Flip Flops: Economic PSYOP

Influencing behavior takes many forms. Giving a people a way out is often one of the better, long term solutions. The theory goes if you can provide an acceptable alternative behavior that benefits the audience and supports your goals & objectives, you ought to try it.

The article on combat flip-flops (see: http://gizmodo.com/two-ex-army-rangers-believe-flip-flops-and-sarongs-will-1687822266, which is also the photo source) presents a pretty compelling argument.

PSYOP working in tandem with Civil Affairs and PAO would support these efforts and help turn insurgents into productive citizens.

Which leads perhaps to a more interesting question and that is – should the mission of PSYOP be expanded to include occupational and business training? PSYOP (MISO) Teams are in the best position to work face to face with local populations. While training foreign citizens has traditionally been the purview of Special Forces, perhaps the time has come to split that function out of SF and into a ‘gentler’ force thereby enabling SF to concentrate on more appropriate missions.

Reader comments encouraged.

The SecDef Has Style

Anyone who can easily pass bi-partisan scrutiny in this day and age must have something going. When that same individual seems to be actually good at his job, that’s a bonus!

The new SecDef is just such a person. His confirmation sailed through unlike the turbulent experience of some of his predecessors and he wasted no time to head to ‘the sound of guns’. While we hope the SecDef doesn’t hear any guns, he certainly headed to the biggest trouble spot.

In the days of videoconferences it is quite reassuring to see the SecDef meet with his key players live. There is no substitute for person-to-person contact. While video conferences may be cost effective, they cannot provide the venue to size some one up and forge the kind of trust that is a part of combat operations.

I’m also supportive of changing the public face of the Pentagon. Rear Admiral John Kirby was a successful Pentagon spokesperson. However, he wore a uniform. There is a certain psychology at work in press conferences. The Commander-in-Chief is an elected civilian and those serving in the military are bound to carry out his lawful orders whether or not those orders are agreed with.

Military personnel consider ourselves straight shooters and I personally believe that having a civilian in the position of defending political defense decisions makes a great deal of sense.

Getting back to the SecDef, The Washington Post (see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/carter-summons-us-military-commanders-diplomats-to-kuwait/2015/02/22/0d06c36e-baab-11e4-b274-e5209a3bc9a9_story.html) article addresses the meeting in Kuwait. Attendees are a combination of military and diplomatic personnel – the team on the ground.

As one ‘anonymous’ staffer was quoted: ““He’s just the kind of guy who likes to dig.” Let’s hope that the digging makes its way to the influence battlefield.

(Photo source: http://www.defense.gov/dodcmsshare/homepagephoto/2015-02/hires_150223-D-NI589-110.JPG; Defense Secretary Ash Carter, left, meets with the emir of Kuwait Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah in Kuwait City, Feb. 23, 2015. DoD photo by Glenn Fawcett)

PSYOP on the Border?

A recent article about NG deployments in support of security our border with Mexico caught my eye. (See: http://www.stripes.com/news/us/unprecedented-deployment-has-guardsmen-feeling-strain-of-border-mission-1.329060).

I’m wondering if MISO engaged from US soil and targeted against smugglers and would be illegal border crossers would:

1.     Be legal.

2.     Serve national goals.

3.     Provide a significant training opportunity.

As I understand the current legal environment MISO (PSYOP) cannot be conducted against US citizens. While the spirit of the law may mean (and one would have to do some research on legislative intent, etc) that such operations shouldn’t be conducted on US soil, the text does not say that.

Given the above, I believe MISO initiated on US soil against foreign targets is legal.

Would this activity support national objectives? If deterring illegal entry is a national objective and the MISO were effective, it would be logical to conclude that these kinds of operation would support national objectives.

As for training, there are rich opportunities. The environment would facilitate field craft skills, foreign language skills, Spanish in particular would be exercised, and there are a variety of media that could be employed.

These can include mobile phones, loud speakers, and leaflets (wind permitting of course). Selected PsyActs such as helicopter flights on the US side of the border might be useful as well. Perhaps even social media. Social media likely being on thin ice so to speak.

I am not aware of these kinds of operations being conducted, so reader input on the history and potential would be appreciated.

Photo Source: http://www.theyucatantimes.com/2014/09/national-guard-adjusts-to-its-new-role-on-the-mexico-u-s-border/

77th Bde – Rebranding of the 15th PSYOPS Group?

Computerworld UK (see: http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/public-sector/3596459/british-army-set-up-facebook-warriors-unit/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_board, which is also the photo source) and other media have reported that the British military is standing up a 1,500 person Social Media Warrior Battalion. Dubbed the 77^th Bde (which of course is bigger than a BN), it will be a composite unit made up of reserve forces (Territorial Army) and fleshed out with active forces taken from the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

One wonders if this is simply a re-launch and renaming of the former 15^th PSYOPS Group (see: https://wikispooks.com/wiki/15_%28UK%29_Psychological_Operations_Group).

While there is no doubt that PSYOP is an important battlefield multiplier, one wonders if the Brits would actually devote such a large force to address these missions when their defense budget overall is under a great deal of pressure.

The article goes on to state: “It is part of a wider ‘Army 2020’ plan to reduce the size of the regular Army from 91,600 in 2013 to 82,000 regular troops by 2017 and recruit at least 11,000 reserve soldiers to help meet the shortfall.”

It’s worth a moment to analyze this statement. If we take the statements together at face value it would appear that the British military will include combined units of active and reserve personnel. It would be reasonable to assume that the personnel strategy would be to have a small core and expand the core as needed. If so, the unit personnel would be housed together and presumably train together.

Sounds like a model worth considering.

Reader feedback, especially those with first hand knowledge of the UK force structure is much appreciated.

Ghost Army: The PSYOP Movie!

A week or two ago my wife and I went to see “American Sniper”. I’m actually one of the very few veterans in my social circle, especially veterans who have been overseas and often get asked about my opinion of all things military related, so I felt it was a good idea.

I’ve never been to Iraq or Afghanistan and in my Viet Nam and Bosnia tours I was lucky enough not to be in the thick of things. Nevertheless, I too faced readjustment issues. I thought Bradley Cooper did an outstanding job showing how Chris Kyle changed over his tours and upon his return. Movies are powerful experiences.

By chance my wife was watching “Ghost Army” on PBS (http://www.pbs.org/program/ghost-army/). I thought I knew quite a bit about deception efforts in WWII, but I was totally wrong, I didn’t know sh*t. Turns out the 23^rd Headquarters Special Troops combined Military Deception and PSYOP (MISO) on an unprecedented scale. They were tasked with ‘replacing’ designated units to make the enemy think a lightly manned area was actually heavily manned and at times to deceive the enemy as to the location of key forces such as armor and artillery.

They used visual deception with blow up versions of tanks and artillery. This was supplemented with loudspeaker sounds to match. Rounding out the deception involved the use of fake radio traffic, painting vehicles with the unit designations and walking/driving around the AO wearing patches of the impersonated unit as well.

The time has come for a PSYOP movie about the Ghost Army. It’s perfect! Easy to understand, has historical precedence and I’m sure George Clooney would jump at the chance to be in uniform again.

 

Photo Source: http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2011/04/hsrc_chostarmy20110501/