MISO – A Flag Officer In Sight? and McClure Award Update

Admiral Eric T. Olson, the Commander USSOCOM, the joint proponent for Military Information Support (MIS) Operations is moving forward with his vision for a MIS Command. He is de-establishing the Joint Military Information Support Command at Mac Dill AFB and moving the bulk of those resources to Fort Bragg, NC which will be the home of the Command.

My information indicated that the Command would consist of 2 MIS Groups. It’s not clear to me if the Commander of the MISC would report to the CG of the Army Special Operations Command since he is the senior Special Operations Forces officer at Bragg or whether the unit would report directly to Admiral Olson.

In any event this is a giant step for the community and will cement Fort Bragg’s role as the center of gravity for military information support operations physically, organizationally and spiritually. Of course the down side is that Bragg is a long way from the 4* flagpole and dominating Army flavor may diminish joint cohesion.

In any event – we’ll all stay tuned for further details.
Recognition of our outstanding soldiers and community supporters is growing as the 4th MIS Group (Abn) will be hosting a ceremony on 21 to award Silver and Bronze McClure Medals. This is great news. All MI troop units, active and reserve need the ability to recognize excellence in our field. Hopefully, BG Sacolick has provided his guidance and input on the process for awarding these medals and that all of the Groups in the community have the authorization to do so. If not, Group CDRs need to rattle their Chains of Command.

The 4th MISG is also recognizing several honorary members of the Regiment which is also appropriate and hopefully the guidance on how to do so has also been spider webbed through the community.

On a personal note, I will be attending the funeral of my former First Sergeant for my first Company Command. 1SG Arthur Shepherd was more than my senior NCO, he was my partner, my mentor and my friend. He helped me to be a better officer and was the most outstanding NCO I ever worked with in my 27 year command.

Art was also a great champion of the West and noted for his common sense and passion for horses, perhaps his influence is one of the reasons I have taken up Cowboy Action Shooting. I think of him often.

Regimental Week 2010: Coming Attractions

When I was a young lad growing up in Brooklyn I used to love going to the movies on Saturday. In retrospect I’m not sure which I liked more the movies or the candy. Next week I’m off to Fort Bragg for PSYOP Regimental Week. You can find the official press release from the US Army Special Operations Command at: http://news.soc.mil/releases/News%20Archive/2010/October/101018-01.html

For me this will be a bittersweet occasion as it will be my last one as the Honorary Colonel of the PSYOP Regiment. Surely the time has come for another senior PSYOP officer to assume this honorary role and I’m delighted that the designee will be an outstanding bridge between PSYOP of the past and military influence operations of the future.

Strangely enough I found out about the ‘replacement’ quite by accident – that fact speaks to the nascent nature of the PSYOP Regiment and the need to attend to military custom.

I’m looking forward to the program which will include updates from the Groups, the Joint Military Information Support Command and our sister services. I’m also looking forward to touring the Media Operations Center and seeing the latest and the greatest and comparing what they have to what I see in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Most of all I’m looking forward to mingling with the troops and learning about what is really happening in the field. While I’m a very hard grader and am rather tough to excite, I am always gratified by the level of our PSYOP soldiers and their ability to perform in an outstanding manner under the most adverse of circumstances.

I’ll be working on my “State of the Regiment” talk over the next few days. Some key messages I’m considering are:
• The PSYOP Brand – what do we really need?
• Today’s PSYOP soldier
• Unity of Command: why don’t we have it and what do we need to do to get it?
• The Future of the Regiment
Field input is encouraged!

The PSYOP Brand – A Commercial Perspective

As a Reservist I have the privilege of orchestrating two parallel careers. As Colonel I served in both PSYOP and MI slots in a variety of settings ranging from SIGINT Platoon Leader to IO Officer at SOCOM. On the commercial side my career was concentrated in High Tech marketing. My last full time salaried position was with Symantec Corporation, the makers of Norton Antivirus. My first boss was the Executive VP in charge of “Brand and Communication”. He was hired by the CEO because while at IBM my boss demonstrated exceptional skills at Branding and Public Relations (Public Affairs or PAO in military jargon). Another of my VP bosses was an acknowledged leader in marketing techniques.

(Photo Source: China Wholesale Gifts)

I learned quite a bit about branding and marketing in my 6 years at Symantec. Above all - the purpose of the brand is to increase the value of the company and make it easier to sell products and services. Brands need to be easy to recognize, and simple to understand. The brand should convey the essence of the organization and its product or service at a glance.

