8th Psychological Operations Group

US Army special forces support unit

8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne)^[1]
Distinctive unit insignia
Active	August 26, 2011 – present
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Army
Role	Psychological operations
Size	1,070
Part of	1st Special Forces Command (Airborne)
Garrison/HQ	Fort Liberty, North Carolina
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Eric B. Johnson
Insignia
Unit beret flash
1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) shoulder sleeve insignia, worn by all subordinate units^[2]
Former combat service identification badge

Military unit

The 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) or 8th POG(A) is one of the United States Army's active Psychological Operations units alongside the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne). The unit was activated August 26, 2011. The activation ceremony was held on Meadows Field at the U.S. Army Special Operations Command headquarters. Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland, Jr., served as a host. The 8th Group assumed responsibility for the 1st, 5th and 9th Psychological Operations battalions.^[3] The unit is based at Fort Liberty, North Carolina and is a part of the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne).

As of June 2015, both the 4th POG(A) and the new 8th POG(A) are operational. However, the group's former parent unit (originally envisioned as a Brigadier General-level command) known as Military Information Support Operations Command (MISOC) (Airborne) and created at the same time as 8th MISG, in 2011, enjoyed only a very brief operational existence before being dissolved in 2014. The MISOC(A) exists now only as a historical footnote. The 4th POG(A) and 8th POG(A) were subsequently reassigned under the newly established 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) (SFC(A)), under U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC).^[4]

Campaign participation credits

The unit has not participated in any military campaigns yet.

Organization

8th POG(A) currently consists of a headquarters company and two psychological operations battalions (or POBs):

3rd POB(A) – Dissemination
The 3rd POB(A) is organized to provide the PSYOP Force and other SOF units with dissemination capabilities. The battalion supports operations around the globe with specialized expeditionary teams to execute print, A/V, and broadcast activities. The unit also houses the Information Warfare Center and other capabilities designed to support SOF.^[5]

Constituted 20 April 1995 in the Regular Army as the 3d POB(A)^[6]
Activated 16 November 1995 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with personnel from the Psychological Operations Dissemination Battalion (Provisional) (organized 11 July 1990)^[6]

9th POB(A) – Tactical
This is the Tactical PSYOP element and supports ground commanders in the planning and production of MISO programs.

Constituted 14 April 1952 in the Regular Army as the 9th Loudspeaker and Leaflet Company, Army.
Activated 26 April 1952 at Fort Riley, Kansas
Reorganized and redesignated 27 May 1953 as the 9th Loudspeaker and Leaflet Company
Inactivated 25 September 1953 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Redesignated 22 March 1963 as the 9th Psychological Warfare Company
Activated 1 April 1963 in the Panama Canal Zone
Reorganized and redesignated 1 April 1967 as the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion
Inactivated 31 December 1974 in the Panama Canal Zone
Activated 15 April 1985 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Reorganized and redesignated 16 March 1990 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 9th Psychological Operations Battalion
Reorganized and redesignated 16 November 1995 as Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company, 9th Psychological Operations Battalion (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated with personnel from provisional units)

References

^ The Army's psychological operations community is getting its name back, Army Times, by Meghann Myers, dated 6 November 2017, last accessed 4 March 2018
^ 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) award ceremony, 8th POG(A)'s official Facebook page, dated 9 July 2018, 9 July 2019
^ 8th Military Information Support Group (Airborne) activated at Fort Bragg
^ USASOC Headquarters Fact Sheet Archived 2016-10-19 at the Wayback Machine, from the USASOC official website, last accessed 8 October 2016
^ 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), United States Army Special Operations Command homepage, last accessed 15 October 2023. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ ^a ^b 3d Psychological Operations Battalion, Lineage And Honors Information, U.S. Army Center of Military History, dated 21 July 2006, last accessed 15 October 2023

External links

MEDIA ADVISORY: 8th Military Information Support Group (Airborne) Activation Ceremony
8th Military Information Support Group (Airborne) Activation Ceremony

United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)

United States Army
USASOC

Units: 1st Special Forces Command; 75th Ranger Regiment; Army Special Operations Aviation Command; John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School

