4th Psychological Opertions Group (Airborne) Flag
Unit Insignia
Description: A gold color metal and enamel insignia 1 3/16 inches (3.02cm) in height consisting of an open wreath of gold bamboo leaves surmounted by a quatrefoil divided into three vertical segments, gray, white and black, issuing diagonally from the lower right part thereof toward the upper left three gold lightning flashes; all above a gold scroll lined with red and inscribed with the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) Motto of:
Verbum Vincet (The Word will Conquer)
Symbolism: The design is in the shape of a quatrefoil as the number four is symbolic of the measuring intelligence, an essential ingredient of psychological operations. The four lobes also allude to the numerical designation of the Group and to the current number of its subordinates. The gray, white and black segments of the quatrefoil represent the three types of propaganda, half-truth, truth and untruth, as determined by origin. The lightning flashes represent the three main types of media utilized by the Group in propaganda dissemination – audio, visual and face-to-face persuasion. The gold and red colors of the scroll and motto are from the flag of the Republic of Vietnam. Those colors and the wreath of bamboo commemorate the Group’s activation and service in Vietnam.
Background: The distinctive unit insignia was authorized on 13 Aug 1968.
The 4th Psychological Operations Group (POG) (Airborne), or 8th PSYOP (A), at Fort Bragg, NC, is one of only two active Army Psychological Operations Groups.
The mission of the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) is to deploy anywhere in the world on short notice, and plan, develop, and conduct Civil Affairs and Psychological operations in support of Unified Commanders, coalition forces, or other government agencies as directed by the National Command Authority.
Psychological operations are a vital part of the broad range of U.S. political, military, economic and ideological activities used by the U.S. government to secure national objectives. Used during peacetime, contingencies and declared war these activities are not forms of force, but are force multipliers that use nonviolent means in often violent environments. Persuading rather than compelling physically, they rely on logic, fear, desire or other mental factors to promote specific emotions, attitudes or behaviors.
The ultimate objective of U.S. Psychological Operations is to convince enemy, neutral, and friendly nations and forces to take action favorable to the United States and its allies. The ranks of Psychological Operations include regional experts and linguists who understand political, cultural, ethnic and religious subtleties and use persuasion to influence perceptions and encourage desired behavior. With functional experts in all aspects of tactical communications, Psychological Operations offer joint force commanders unmatched abilities to influence target audiences as well as support to U.S. diplomacy.
Both tactical and theater-level Psychological Operations may be used to enhance peacetime military activities of conventional and special operations forces operating in foreign countries. Cultural awareness packages attune U.S. forces before departing overseas. In theater, media programs publicize the positive aspects of combined military exercises and deployments.
In addition to supporting commanders, Psychological Operations units provide interagency support to other U.S. government agencies. In operations ranging from humanitarian assistance to drug interdiction, Psychological Operations enhances the impact of those agencies' actions. Their activities can be used to spread information about ongoing programs and to gain support from the local populace.
4th POG (A) Beret Flash
A shield-shaped embroidered device with semicircular base edged with a 1/8 inch (.32cm) yellow border, the overall dimensions 1 7/8 inches (4.76cm) in width and 2 1/4 inches (5.72cm) in height, divided equally into three stripes, gray, white and black, and bearing three yellow diagonal lightning flashes, upper left to lower right. The beret flash was approved on 8 Dec 1986.
4th POG (A) PARACHUTE WINGS OVAL
An oval-shaped embroidered device edged with a 1/8 inch (.32cm) yellow border, the overall dimensions 1 3/8 inches (3.49cm) in height and 2 1/4 inches (5.72cm) in width, divided equally into three stripes, gray, white and black, and bearing three yellow lightning flashes, upper left to lower right. The background trimming was approved on 8 Dec 1986.
