Winning the Soft War: The Employment of Tactical PSYOP Teams in Combat Operations

Abstract

The employment of tactical psychological operations (PSYOP) teams (TPT) directly affects the outcome of operations. In the past 10 years, the U.S. Army failed to fully employ TPTs in operations a significant percentage of the time. The operational cost of not employing low-density military specialties is significant. The quality of the command relationship was the determining factor in how effectively commanders employed TPTs. Education and training played a secondary role in the effective employment of TPTs, but the value of relevant training and education is undeniable. This paper examines the employment of TPTs in operations over the last 10 years. It applies information from subject matter experts analyzing the impact of doctrine, training and education, and command relationships on the employment of TPTs. The paper concludes with key concepts that promote the proper employment of TPTs and recommendations for future research.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 08, 2012
Accession Number
ADA562968

Entities

People

  • Lorne R. Segerstrom

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Business Administration
  • Combat Operations
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Doctrine
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Information Operations
  • Iraqi-War
  • Military Education
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • Military Science
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychological Operations
  • Students
  • Tactical Training
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Systems Analysis and Design