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The Leaflet Drop
The Newsletter of the Psychological Operations Veterans Association (POVA)
Founded 1988
1 January 2020
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Fellow Psywarriors,
Wishing all Psywarriors and their families a safe, sane and Happy celebration of your year-end festivities. However you celebrate at this time of year, please accept POVA's best wishes for a safe and happy time
Planning for the 2020 POVA Biennial Reunion will move into higher gear right after the start of the New Year. We are creating two or three special meeting panels to take serious looks into the current status of PSYOP, especially given the changes that are occurring around information management/operations, Military Deception operations, PSYOP, US Marine Corps PSYOP, and MISO; and to examine the current "state of PSYOP" in both the ARSOF and USACAPOC worlds. POVA hopes to make such conversation and "clarification" a realities at our Reunion. Inquiring minds want to know, right? We are also considering a discussion panel to update our members on the status of conversations with our sister organizations....the PSYOP Regimental Association (PRA), and the PSYOP Association (POA).
POVA has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds for our 2020 philanthropic activities. We have had a successful campaign in each of 2018 and 2019 to provide support to many people, and we want 2020 to be an even bigger year. Here is the link to our current GoFundMe campaign:
Please take a few minutes and make a donation. You'll be helping POVA help our fellow Psywarriors.
Welcome Home,
Chad Spawr
President
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Lest we Forget.......
Please remember that American men and women are deployed in many places around the world and are in constant danger. Please save a thought and prayer for our fellow deployed Psywarriors, and for all Americans deployed. They are our Brothers and Sisters!
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New POVA Life Members
POVA is very pleased to welcome new Life Members who joined with us in late November and December.
Christopher Vestering
Youngjin Kim
Katherine Rutherford
John Wilson
Jason Flowers
Michael Schaad
Aaron Clapsaddle
You can view our entire Life Member roster on POVA’s website at
www.usapova.org/pova-life-members
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New PSYOP Course for Career Development
New POVA Member Billy Carter recently shared information about a course which he helped to design and teach for our mid-career Psywarriors at Ft. Bragg. Here is his story:
This introduction is more for the advanced Psychological Operations Couse MPDAC than for myself. MPDAC, MISO Program Design and Assessment Course is a mid-career course for active and reserve 37 series personnel focused on teaching the writing and management of MISO programs. The course piloted in late 2016 and since has graduated over 100 PSYOPers, formally approved by TRADOC in 2017 and awards a professional development skills identifier.
The instructors use experiential and adult learning models, following progressive elaboration, reaching back through historical case study analysis and current doctrinal requirements to deliver the only advanced PSYOP course available to influence professionals. The highlight of the course is that it uses real world problems sets, often coordinating directly with the theater special operations commands (TSOCs) to allow the course to serve as an extension of current operational planning requirements. For all the 37 series out there, how often could you dedicate a solid month to design and mission analysis? This course accomplishes that. To date, our student-developed products have integrated into current efforts in EOCOM, SOUTHCOM, CENTCOM and AFRICOM.
Several sources contribute to the success of the course. The most important factor is that our students are motivated. The demand signal for strategic solutions, skirting psychological warfare, political warfare, economic warfare, diplomacy, and information warfare. It’s a challenge to deliver but the cadre, a collection of professionals supported by subject matter experts from doctrine, industry, think tanks and academia do our best.
For my part, I count myself lucky to be a part of this long overdue PSYOP course. I spent 24 years on active duty with tours of duty in 5
th
, 7
th
, 8
th
, and 9
th
Battalions and like many of my brothers and sisters, as much time across the Pacific or Atlantic as in garrison.
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December 2019 POQC Top Graduates
On 5 December, POVA congratulated into Life membership the top four graduates of the PSYOP Qualification Course (POQC) completed by the 5th SWTC Battalion, 1st SWTC Group at Ft. Bragg.
Pictured here are the newest Distinguished Honor Graduates and Honor Graduates,from left: John Wilson, Jason Flowers, POVA VP Rich Hosier, Youngjin Kim, and Katherine Rutherford.
Welcome to our PSYOP Veterans Association and the PSYOP Regiment. We are proud of your superior performance, and proud to add you to our outstanding membership.
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POVA Ambassador Visit to 346th Tactical PSYOP Co (A)
On 7 December, POVA President and Ambassador Chad Spawr was guest speaker at the Holiday Dining In event held by the 346th TPC (A) in Columbus, OH. From left in the picture: SFC Rob Nadeau, Chad Spawr, CPT Lee Canafax, 1SG James Allender.
This was the second year that POVA has visited a 346th event, and it was an outstanding opportunity to thank our soldiers and their families for their service, encourage their participation and support of our PSYOP Regiment, and add new members to POVA.
