The Newsletter of the PSYOP Veterans Association
(POVA)
Founded 1988
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President's Letter
So much is lining up for action in 2019. Continued membership growth, more visits by POVA officers and members to both active and Reserve PSYOP units around the Nation, development of our new Scholarship benefit for POVA members and their families, the activation in March of our new Gateway Chapter in St. Louis, MO......so much going on for a small charitable organization.
Some of our members have voiced concern that POVA spends too much time looking for money. I agree! The other side of that coin is that we are a tax-exempt charitable and educational non-profit organization that seeks to assist our fellow veterans and their families in need. I agree it is ongoing.....as it is with other veterans organizations. I receive regular solicitations for funds from American Legion, VFW, DAV, Purple Heart, AMVETS, VVA, and others as well. There is a great need out there, and these several organizations are working hard to help. That help isn't free, and it isn't cheap. While I understand the concern, it is a necessary "evil" for us to do what are created and established to do. I hope this helps to assuage the concern, but am pretty certain it does not.
Congratulations to Brett Cox and his team for their hard work in creating the framework for activation of the St. Louis, MO Gateway POVA chapter. To be activated on 10 March 2019, we are hoping for an excellent ceremony to commemorate POVA's first-ever membership chapter to focus on our philanthropy in this important midwest region of the Nation.
If the "best laid plans of mice and men" come to fruition early in the New Year, POVA will announce our first-ever Scholarship program to provide support to veterans, soldiers and some family members as they pursue technical and/or higher educational training. Work is ongoing, but our goal is to make initial scholarship awards for the fall 2019 academic season. This will require financial support, but it will be worthwhile to further assist our members and their families as a benefit of membership in POVA.
On with the show.......
Chad Spawr
President
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New POVA Life Members
POVA welcomes new Life Members
Amy Burrows, James Pikula, Brian Cavanaugh, and Frederick Marble III.
You can view our entire Life Member roster on POVA’s website at
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Letter to the PSYOP Community from Regimental Commandant Robert A. B. Curris
Commandant Curris has published a letter overviewing critical issues on which the Regiment will be engaged in 2019. It is an excellent letter, and should be of interest to every Psywarrior, past, present, and future. Here is COL Curris' letter:
Fellow PSYOPers past and present, Happy New Year!
As we start 2019 there is much going on with the Regiment, and I thought I would provide an update on few things happening within PSYOP, at least at the wave top level.
All things CYBER:
Frankly, I think there is as much trepidation as there is opportunity here. There has been an effort over the past couple of years to relook proponency for all information-related capabilities. As a result, there is a reorganization ongoing internal to TRADOC to move the Information Operations, MILDEC, OPSEC and a couple other smaller capability branches away from the Mission Command Center of Excellence to the CYBER Center of Excellence. This consolidation may clear the way to create an Information Warfare Proponent. However, the PSYOP proponent is currently remaining within USASOC.
As an extension of the proponency question there is the doctrinal question of what is Information Warfare? There have been PSYOP representatives from this office, 1st Special Forces Command and the USASOC G9 shop participating in an ARCYBER effort referred to as the Information Warfare Design Planning Team (IW-DPT). At the unclassed level, they are meant to define what actions and activities are part of information warfare, how are they conducted, how are they measured and how are they included in an operational concept. This will be roughly a six month effort and will culminate with back briefs to LTG Fogarty at ARCYBER. In my opinion, the
importance of this effort cannot be understated because the operational concept that will ultimately come from this will help define how PSYOP works within and through CYBER.
Additionally, I think it is important to let you know that SOCOM and the PSYOP community are also expanding its WEB operations capability. This will be good for several reasons. It will be a great model for others to follow on how PSYOP can, and should, interact within the internet, and it will also allow us to grow a few senior level billets for both officers and NCOs.
Manning:
Speaking of billets, there has been a lot of staff work throughout 2018 that we should see payoff in 2019. The USACAPOC FDU that establishes growth and some development capability will go back to the Pentagon for decision this year, and we are hopeful that we have answered their questions and are ready to push forward.
