Two Big Organizational Renamings In SOCOM Last Week - Soldier Systems Daily". August 10, 2014. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ Myers, Meghann (November 6, 2017). "The Army's psychological operations community is getting its name back". Army Times. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2020.