In my view the issue at hand with branding for influence operations is as more the big picture than the PSYOP name change. Neither “Information Operations” nor IO is a well understood phrase or a lead element in most commands. While Senior Leaders and Commanders believe that it is important to prep the information battlefield and that the need to influence foreign audiences is greater than ever, it would be fair to say that IO is still a nascent discipline that has less than universal acceptance and is nowhere near on an equal footing as kinetic operations.

Most CDRs and staffs at the GOFO (General officer/Flag Officer) levels have not demonstrated the real desire or ability to orchestrate and coordinate information weapons systems. PAO remains aloof and dedicated to the purity of being the CDR’s voice; CNO remains a dark art practiced only by the chosen few and we in PSYOP are now running around like a dog chasing its tail self-flagellating over the name change.

Here’s the real deal – SecDef Gates and Secretary Clinton need to sit down and lay out the path for the use of information as a an instrument of US government (USG) power. It would be ideal for the President to provide his guidance, not because he is the Commander-in-Chief, but because his election shows a mastery of the information battle space. In any event their staffs need to clarify the jargon and doctrine across Strategic Communications down to tactical Military Information Support and cascade the results throughout the USG.

MG Csrnko and SWC need to work quickly with SOCOM to develop the common grounding for the PSYOP Community so that we can all move out smartly at the same time and start on the same foot.

Obama’s 2010 National Security Strategy and PSYOP

The last week in May 2010 is a particularly complex time. Headlines included the sending of 1,200 National Guard troops to the Mexican Border and continued angst over the alleged North Korean sinking of a South Korean Naval Vessel.

However, from a long term perspective, the quiet White House release of the 2010 National Security Strategy (NSS) of the United Stations. The NSS is the mother ship of security strategies from which all others such as the Defense Strategy, the Military Strategy, the Counter Terrorist Strategy, et al will be developed and with which they must conform. (See http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/national_security_strategy.pdf)

There were some key themes that will have a significant impact on PSYOP and PSYOP forces during Obama’s administration tenure and perhaps beyond.


1. Alliances and Partnerships
While the President reserved the right to act unilaterally when necessary, he made it very clear that it was intent to capitalize on old alliances and new partnerships. His goal of strengthening and modernizing old ones while building new and deeper partnerships is complemented by stated tasks of training and assisting security systems (and forces) in at-risk states.

These notions combined with increased military to military contacts will no doubt put pressure on PSYOP to operate more frequently in a combined (multi-national) environment and to provide training, advice and assistance to forces of other nations that the President deems are important to US interests, values and international order.

2. Holistic Governmental Actions
The President made it very clear that he wants the Executive branch t to develop integrated plans and approaches. This includes more aggressive diplomacy where diplomats complement military forces no matter where they are needed and the ability to harness experts who can strengthen governance and support human dignity (via development efforts).

The NSS also plans to employ economic and financial transactions as means to advancing US interests and promoting US values.
The bottom line here is a greater demand for Civil Affairs (CA) capability and a critical need for CA and PSYOP to work together seamlessly in a variety of environments.

3. Engagement Across the Spectrum of Conflict
The NSS points out other goals the cut across the spectrum of conflict:
- Disrupt, dismantle and defeat AQ and its violent extremist affiliates in AF, Pak.
- Pursue sustainable and responsible security systems in at risk stakes
- Prevent the emergence of conflict
- Counter violent extremism and insurgency
- Foster security and reconstruction in the aftermath of conflict
- Stop the spread of nuclear weapons and securing nuclear materials
- Resolve and prevent conflicts and heal their wounds.

PSYOP is a non-lethal battlefield multiplier. It is also a critical means by which the USG can communicate messages designed to catalyst behavior in conformance with the goals of the NSS. PSYOP is the means by which civilian populations are informed of CA activities and is a critical capability in gaining and holding information dominance which is a prerequisite success on the global state in the 21st Century.
Unfortunately the PSYOP community has not shown the ability to influence law makers and senior members of the Executive Branch of its importance. The need to influence has been overshadowed by the specter of cyber this and cyber that. While CA enjoys the benefits of a cadre of retired flag officers and a resourced association, PSYOP does not.

The ill timed split of PSYOP across two general officer commands (USSOCOM and USARC) needs to be unwound immediately and SWC needs to step up to the plate, as Regimental Home Base Commander and act as a catalyst to strengthen PSYOP’s clout inside the military and position a robust association to ‘educate’ the Executive and Legislative branches.