Despite the loss of our staff positions within the Division Level HQs last year, we are hopeful that the PSYOP Cell recommended for each of the new Multi-Domain Task Forces will be codified this year. A version of this cell will be tried out in a major exercise later this summer, but there has been great support for this from the conventional force so far.
Changes in the force:
As some of you know we have had issues with our grade plate that has all but stopped promotion from E5 to E6. Partially because of the “no growth” policies we are at or over 100% at just about every NCO grade above E5. In an effort to remedy this we are working with 1st SFC and USASOC to submit a FDU Jr. which would recode our E5 billets to E6. This will also require a requisite grade plate change for E7s and above. To be clear, that doesn’t mean everyone is automatically promoted to E6. Graduates of the AC pipeline will still be an E5 and remain so until they meet all of the time-in-grade and time-in-service requirements to be an E6. However, this should allow for a backlog of very senior E5s to promote quickly. We should know the results of that this year.
There are also several DOTMLPF Change Requests (DCRs) out there which could change the force. The ones which request growth are on hold but may be allowed to get staffed in hopes of being approved for when future growth is approved. Most notably is the DCR within 1st SFC that could change our organization from two units of action (TPT and RPT) to a single unit of action simply referred to as PSYOP Teams and Detachments. This has been well socialized within the Active force but requires approval at the SOCOM level. I believe that you will see a few task-organized detachments as test cases for this concept this year.
Training:
USAJFKSWCS is going through multiple staff and organizational reorganizations at the moment. One of the efforts is to optimize all three branches into a four starts a year model that would allow for more cross functional training between the various specialties. This obviously includes looking at the PSYOP pipeline. The 5th PSYOP BN within 1st SWTG, along with the Training Group staff, have the lead and are working with the Commandant’s office and Operational commands to review certain portions of the curriculum. The intent is to roll out this pipeline in the next FY. While there will be additional ARSOF common Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities such as “Resistance” (UW and COIN) added to the course, we will NOT be abandoning the core PSYOP tasks and processes. We truly understand that we must be good PSYOPers first.
Tied to the previous CYBER conversation, we are also looking at how to leverage more social media analytics, protection and other baseline CYBER courses as an extension of the active duty pipeline. This is not to the exclusion of the RC force because these are P2 funded courses available to the Army. However, the RC forces would have to schedule these separately based on unit training time and dollars.
Conclusion:
Both AC and RC are facing recruiting and manning challenges at the junior level. Both forces are stretched with their current operational obligations and both are looking for ways to transform to be more relevant within what seems like CYBER-dominated world. I think both forces are frustrated with policy on how and when they conduct PSYOP on the internet; especially since our adversaries seem to be weapons free within all of political warfare. I would ask you to keep faith with the leadership who are doing things on your behalf to make sure we are included in discussions at the highest levels of DOD. I hope 2019 will be a banner year for our total force, because I think we will see some sweeping changes made and it will be up to all of us to make whatever happens into a positive for the Regiment. Thank you for your continued service and support.
Respectfully
COL Robert A.B. Curris
Commandant
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GATEWAY POVA CHAPTER ACTIVATION DATE SET
POVA's inaugural chapter, the Gateway Chapter, located in St. Louis, MO, will be activated at
1400 hours on Sunday 10 March 2019 in a special "first-ever" ceremony to be conducted by POVA.
The new chapter's application for charter and its new set of Bylaws has been approved by POVA. We anticipate an excellent activation ceremony, and all POVA members and friends are invited to attend. Contact Brett Cox (brettcox@gmail.com) for details on room accommodations, directions, etc..).
