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Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) |
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Activated on 27 November 1990, the United States Army
Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (USACAPOC) is
responsible for overseeing two lesser known areas of Special Operations
whose contributions are no less valuable than Special
Forces or Rangers. Used during peacetime,
contingencies and declared war, these activities are not a form 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.
military Psychological Operations and Civil
Affairs is to convince enemy, neutral, and friendly nations and
forces to take action favorable to the United States and its allies.
Of the command's approximately 10,000 soldiers, 96
percent of them are in the reserve component located throughout 26
states. USACAPOC has 1 active duty Psychological Operations unit, the 4th
Psychological Operations Group, and 1 active duty active duty Civil
Affairs unit, the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion.
USACAPOC, headquartered at Fort Bragg, NC, is one of
four major commands making up the United States Army
Special Operations Command. Soldiers under this command maintain a
constant state of readiness and are ready to deploy any where in the
world with short notice.
Even though Psychological
Operations (Psyop) and Civil Affairs activities
often complement each other, each battle system operates independently
in support of field commanders. CA soldiers are the commander's link to
civil authorities in the area of operation. With specialists in nearly
every form of government, they can assist a host government to meet its
population's needs and maintain a stable civil administration
Psyop soldiers employ persuasion to influence desired
behavior. The foundation of Psyop is truth, plausibly presented to
convince any given audience to desist resistance or take actions
favorable to friendly forces.
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USACAPOC
Units
4th
Psyop GP:
Fort Bragg, NC
96th
Civil Affairs BN:
Fort Bragg, NC
2nd
Psyop GP:
Panama, OH
7th
Psyop GP: Battalion:
Moffett Field, CA
350th
CA Command:
Pensacola, FL
351st
CA Command:
Mountain View, CA
352nd
CA Command:
Riverdale, MD
353rd
CA Command:
Bronx, NY
412th
Civil Affairs BN:
Columbus, OH
451st
Civil Affairs BN:
Houston, TX
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