POVA's Ambassador program was created to expand our outreach to all AC and RC PSYOP units and expand familiarization with our PSYOP Regiment and with POVA itself. POVA President Chad Spawr is Ambassador for three PSYOP Companies and the 2d PSYOP Group, located in Twinsburg, OH.
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Introducing CO of the 346th PSYOP Co (A)
It is POVA's pleasure to introduce Major Lee Canafax to our fellow Psywarriors, friends, and families. He is pictured at right with lovely wife Diana.
Lee is Commanding Oficer of the 346th PSYOP Company (A), located in Columbus, OH. Lee's company's heritage extends back to the very beginning of American PSYOP in the Viet-Nam War, a legacy of pride and outstanding performance that continues to this very day.
He entered the Kentucky Army National Guard 29 November 2001. He attended Basic Training and Combat Engineer Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He received his commission, into the Ordnance Branch, at Eastern Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Science in Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigation in 2008, and a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from University of Louisville in 2017. MAJ Canafax took command of 346
th POC (A) 22 June 2019.
Upon enlistment in the US Army National Guard in 2001, then a PFC, MAJ Canafax was assigned to C Company, 201
st EN BN. Once Commissioned to Active Duty, he was assigned as the Maintenance Platoon Leader to Forward Support Company (FSC), 27
th EN BN, HHC, 37
th EN BN, and FSC, 307
th EN BN, Fort Bragg, NC, consecutively. He completed the Psychological Operations (PO) Officer Qualification Course (POQC) in 2012. His first assignment following POQC was detachment commander for B Company, 5
th Military Information Support Battalion (MISB) from 2013-2015.
From 2015-2018, MAJ Canafax was assigned to Marshall University Senior ROTC as the Assistant Professor of Military Science. In 2018, he entered into the Army Reserve with 346
th POC (A) as the Operations Officer until he took command 22 June 2019. His Deployments include: Afghanistan with 27
th EN BN; Iraq with 37
th EN BN; Thailand, Sri Lanka and Maldives with 5
th MISB.
MAJ Canafax’s awards include: Meritorious Unit Citation, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal 2OLC, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, and Parachutist Badge.
MAJ Canafax resides in Milton, WV with his wife Diana, eight-year-old son, Connor, and four-year-old Daughter, Isabel. His hobbies include motorcycling, golf, biking, hiking, camping, reading and spending time with the family.
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PSYOP Regiment T-shirts still available
POVA has created an excellent tshirt for all PSYOP Regiment members, including soldiers and veterans. They are currently available on our website for purchase.
These shirts are available in dark green and in a light grey. They are beautifully emblazoned with our PSYOP crest and the words "PSYOP REGIMENT" bannered above a below.
The price is $15 per shirt, includhing shipping. POVA's price covers our costs only; we don't make any money on these. Our goal is to build visible and tangible support for our Regiment, our soldiers, and our fellow veterans who have served our Regiment and our Nation so well.
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POVA 2020 Biennial Reunion Planning Update
Our 18th Biennial Reunion, to be held in Fayetteville, NC, will run from 19 May through 23 May 2020. Details of specific events are still be defined, but here are some of the activities that are being planned to make this a most memorable Reunion.
As a reminder, the Reunion Banquet has been scheduled for Friday 22 May 2020, at the Iron Mike Conference Center on post at Ft. Bragg. Iron Mike is a beautiful facility which does a superb job providing excellent banquet service for groups both large and small. Menu details, specific times, etc., are still being developed. The banquet cost is included in the Reunion Registration fee.
The Reunion HQ and hotel will be the Bordeaux Convention Center at the Ramada Plaza-Baymont Inn and Suites, located at 1707 Owen Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28304. Room rates (PLUS TAXES) are as follows:
King Room: $79.00
King Suite: 109.00
2 Dbl Beds: 79.00
Complimentary breakfast included
You can call the Bordeaux to make reservations at the following phone number:
Reservation Phone Number (direct): 910-323-0111
Specify this Reservation Code POVA20
As further details develop, we'll update you by newsletter, by
POVAcomm messages, and via our website at www.usapova.org.
Stay tuned!
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**
POVA CONTACT INFORMATION **
PRESIDENT & NEWSLETTER EDITOR
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT/CHAPLAIN
JOHN CHENEY
chen77jc@gmail.com
VICE PRESIDENT FINANCE
VICE PRESIDENT MEMBERSHIP
VICE PRESIDENT AT LARGE
VICE PRESIDENT MARKETING
ILYA NEMTSOV
ILYA.NEMTSOV@GMAIL.COM
GATEWAY CHAPTER PRESIDENT
PRESIDENT EMERITUS & BOARD MEMBER
POVA HISTORIAN
POVA ARCHIVIST
POVA TRUSTEES
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