Psychological Operations (2024)

TURN WORDS

INTO ACTION.

TURN WORDS

INTO ACTION.

Become a strategic thinker and skilled communicator.

PSYOP Soldiers support Army missions by using intelligence, interpersonal skills, cultural sensitivity, and foreign language proficiency to affect the actions and opinions of foreign individuals, groups, and governments.

TURN WORDS

INTO ACTION.

TURN WORDS

INTO ACTION.

Become a strategic thinker and skilled communicator.

PSYOP Soldiers support Army missions by using intelligence, interpersonal skills, cultural sensitivity, and foreign language proficiency to affect the actions and opinions of foreign individuals, groups, and governments.

TURN WORDS

INTO ACTION.

TURN WORDS

INTO ACTION.

Become a strategic thinker and skilled communicator.

PSYOP Soldiers support Army missions by using intelligence, interpersonal skills, cultural sensitivity, and foreign language proficiency to affect the actions and opinions of foreign individuals, groups, and governments.

TURN WORDS

INTO ACTION.

TURN WORDS

INTO ACTION.

Become a strategic thinker and skilled communicator.

PSYOP Soldiers support Army missions by using intelligence, interpersonal skills, cultural sensitivity, and foreign language proficiency to affect the actions and opinions of foreign individuals, groups, and governments.

Serve as an expert in human connection.

PSYOP Soldiers work in small teams to execute missions around the world. They build relationships with leaders and civilians to gain trust and influence. They also use social media, digital marketing, and pamphlets to share information meant to help shift beliefs and behaviors in the U.S. Army’s interest.

Psychological Operations (1)

Influence with information.

Military Information Support Operations (MISO) missions involve sharing specific information to foreign audiences to influence the emotions, motives, reasoning, and behavior of governments and citizens. This can include cyber warfare and advanced communication techniques across all forms of media.

Psychological Operations (2)

Intentionally deceive.

Military deception missions use psychological warfare to deliberately mislead enemy forces during a combat situation.

Psychological Operations (3)

Interagency and government support missions shape and influence foreign decision making and behaviors in support of United States’ objectives.

Psychological Operations (4)

Communicate in rescue efforts.

Civil Authorities Information Support (CAIS) missions aid civilian populations during disaster relief situations by sharing critical information to support the rescue effort.

The Psyop selection process.

Psychological warfare requires adaptability, resilience, and problem solving. To be selected as a PSYOP Soldier, you’ll first be trained and tested in order to prepare for the mental and physical toughness you’ll encounter in the field.

Step 01: 10 Days

PSYOP Assessment

You’llbe tested on your physical and psychological fitness to become a candidate for this elite force.

Step 02: 43 Weeks

PSYOP Qualification Course

During the PSYOP Operations Specialist Course you’ll learn the core skills of PSYOP Soldiers including basic speaking and listening proficiency in a foreign language, military intelligence, advanced interpersonal communication, adaptive leadership, cultural analysis, and advanced social media and marketing.

Step 03

Graduation

You’ll graduate the course as a PSYOP Specialist if you’re an enlisted Soldier, or as a PSYOP Officer.

Requirements to become a PSYOP Soldier.

You can join the Army as a PSYOP Soldier or transfer into the role if you’re a current Soldier. There are different requirements depending on the path you take.

Requirements to Join

  1. New Soldiers

  2. Current Soldiers

Requirements for new Soldiers:

  • Be a U.S. citizen

  • Have a Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) score of 85 or above

  • Pass the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) and clear the Army height and weight standards

  • Qualify for Airborne School

  • Be eligible for a secret security clearance

Requirements for current Soldiers:

  • Have an ASVAB placement test GT score of 107 or above

  • Hold a rank between private first class and sergeant (non-promotable)

  • Have more than 18 months in service, no more than 10 years in service, and at least 36 months remaining in service

  • Reclassify from your current MOS or branch to PSYOP

Common questions about PSYOP.

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Do I need to attend Basic Training to become a PSYOP Soldier?

Yes. In addition to Basic Combat Training, Soldiers must completeAdvanced Individual Training and U.S. Army Airborne School.

What happens if I’m not selected to PSYOP during training?

If you are not ultimately selected to join, you will be assigned to a unit as a qualified specialist in the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) you trained for while applying to PSYOP.

What equipment do PSYOP Soldiers use?

PSYOP Soldiers use effective technology to deliver critical messages during disaster or combat situations, including: The Fly Away Broadcast System, a vehicle-mounted or stationary system to broadcast radio messages or block enemy communications in the field; The Next Generation Loudspeaker System, a portable or vehicle-mounted loudspeaker to blast high quality recorded audio over large distances during disaster rescues; and video editing software, high tech cameras, and state of the art recording studios, to produce mission-critical messages.

What language could I be assigned to learn as part of PSYOP?

Assigned languages include French, Indonesian-Bahasa, Spanish, Chinese-Mandarin, Korean, Persian-Farsi, Russian, Tagalog, Thai, and Arabic.