Types: Special Forces; Rangers; Civil Affairs; Psychological Operations

United States Marine Corps
MARSOC

Units: Marine Raider Regiment; Marine Raider Support Group; Marine Raider Training Center

Types: Critical skills operator

United States Navy
NAVSPECWARCOM

Units: Naval Special Warfare Group 1; Naval Special Warfare Group 2; Naval Special Warfare Group 4; Naval Special Warfare Group 8; Naval Special Warfare Group 11; Naval Special Warfare Center

Types: Navy SEALs; Special warfare combatant-craft crewmen

United States Air Force
AFSOC

Units: 1st Special Operations Wing; 24th Special Operations Wing; 27th Special Operations Wing; 137th Special Operations Wing; 193rd Special Operations Wing; 352nd Special Operations Wing; 353rd Special Operations Wing; 492nd Special Operations Wing; 919th Special Operations Wing

Types: Pararescue; Combat Control Team; Special Reconnaissance; Combat Rescue Officer; Special Tactics Officer; Combat Aviation Advisors; Psychological Operations

Special mission units
JSOC

Army: 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force); Intelligence Support Activity (ISA / The Activity)

Navy: Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU / SEAL Team Six)

Air Force: 24th Special Tactics Squadron (24 STS)

Joint Communications Unit

Theater Special
Operations Commands

Source: SOCOM 2013 Fact Book

Fort Liberty

FORSCOM

United States Army Reserve Command

First Army

189th Infantry Brigade

XVIII
Airborne
Corps

Other units

1st Sustainment Command (Theater)
16th Military Police Brigade
20th Engineer Brigade
44th Medical Brigade
Womack Army Medical Center
406th Army Field Support Brigade
525th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade
108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade
Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command
10th Press Camp Headquarters

82nd Airborne Division

1st Brigade Combat Team	1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment 3rd Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment 307th Brigade Support Battalion Special Troops Battalion
2nd Brigade Combat Team	1st Battalion, 325th Infantry Regiment 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment 407th Forward Support Battalion Special Troops Battalion
3rd Brigade Combat Team	1st Battalion, 505th Infantry Regiment 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment 5th Squadron, 73d Cavalry Regiment 1st Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment 82nd Brigade Support Battalion Special Troops Battalion
4th Brigade Combat Team (Inactivated)	2nd Battalion, 321st Airborne Field Artillery Regiment 782nd Brigade Support Battalion Special Troops Battalion
18th Field Artillery Brigade	Headquarters & Headquarters Battery 1st Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment (inactivated) 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment 3rd Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment 188th Brigade Support Battalion Battery D, 26th Field Artillery Regiment 206th Signal Company
Combat Aviation Brigade	Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1st Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment 2nd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment, Company F 3rd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment 122nd Aviation Support Battalion
82nd Division Special Troops Battalion	Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 82nd Airborne Division Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 82nd Division Special Troops Battalion Company A (Signal) 82nd Airborne Division Band 82nd Airborne Division Advanced Airborne School
82nd Sustainment Brigade	Special Troops Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Company 11th Quartermaster Company 21st Chemical Company 18th Human Resources Company 82nd Signal Company 82nd Financial Management Company 125th Mail Movement Team
264th Support Battalion (Combat Sustainment)	Headquarters and Headquarters Company 259th Quartermaster Company 364th Quartermaster Company 600th Quartermaster Company 612th Quartermaster Company 659th Maintenance Company
192nd EOD Battalion	192nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion

Special
Operations
Command

4th Psychological Operations Group	Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1st Psychological Operations 3rd Psychological Operations 5th Psychological Operations 6th Psychological Operations 8th Psychological Operations 9th Psychological Operations
95th Civil Affairs Brigade	Headquarters and Headquarters Company 91st Civil Affairs Battalion 96th Civil Affairs Battalion 97th Civil Affairs Battalion 98th Civil Affairs Battalion
Other units	JFK Special Warfare Center Joint Communications Unit Joint Special Operations Command Delta Force 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)