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POVA'S Membership Growth Continues
POVA continues to grow its membership, and we are now very close to the 500 member mark for active members of our Association. Here is the current breakdown of our membership by category:
One year and Two year members: 67
Active Duty Members: 92
Reserve Duty Members : 147
Life Members (incl. Gold Stars): 163
Associate Members: 3
Special Members & Friends: 21
Total Effective 16 January: 493
This total does NOT include those members who are currently inactive, or who have not yet renewed their memberships (58). We hope to reconnect all of these Psywarriors as well.
Yes, POVA continues to grow, and we continue to expand our activities in support of our members and our Regiment.
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POVA Life Member Joseph Meissner's New Book
Joseph Meissner, one of POVA's long-standing members and author of "The Green Berets: Their Victories," has published another book. Entitled "We Celebrate our Mother and Father," it looks like a good read. Here is Joe's note:
I have just published my third book. This one is about my Mother, Father, our family and all our experiences and wisdom we gathered in the 20th Century. The book includes 250 pages of photographs and various appendices as well as the basic text.
All proceeds from book purchases will go to help people in Viet Nam, especially scholarships for students from low-income families.
The price for the book including shipping and handling is only $38.00. Below is the order blank. You can just hit REPLY on your computer, fill this out, and email back to us. You will be billed after you receive the book.
There is also an order blank in the attachment below. You can pass this on to others.
ATTORNEY JOSEPH PATRICK MEISSNER AND ASSOCIATES
2234 West Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44102 USA
ORDER YOUR BOOK NOW……
“There must be a book in all of this somewhere.” My one-hundred-year old Dad challenges me as we are traveling to the Euclid Creek Park. What a strange idea! We had been talking about our Meissner relatives and about life in general as well as Dad’s own personal experiences. I started wondering if Dad was correct that there was a book involving all of this. Of course, he was right.
So let me tell the world.
“Dad, here is your book.”
The book is baptized:
It relates stories about our family throughout the Twentieth Century as told from the five different perspectives of my brothers and sisters: Anne, Robert, Rose, Brian, and of course myself. Some of the stories included how Dad was sent to field work at seven years old; my Mother Norah and her sister immigrating to America from their first Motherland of Ireland; the war of the milkmen in Cleveland; Mom orders us to say the rosary while we kneel on the living room carpet; Mom on her last day on earth pesters us with the question, “Is the kitchen floor clean?; and other tales of interest and family wisdom.
FILL OUT ORDER BLANK. THE BOOK IS $38.00 INCLUDING POSTAGE & HANDLING. YOU WILL BE BILLED AFTER YOU RECEIVE THE BOOK:
NAME: ________________________________________________
ADDRESS:___________________________________________
CITY:______________________ STATE:________ ZIP__________
Email: ___________________________________________________
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WWII PSYOP with a 75mm Punch!
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This picture courtesy of the US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). Members of the 5th Mobile Radio Broadcast Company (5thMRBC) ride against the Germans in this modified M-4 Sherman tank. Does this give historic meaning to the term "kinetic PSYOP?"
Anybody have any family contacts with any WWII Psywarriors or their families?
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POLITICAL WARFARE: ITS MEANING, OBJECTS, AND DEVELOPMENT
These lectures notes by Lt Col R L Sedgwick were put together for the Political Warfare Executive Training School. Although undated they were likely produced at some time between mid-1943 to mid-1944. Despite being written for a 1940’s audience the thoughts expressed certainly contain lessons for today. One important point made, and one often neglected in the history of wartime political warfare, is that PWE’s activities were not just about helping to win the war but ultimately to also win the peace.
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T
ribute is also paid to the enormous propaganda efforts of the Soviet Union, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany; the Soviets being the first to recognise the potential of radio broadcasting for mass persuasion, the Fascists leveraging Italian history, and the effectiveness of sensationalist Nazi propaganda that was violent and exaggerative, but with continual repetition having a good deal of effect.
The point is also made that Political Warfare is no new thing in warfare but “it is new only in the enormous enlargement of its scale of operations and in the new instruments through which it operates.”
