4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne)

Psychological warfare was established as a sub-section of the War Department during World War I. Over 50 million leaflets were delivered in modified artillery shells and leaflet bombs dropped from airplanes on enemy units on the Western Front. So effective was the Allied PSYWAR, German Generals stated that the Allied PSYWAR effort had played a large part in devastating their troops' morale. Psychological warfare expanded during World War II with the creation of the Psychological Warfare Branch, Allied Force Headquarters; the Psychological Warfare Division, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force; and PSYWAR Sections at the Army, Group and Field Army levels. These commands consolidated the efforts of the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS), Office of War Information, British Political Warfare Office and Ministry of Information. These commands further directed the formation of tactical PSYWAR units such as mobile broadcasting companies and broadcasting stations operating detachments.

These World War II PSYWAR efforts dwarfed anything attempted before in history. In September of 1950, BG Robert A. McClure was named Chief, Psychological Warfare Division. Recognizing the need for the Army to retain her PSYWAR units and capabilities, he and his staff established the PSYWAR Center at Fort Bragg in 1952. That center still stands today as the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. The fundamental mission of the Psychological Operations Branch has remained the same since World War I: to "convey selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of foreign governments, organizations, groups and individuals." However, the means and methods for accomplishing our mission continue to evolve with the increasing demand for PSYOP capabilities across the full spectrum of conflict.

The 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) (POG(A)) is one of the United States Army's active military information support operations units and has responsibility for the 1st, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th PSYOP Battalions (Airborne) (POB(A)). 4th POG (A) was activated on 01 DEC 1967 during the Vietnam War and originally consisted of the 7th, 8th, and 10th POBs. 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. During this time 4th POG(A) participated in operations in Vietnam, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, Haiti, Liberia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Balkans, and Afghanistan.

On 01 OCT 2006, PSYOP became an official branch within the United States Army. Today, both 4th POG (A) and 8th POG (A) fall under 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) (1st SFC (A)).

Today, the POBs under 4th POG (A) comprise the bulk of the DODs information warfare forces. They conduct operations in support of multiple Geographic Combatant Commands and seek to influence allies and adversaries in all forms of media. As the way populations communicate continues to change, 4th POG(A) continues to evolve to support the American way of life in an era of global competition.