Challenge Coins
The coins we show here really should be in an article about the 4th group. Unfortunately, because it would certainly take over 100,000 words to write about the history of the group, I have not written that article yet. Perhaps one of these days. However, I would like to add these coins for the readers to see, even though they are not from the Vietnam era. Such coins reached their popularity later, but they are still wonderful items to collect and exhibit.
Recruitment Coin
Michael Connor was a member of the Group from 2001 to 2005 with the MOS of 25M, Multimedia Illustrator. He designed the reenlistment coin.
Senior PSYOP Sergeant Dog Tag Coin
Command Sergeant Major Bispo designed the SPS dog tag coin.
My Personal 4th Group Challenge Coin
This was given to me by the Commander of the 4th Group Colonel Jack N. Summe after I lectured the Enlisted and Officer PSYOP students at Ft. Bragg in April 2004.
The 4th POG (A) personnel (soldiers and civilian) include regional experts and linguists who understand the political, cultural ethnic, and religious subtleties of the target audience. They also include functional experts in technical fields such as broadcast journalism radio operations, print, illustration, interrogation layout operations, and long-range tactical communications.
The 4th POG (A) is capable of providing PSYOP support ranging from propaganda and product development, to media production, to strategic, operations, and tactical information dissemination. The 4th POG's organic media assets include light-to-heavy print production; audio production; amplitude modulated (AM), FM, and shortwave radio broadcasting stations; audiovisual production and dissemination; and tactical loudspeaker dissemination.
The 4th POG (A) is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and is a part of the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), under the United States Army Special Operations Command. The 4th POG was constituted 7 November 1967 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Psychological Operations Group. Activated 1 December 1967 in Vietnam. Inactivated 2 October 1971 at Fort Lewis, Washington. Activated 13 September 1972 at Fort Bragg
The 4th POG (A) is comprised of a Headquarters Company, 5 Regional Support Battalions, and a PSYOP Dissemination Battalion. With about 1100 soldiers and 57 civilian analysts in the entire group, the battalions are small with generally fewer than 200 soldiers, compared with a standard infantry battalion of about 750 soldiers.
The 5 Regional Support Battalions (RSB) are the 1st Psychological Operations Battalion (A), which supports Latin America, the southern hemisphere covered by Southern Command as well the region covered by Atlantic Command, the 5th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne), which supports the Pacific area covered by Pacific Command (PACOM, the 6th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne), which supports Europe (EUCOM), the 7th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne) which supports Africa (AFRICOM), and the 8th Psychological Operations Battalion, which supports the Middle East (CENTCOM). the 3rd Psychological Operations Battalion is the Dissemination Battalion.
It provides the majority of media, whether it's broadcasting, posters, pamphlets or audio messages. The battalion can deploy with a non-linear editing system or a laptop system for more remote areas.Regional PSYOP is conducted at the strategic and operational levels and operates under the staff proponency of the Theater/Joint Task Force (JTF) J3. The regional PSYOP battalion commander develops and executes the CINC-JTF Commander's PSYOP campaign plan, and when directed by the Commander, 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), provides the Joint PSYOP Task Force Commander.
Each Regional Battalion consists of a Headquarters Support Company, a PSYOP Development Company which is further broken down into a Plans Programs Detachment, a Target Audience Analysis Detachment and a Test Evaluation Detachment, and a Strategic Studies Detachment which includes civilians with language and cultural expertise in the region supported by the unit. The civilians provide long-term regional analysis and may deploy on missions.
AWARDS and DECORATIONS
The Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for Vietnam 1967-1968
The Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for SOUTHWEST ASIA 1990-1991
The Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for Vietnam 1967-1971.
The 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) also received Campaign Participation Credit for:
Armed Forces Expedition for GrenadaVietnam: the Counteroffensive, Phase III; Tet Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase IV; Counteroffensive, Phase V; Counteroffensive, Phase VI; Tet 1969/Counteroffensive; Summer-Fall 1969; Winter-Spring 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Counteroffensive, Phase VII; Consolidation I.
Southwest Asia: Defense of Saudi Arabia; Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
