Psychological Warfare in the United States Military
Psychological Warfare in the United States militaryThe use of psychology in war is as old as war itself. In ancient Greece, Thermistocles sent his men ashore to carve messages urging the Ionians not to fight against the Athenians (Pease 3). Known as psychological warfare, it is the attempt by one nation to gain an advantage over another by exploiting fear, mistrust, suspicion, rumor, prejudice, and uncertainty to influence international opinion and/or the frame of mind of the opposing soldiers. Psychological warfare is designed to affect the enemy's mind, influencing him to take an action, even against his conscious will, favorable to his opponent (Pease xiii). The United States government employs psychological warfare, known as Psychological Operations (PSYOP), to secure national objectives in times of conflict as well as peace. They are a vital part of the broad range of U.S. political, military, economic, and ideological activities. The ultimate objective of United States military psychological operations is to convince enemy, neutral, and friendly nations and forces to take actions favorable to the United States and its interests. This is accomplished, with varied effectiveness, through several methods and techn
Another significant benefit from the use of loudspeakers, and in particular the musical aspect of their use, is the effect it has on friendly troops. Mounted on aircraft, they may be flown directly to opposing forces. Here, psychological operations are employed by theater commanders, aiming at a specific group within the theater of operations. Strategic, Tactical, and Consolidation Psychological Operations On the strategic level, psychological operations are utilized to accomplish long-term objectives. In order to be effective, leaflets must first reach the opposing force. It is employed through varied techniques, from the simple leaflet being picked up by the enemy soldier, to the advanced EC-130E/RR broadcasting messages through the enemy's television and radio stations. Defined as, "the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person," numerous tactics, techniques, and methods of spreading propaganda in psychological operations are employed (Woolf, et al 916). " The operation was successful and on 23 September 1953, at 0924 hours (9:24 am), North Korean Air Force Captain Ro Kum Suk defected to South Korea with his MiG-15bis. Often these leaflets will contain messages of a crushed military or they may offer logical reasons to surrender. It was determined that in excess of 30 percent of North Korean soldiers were illiterate or only had an extremely limited ability to read (Pease 40). In conclusion, psychological warfare is utilized by the United States of America, during war time in particular, to secure national objectives. Creating the correct messages that will evoke the desired response is at the epicenter of improving current psychological warfare. The informative leaflet seeks to spread truth to the audience, albeit a shocking truth. As Secretary of the Army Frank Pace, Jr. These messages call upon the enemy to remove its troops and for enemy soldiers to surrender to American forces (Pease 96).
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