Do PSYOP Soldiers receive extra pay?

Yes, they receive special pay for learning a foreign language and graduating from Airborne School. Their total benefits package includes more than $50,000 to further their education, 30 days of vacation per year, complete medical and dental care, initial entry and reenlistment bonuses, and more.

What is the history of Army Psychological Operations?

Founded during World War I to devastate opposing troops’ morale, the PSYOP unit has played a critical role in World War II, the Vietnam War, and recent operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, where unconventional warfare provided by PSYOP has been crucial to national security.

Psychological Operations (2024)

FAQs

What are the different types of psychological operations? ›

The different types of psychological operations include military deception, operations security, and planned operations to convey selected information to foreign audiences.

What is an example of a Psy Ops? ›

One example of PSYOPS is propaganda, a type of communication or advertisem*nt that aims to influence a targeted group's way of thinking or decision-making. Ultimately, the goal of a propaganda campaign is to compel a population to take action in line with a specific message by introducing influential information.

What does a psychological operations specialist do? ›

PSYOP Soldiers work in small teams to execute missions around the world. They build relationships with leaders and civilians to gain trust and influence. They also use social media, digital marketing, and pamphlets to share information meant to help shift beliefs and behaviors in the U.S. Army's interest.

What are the benefits of psychological operations? ›

BENEFITS OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS CAREER

The PSYOP mission set takes its teams into hostile, denied and politically sensitive environments. PSYOP teams provide strategic, operational, and tactical options to the theater combatant commanders, joint force commanders, or ambassadors that employ them.

What is the meaning of psychological operations? ›

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. United States Psychological Operations. Country.

What is a PSYOP girl? ›

The name for PSY-OP Girls originates from the backlash they have received for encouraging young people to join the military. "PSY-OP" stands for "psychological operations", which means using propaganda and other psychological techniques to influence the behavior of enemy forces, civilians, and governments.

How does PsyOps work? ›

As a Psychological Operations Specialist, you'll be an expert at persuasion. You'll assess and develop the information needed to influence and engage specific audiences. You'll broadcast important information through various mediums and assist U.S. and foreign governments, militaries, and civilian populations.

What are the tasks of PsyOps? ›

The psychological operations (PSYOP) specialist plans, analyze, develop, design, distribute, disseminate, and evaluate PSYOP across the range of military operations. For more information on 37F - Psychological Operations Specialist MOS, see this Army website.

What are PSYOP tactics? ›

It is used to induce confessions or reinforce attitudes and behaviors favorable to the originator's objectives, and are sometimes combined with black operations or false flag tactics. It is also used to destroy the morale of enemies through tactics that aim to depress troops' psychological states.

How much do psyops get paid? ›

The estimated total pay for a Psychological Operations Specialist is $72,822 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $62,487 per year.

How long is Psyops school? ›

Psychological Operations Specialists (37F) plan, analyze, develop, design, distribute, disseminate, and evaluate Psychological Operations products and messaging across the competition continuum. 37F initial entry training (IET) is 10 weeks of Basic Training, followed by 10 weeks of Advanced Individual Training (AIT).

Are psyops special forces? ›

It was deactivated in 1971 in Fort Lewis, Washington, before being reactivated in 1972 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. On 15 OCT 1987 4th POG (A) was brought into USSOCOM and on 03 MAR 1993, PSYOP was officially designated as a Special Operations Force.

What branch is psychological operations? ›

PSYOP officers serve in the Active Army and Reserve Component (RC) of the U.S. Army. Active Army PSYOP officers are special operations officers.

Why would someone need psychological testing? ›

This testing is used to identify a person's cognitive, behavioral, and mental functioning, in order to determine what psychological conditions they are suffering from.

What are the disadvantages of psychological tests? ›

People change over time, and psychological tests may not capture these changes effectively. A test taken at one point in a person's life may not accurately reflect their state at a different stage. Psychological tests can't assess every aspect of human behavior.

What are operations in psychology? ›

n the psychology context, an operation refers to a mental process or function that manipulates or transforms information or stimuli in some way. Operations can involve various cognitive processes, such as perception, attention, memory, and reasoning.

What are the four psychological processes? ›

Motivation, perception, learning, and memory are the four main processes of psychology.

What are the 4 main types of psychology? ›

Psychology includes four major areas: clinical psychology (counseling for mental and behavioral health), cognitive psychology (the study of the mental processes), behavioral psychology (understanding behavior through different types of conditioning), and biopsychology (research on the brain, behavior, and evolution).

What are 7 psychology types? ›

The Seven Types Of Psychology
  • Choosing The Right Field. ...
  • Biopsychology. ...
  • Forensic Psychology. ...
  • Clinical Psychology. ...
  • Cognitive Psychology. ...
  • Behavioral Psychology. ...
  • Developmental Psychology. ...
  • Industrial and organizational psychology.

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