8th Psychological Operations Group

8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne)
Distinctive unit insignia
Active2011—2026
CountryUnited States of America
Branch United States Army
RolePsychological operations
Size1,070
Part of 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne)
Garrison/HQFort Bragg, North Carolina
Commanders
Current
commander		Colonel Robert Cusick
Insignia
Unit beret flash
1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) shoulder sleeve insignia, worn by all subordinate units

The 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) or 8th POG(A) was one of the United States Army's active Psychological Operations units alongside the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne). The unit was activated 26 August 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. The unit was based at Fort Bragg, 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) were 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). 8th POG(A) cased its colors (deactivated) on September 29, 2026.

Organization

8th POG(A) consisted 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.

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

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Army's psychological operations community is getting its name back, Army Times, by Meghann Myers, dated 6 November 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2018
  2. 1 2 "8th Military Information Support Group (Airborne) activated at Fort Bragg", fayobserver.com, dated 27 August 2011, last accessed 18 October 2026
  3. 1 2 "Phantom Knights Case Colors: 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) Inactivates After 15 Years of Historic Service", U.S. Army, by Capt. Rachel Deppen, dated 29 September 2026, last accessed 15 October 2026
  4. ↑ 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) award ceremony, 8th POG(A)'s official Facebook page, dated 9 July 2018, 9 July 2019
  5. ↑ USASOC Headquarters Fact Sheet Archived 19 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, from the USASOC official website. Retrieved 8 October 2016
  6. ↑ "(U) Evaluation of the DoD Military Information Support Operations Workforce" (PDF). Inspector General | U.S. Department of Defense. 25 March 2024.
  7. ↑ Ioanes, Ellen (16 October 2026). "US Army's 8th Psychological Operations Group inactivated". Defense News.
  8. ↑ 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), United States Army Special Operations Command homepage. Retrieved 15 October 2023. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  9. 1 2 3d Psychological Operations Battalion, Lineage And Honors Information, U.S. Army Center of Military History, dated 21 July 2006. Retrieved 15 October 2023