State of the Regiment: Strained But Improving

As we approach the end of 2009 and having just attended a “Council of Colonels”, I felt it was appropriate to provide an update on the State of the Regiment. Overall 2009 was a very positive year. Most Importantly PSYOP soldiers continue to excel globally and the ‘dwell time’ (time between deployments) for Reserve PSYOP soldiers remains around 20 months – less time at home than the active counterparts tend to enjoy. Soldiers and their families are stepping up to the challenge and enduring this unprecedented level of sacrifice.

We were able to recognize exceptional long standing PSYOP contributors with the first annual award of the McClure Gold Award for PSYOP Excellence. Regimental week, hosted by the 4th POG at Fort Bragg, was a success and a rewarding experience for all who attended.
The Regiment continues to feel the detrimental effects of splitting active and reserve PSYOP forces between the US Army Reserve Command and the US Army Special Operations Command. This bifurcation resulted in degraded cohesion across the force and has had a negative impact on training and standards.

The Regiment continues to be well served by two associations (POA and POVA), each of which has its own stated core goals. However, neither of them has risen to the needed critical mass of other associations such as MI, Artillery, SF or CA. Consequently, the Regiment does not have a strong, financially viable, unofficial voice that can also serve as a catalyst to grow the Regiment and increase esprit de corps. Among other things, a strong association is needed to:
• Recognize the entry into the Regiment of newly qualified soldiers and officers.
• Record and maintain legacy of PSYOP
• Engage in training process to provide a historical perspective
• Represent the interests of PSYOP internally within DOD and externally
• Enhance Morale

Positive steps are being taken to champion the Regiment and move it forward. In past years informal coordination was facilitated with a “Council of Colonels” who met at least annually at the “Worldwide PSYOP Conference” and other venues. I am pleased to report that this cross organizational body has been reconvened and is making plans to foster cross-organizational cooperation and strengthen the Regiment and its activities.

It is hoped that SWC will step up to its responsibilities as the “Regimental Home Base” and afford the same professional courtesies to the PSYOP Regiment that it has continually provided to the SF Regiment.

Regimental Week is again tentatively scheduled for the week of June 7, 2010 at Fort Bragg. The PSYOP Troop Commanders have all committed to participate in next year’s event to make it truly a Regimental function. In addition a strong commitment was voiced to approve criteria for the Silver and Bronze McClure Awards and to secure funding so that proper recognition made be given to outstanding PSYOP personnel.

As we look forward to 2010, I am optimistic that the Regiment will grow and mature to support our marvelous PSYOP force that continues to excel in spite of hardship and sacrifice.

State of the Regiment

I have had a couple of weeks to savor the experience of Regimental Week at Fort Bragg and on reflect on the State of the PSYOP Regiment in general.

To quote Dickens “These are the best of times, these are the worst of times.” The PSYOP Optempo is breathtaking. No matter your assigned POG, you are going to be a part of the war some time soon – and often thereafter. Reservists can expect to re-deploy 18 months after they return and the Optempo on the active side is intense as well. The fact that the 4th POG guidon is deployed down range is evidence of the PSYOP commitment to National Defense.

PSYOP forces have experienced the tragedy of KIA and continue to prove their mettle on the battlefield. The Regiment has taken a giant first step with the first awarding of the Gold MG Robert A. McClure award to COL (R) Al Paddock; COL (R) Jeff Jones, COL (R)Frank King and LTC (R) Joseph Meisner. Each of these outstanding individuals has dedicated a life time to PSYOP and deserving of the award.

While the maturation of the Branch through the award is a positive step forward, there is still much to do.

At the top of my list is the need to reunite AC and RC forces under the same command. The split of command responsibility between USSOCOM and “the Big Army” is a mistake. As one well placed Pentagon official put it during branch week “there must be transparency of capability” to best serve the force. Hopefully DOD is moving ahead in this direction.

Second is the need for community leadership through the CDR of POG troop units, the Regiment and PSYOP Associations. It is my belief that the POG CDR and the JMISC CDR must constitute the critical components of an informal Board of Directors who work in tandem with all the constituents including SWC for the betterment of the branch. SOCOM as the Proponent for PSYOP needs to exert itself through J39 and serve as the catalyst (and perhaps funder) to insure the evolution of the total community.

Third is political action. It all happens on “The Hill” and we in PSYOP must model our ability to “inform” members of Congress about PSYOP to help insure PSYOP receives its appropriate share of the pie.

Fourth is image building. All of us – those in uniform and out must work together to help build a positive image of PSYOP to once and for all remove the stigma of ‘propaganda’ and to clearly articulate the value of what we do everywhere from the battlefield to the Congress to wording of contracts.