Here is the link to this excellent lecture and its notes:
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75th Anniversary of Modern Military PSYOP
Seventy-five years ago, on December 29, 1943, the U.S. Army activated some of its first dedicated psychological warfare (psywar) units, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Mobile Radio Broadcasting Companies (MRBCs), at Camp Ritchie, Maryland. The MRBCs went on to provide critical tactical psywar support (leaflets, loudspeakers, and radio) to Allied forces in the liberation of Europe in 1944-1945.
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2019......Predictions from POVA's John Cheney
Every year, Life Member John Cheney makes predictions for the new year. These make interesting reading. If you follow these things, you'll see that John has an excellent eye for the world around us. Thanks again John. Here are his predictions for 2019:
The stock market will continue to be volatile. The market will continue downward (an expected correction to the long bull market) but see some recovery in late 2019.
5G laptop computer will become available in 2019.
Blue fin Tuna will begin to be raised in international fish farms.
Cloud based services will eliminate the need for computer based operating systems. Most will be UNIX based.
Face recognition software will begin to replace passwords (with the introduction in 2019 and may take till 2021 for full implementation)
Electrical, water service and natural gas appliances will begin to measure usage individually. Implementation may take till 2024.
Nano-particle research will make chemotherapy more effective and will begin medical trials in 2019.
Electric vehicle sales, worldwide, will reach just under 6,000,000. This increase will be as a result of more availability of charging stations.
Bacteria will produce Isoprene which can be used to make rubber for tires. This will begin to replace rubber in tires.
Meat substitute products will begin to be sold in grocery stores.
New sensors will be perfected that allow watering specific parts of your yard and specific area fertilizer applications will become routine.
24/7 monitoring of your vital signs will be commercially developed. They will become readily available in 2022.
A scrolling computer will give tablets competition for market share. Look for them at year end.
Multiple cloud computing will become common (think, apps, games, and business applications) and accepted by business, government and individuals alike.
The tech industry, Facebook, Twitter etc. will be slapped with new regulations as they have been unable to control their own destiny voluntarily.
Human medical trials will begin in 2019 to create vaccines that will eliminate drug addiction.
The United States will continue to withdraw from the Middle East eventually to be replaced by Arab countries to defend the continent.
The United States will begin to shrink the Federal government and Military in an effort to rein in spending which is not sustainable at this level.
The United States will move out retirement ages to keep Social Security viable as the population is living longer.
The Federal government will change immigration policy to remove eligibility for government services for most immigrants.
The China tariff war will come to a mutually beneficial end. Both countries need low to no tariffs to keep employment high.
The China intellectual property issue will not be solved this year.
The United States will begin an orderly withdrawal from many military partner countries to lower spending.
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Need a great "Hoodie" to keep warm?
POVA has a selection of high quality hooded sweatshirts, with our great POVA logo. for sale on our website. These are great for fall, winter, and early spring weather. Available in light grey, dark green, blue, and black. Consider ordering your hoodie today, as once they are gone, we may not offer them again. Click the "Visit our POVA Store" button below.
Remember,
all profits from POVA clothing sales support our charitable and educational support activities for our fellow veterans and their families in need.
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Stay Even Warmer with our POVA Knit Beanie
POVA offers a very nice knit beanie to help keep your head warm. Between your new hoodie and beanie, you'll be styiin' and warm! Visit our store today.
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**
POVA CONTACT INFORMATION **
PRESIDENT & NEWSLETTER EDITOR
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT/CHAPLAIN
VICE PRESIDENT FINANCE
VICE PRESIDENT MEMBERSHIP
VICE PRESIDENT AT LARGE
HOWARD PATRICK on temporary leave of absence
VICE PRESIDENT MARKETING
ILYA NEMTSOV
ILYA.NEMTSOV@GMAIL.COM
PRESIDENT EMERITUS & BOARD MEMBER
POVA HISTORIAN
POVA ARCHIVIST
POVA TRUSTEES
PSYOP Regimental Association Website.....www.psyopra.com
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