News / Military

US Army to promote 100s of psychological op officers at military event

Sunday, 26 May 2019 2:26 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 26 May 2019 2:32 AM ]

A tactical psychological operations team from the 9th Military Information Support Battalion broadcasts an emergency message during civil support training at Camp Butner, N.C., March 19, 2016. (File photo)

The US Army’s first Special Forces Command reportedly plans to promote 300 psychological operations sergeants at what it describes as a record-breaking promotion ceremony later this month at Fort Bragg military installation in North Carolina.

"It will be the largest single promotion ceremony ever conducted for an Army Special Operations military occupational specialty," said a recent news release from 1st Special Forces Command as cited in a Friday report by the US-based Military.com news outlet.

According to the press release, psyop non-commissioned officers are expected to operate successfully in austere environments and have a primary mission to persuade local populations to support US military forces.

“They are expected to interact with U.S. ambassadors, senior country team members, and host-nation officials on a daily basis,” it added.

It further claimed, "That extensive investment in psyop soldiers, combined with the operating environments in which these soldiers perform and the importance and sensitivity of their missions, warranted an increase in rank."

A recent review found that the current psyop rank authorizations were inadequate to account for soldiers with extensive training and education in influence theory, human dynamics, psychology, sociology, language, culture and politics, according to the release.

According to the report, commander of 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), Maj. Gen. John Deedrick, will preside over the ceremony that will “result in a redesign in the rank structure for psyop units within the command.”

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