PSYOP

Female linguist arrested for exposing undercover human assets to Iran

An American woman who was working as an Arabic linguist for the Department of Defense (DoD) has been arrested for passing highly classified information to Iranian proxies. Mariam Taha Thompson, a civilian contractor, has been charged with transmitting intelligence of national-level importance to a man with known connections to Hezbollah, a Lebanese political and terrorist […]

Army PSYOP training course relocates

The Army’s Psychological Operations training course is on the move south. The course is moving its training from Ft. Bragg, NC to Ft. Jackson, SC. The Army’s course trains soldiers to induce or reinforce behavior favorable to U.S. objectives. It is an important part of the range of diplomatic, informational, military and economic activities available […]

The Fusion Analyst: An intro to all source intelligence and analysis

“Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called “The Pledge.” The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of […]

Marines reading minds? Corps pushes for Psychological Operations

Recognizing the huge potential of Psychological Operations (PSYOP), the Marine Corps is offering big enlistment bonuses to Marines willing to understand and influence America’s enemies. Junior enlisted (E-3) and non-commissioned officers (E-4 and E-5) who are willing to make a lateral move from another MOS are eligible for a $35K bonus, with an option of […]

Another beret for PSYOP soldiers? Where does it end?

Reports out of Ft. Bragg say that there is a movement afoot to issue Psychological Operations (PSYOPS) soldiers assigned to Special Operations Forces (SOF) their own distinctive headgear, in this case, a grey beret. The Army Times reported that the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, (SWCS) and the Army were testing a […]

Messing with the brain: Psychological Operations against ISIS

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State (ISIS), is dead. He chose suicide over capture or death at the hands of the Delta operators and the Rangers. His death, however, doesn’t spell the end of the threat posed by the terrorist organization. ISIS might have lost huge swaths of land and be a […]

The national security implications of idea laundering

Recently, there has been an alarming number of professors who have been driven out of the academic community for expressing views that from a rational perspective, are moderate at worst and beneficial at best. At Evergreen University, Brett Weinstein was effectively forced to resign by a militant minority for refusing to take part in their […]

The elite Air Force unit that inserts and resupplies Special Operators

One of the primary reasons America’s special operations forces (SOF) are so effective is the first-class support they get from all fronts. Even in the lowest tiers of the SOF structure, the operator-to-support-guy ratio is remarkable, averaging about one operator to every eight support personnel. The higher up within the SOF hierarchy you go, the […]

A major change for the Army’s SOF Psychological Operations Regiment

In a long-due and much-deserved move, the Army has decided to expand the number of senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in the Psychological Operations (PSYOP) career field. The grade plate change was a result of concentrated and laborious efforts from both within the Army Special Operations Forces community and its supporters in Army leadership. Thus far, […]

Army recognizes top ten operators from across its special operations community

On June 7, the Army Special Operations Command recognized ten soldiers and civilians from across its special operations units for their distinguished service. Brig. Gen. Harrison Gilliam, the deputy commanding officer of the U.S. Army Special Warfare Center and School, inducted five soldiers into the Special Forces Regiment, two soldiers into the Civil Affairs Regiment, […]

Propaganda leaflets that talk and listen: The future of psychological operations?

Always striving to increase its effectiveness, the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is aiming to produce leaflets that can talk and listen. Part of a drive for more effective psychological operations (PSYOP), the project is in the early stages of development. SOCOM has managed to create a prototype that is capable of the above. But […]