My personal congratulations to COL Curt Boyd on the completion of his outstanding tenure as CDR of the 4th POG and my best wishes to the incoming CDR, COL Carl Phillips on his assumption of Command next month.

PSYOP Award Update

One of the purposes of this Blog is to update the PSYOP community on items of interest. An important issue today is the status of an award for excellence in PSYOP. At the moment there are two different award approaches being explored. (photo from Wikipedia)

For the past year a multi-organizational project, coordinated by USACAPOC has been under way to plan for and grant awards for exceptionally meritorious service or achievement within the PSYOP Community. Championed by the DCG of USACAPOC, the project has involved representatives from the 2nd PSYOP Group, the 7th PSYOP Group, the PSYOP Association (POA - http://www.geocities.com/psyopassociation/), the PSYOP Veterans Association (POVA - http://www.usapova.com/) and the PSYOP Regiment as represented by yours truly, the Honorary Colonel.

The award has been tentatively named the McClure Award in honor of MG Robert McClure who is considered the ‘father’ of modern day PSYOP. The award would be inclusive in nature meaning it could be awarded to a current or past member of any service from any country who excelled in service or achievement for PSYOP. It could also be awarded to civilians, veterans or deceased personnel who were nominated and selected.

It is envisioned that nominations would be submitted to a committee made up of representatives from the organizations noted above under the auspices of the PSYOP Regimental Association (PORA) which would serve as an umbrella organization serving the overall ommunity interest. Both POA and POVA would continue to function independently. POA concentrating on its stated mission of PSYOP education and POVA concentrating on its stated mission of holding reunions.

A US Army centric approach, focusing on excellence with the Army PSYOP branch, is progressing under the championship of the new CG of SWC. MG Thomas Crsnko (see http://www.soc.mil/swcs/MG%20CSRNKO.pdf) assumed command of the JFK Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg on 28 June 2008. He has directed his staff to initiate a project for awards recognizing Army personnel in the PSYOP branch for their service and achievements. This award, tentatively named the St. Bernadine Medal, would be awarded in three classes: Gold, Silver and Bronze based on nominations processed through an ad hoc committee formed by SWC.

By way of background, the CG of SWC is considered the “Home Base Commander” and as such is the higher HQ for the PSYOP, CA and Special Forces Regiments. Consequently it can be argued that they are indeed the proponent for the PSYOP, CA and SF Branches.

The 4th POG has scheduled PSYOP Regimental week at Fort Bragg for 1 – 5 June 2009 and it is hoped that PSYOP award or awards can be presented during that week.

USACAPOC and SWC are working together to deconflict the issues surrounding the awards.

If you have any input or suggestions regarding awards within PSYOP, please comment on the Blog and I will be glad to pass them along if you would like. Any comment to the Blog must be approved by me prior to posting (so far I’ve posted every one I’ve gotten since the Blog started in 2007), so do not be concerned that your input will be posted automatically. If you’d rather correspond privately, say so in the comment and I’ll get back to you via return e-mail.

PSYOP Award and Regimental Update

By way of update on the prospects of a PSYOP award. USACAPOC facilitated a conference call among the Groups and others yesterday. Various names and concepts were discussed. Here’s an unofficial summary of where we are:

• There is general agreement that a PSYOP award is badly needed.
• The concept of two PSYOP awards was discussed. One award for military personnel, active, retired, reserve, deceased, etc. and another for non-military personnel such as civilians working in support of PSYOP.
• It was agreed that Regimental Week is the most appropriate forum to present the award and that the award and its presentation would be another reason for all the Groups to actively participate in Regimental week.
• While there was no general agreement as to the name of the award, MG McClure seemed to be the favorite honoree for the military award and Samuel Adams for the non-military one.
• Additional research would be done on how other branches/regiments handle their awards such as Field Artillery, MI, CA, etc.
• The results of the research and the way forward would be discussed at the World Wide PSYOP Conference with a possible goal being to present the first award at PSYOP Regimental Week at Fort Bragg, NC during the week of 3 June.
  
  As for the PSYOP Regiment – perhaps the time has come to formalize the Regiment. Past efforts have proven to be dismal failures in my opinion due to lack of participation and desire by the serving force and internecine activities between the two PSYOP Associations.
  
  To succeed the Regiment must be under the penumbra of the PSYOP Groups and supported by active, separated, retired and others who are interested in the formalization of the Regiment. It is appropriate to use this Blog as a discussion forum on both the Award and the Regiment.
  
  Your input is encouraged!