Psychological Operations Specialist (37F)

• Enlisted
• Active Duty
• Army Reserve

The role of Psychological Operations is to alter the behavior of foreign populations in a manner consistent with United States diplomatic, national security and foreign policy objectives. A Psychological Operations Specialist is an information and media specialist who can assess the information needs of a target population and develop and deliver the right message at the right time and place to create the intended result.

As a member of the Army Special Operations community, the Psychological Operations Specialist is primarily responsible for the analysis, development and distribution of information used for information and psychological effect.

As a Psychological Operations Specialist your duties might include:

• Researching and analyzing of methods of influencing foreign population from a variety of information sources.
• Developing marketing and media products that includes handbills, trifolds, brochures, leaflets, posters, television commercials, web postings and/or radio scripts.
• Operating and maintaining Psychological Operations equipment such as ground tactical vehicles and shelter systems, loudspeaker systems, state of the art computer, analog and digital recording and playback devices and communication systems.
• Disseminating products that include the development, production and broadcasting of relevant information via television, radio, internet and newspaper media.
• Traveling to overseas locations in peace, crisis and conflict to assist U.S. and foreign governments, militaries and civilian populations.

Training:

Job training for a Psychological Operations Specialist consists of nine weeks of Basic Combat Training, where you’ll learn basic Soldiering skills, and 11 to 15 weeks of Advanced Individual Training (AIT) where you’ll learn the skills of a Psychological Operations specialist.

For active-duty Soldiers, graduation from AIT will be followed by three weeks of Airborne training and then four to six months of Language training. For Reserve PSYOPS Specialists, airborne and language training are not required for qualification. Some of the skills you’ll learn in Advanced Individual Training are:

• Acquiring analytical skills and ability to conduct research using a variety of methods to include standard library research, use of web browsers and other search engines and services.
• Developing, producing, and disseminating relevant messages and media products.
• Obtaining computer skills that include graphic design and innovative methods of information dissemination
• Training with equipment to include vehicles, weapon systems and other PSYOPS unique systems
• Preparing cultural studies and target analysis reports.

Helpful Skills:

Helpful attributes include:

• An aptitude for college-level study in the social sciences
• An interest in foreign countries, cultures and languages
• An interest in reading, Web and library research
• An interest in sales, advertising and marketing
• An ability to analyze and organize information
• An ability to think creatively and speak and write clearly
• An ability to build rapport and be comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings

Advanced Responsibilities:

Advanced level Psychological Operations Specialists plan for and integrate the use of PSYOPS at the tactical, operational and strategic levels. As an advanced level Psychological Operations Specialist, you may be involved in:

• Coordinating resource requirements
• Assisting in the formulation of planning efforts and coordination of PSYOPS activities with other services, agencies or organizations, both military and civilian
• Assisting in the determination of the appropriate mix of media and methods of disseminating information
• Maintaining situational awareness in order to select the appropriate audience to influence and determining the most critical information required for dissemination
• Identifying accessibilities, vulnerabilities and susceptibilities of the intended foreign audience