RELEASE NUMBER: 090804-01
DATE POSTED: AUGUST 4, 2009
Army’s only active PSYOP Group welcomes new commander
By Sgt. David Harris
4th PSYOP Group (A) PAO
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, Aug. 4, 2009) – The 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) bade farewell to a familiar face and welcomed a new one during a change of command ceremony on Meadows Memorial Field July 30.
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USASOC Commanding General, Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland Jr. (right) hands the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) colors to the incoming commander Col. Carl E. Phillips at a ceremony July 30th on Meadow's Field. The colors signify the new commander accepting the responsibility for the care and welfare of the Group's soldiers. (Photo provided by 4th POG (A) public affairs office) |
Col. Curtis D. Boyd relinquished command to Col. Carl E. Phillips during the ceremony. Phillips comes to the 4th PSYOP Group (A) after serving as a student at the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland Jr., commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, served as the officiating officer for the ceremony.
“Col. Boyd is leaving Col. Phillips some big shoes to fill. Luckily, we pick commanders that can fill big shoes. We even issue a special size of boots just for that,” Mulholland joked with the audience of current and former PSYOP soldiers and family members as a way to sum up his confidence in Col. Phillips’ abilities.
Mulholland also praised Boyd for his and his Soldiers’ accomplishments during the past two years.
“Under Curtis’ leadership the 4th PSYOP Group stood up nine new companies,” he said. “Col. Boyd, who was picked by the Army to serve over the only active duty Psychological Operations Group in existence, became the first ever 4th PSYOP commander to take his flag forward into the fight and lead the Joint PSYOP Task Force downrange.”
Mulholland said he found it interesting that the ceremony took place in the shadow of USASOC’s headquarters building, named after Major General Robert A. McClure, the man who has been called the forgotten father of Special Operations. McClure was the director of the Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force’s Psychological Warfare division during World War II, and he also helped establish the Psychological Warfare Center, which activated at Fort Bragg in 1952.
Boyd’s next assignment takes him within walking distance of the 4th PSYOP Group’s headquarters. He’ll serve as the Chief of Staff at the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. Before his departure, he took time to compliment his Soldiers for their professionalism.
“On the field in front of you is a one of a kind group, in fact a global leader. There is no other single organization in the Department of Defense that possesses the human, intellectual, and technical capacity to plan, analyze, develop, produce, and disseminate full spectrum, multi-media Psychological Operations like the assembly of young men and women standing before you,” Boyd boasted.
The formation of Soldiers Boyd was talking about represents the six battalions within the 4th PSYOP Group (A). In the past two years, the Group has grown considerably, increasing its ranks by roughly 20 percent in the past year alone. The 4th PSYOP Group employs Soldiers with more than 50 different military occupational specialties, including graphics artists, human intelligence gatherers, videographers, printers, and psychological operations specialists.
In addition to its Soldiers, the 4th PSYOP Group relies on guidance from civilian experts who study the populations of specific areas and who are aware of cultural, political, and sociological aspects of the people in their region of expertise. They work closely with the Group’s regional battalions in crafting effective and persuasive messages.
Col. Phillips, who in the past commanded the 9th Psychological Battalion (Airborne), thanked Col. Boyd for his hard work, sacrifice, and dedication over the past 24 months.
“I’ve known Curt for 13 years, and I know that every decision he makes, he always makes with the interests of the unit, Soldiers, and their families at the forefront,” Phillips said.
Phillips also expressed his excitement about taking the reins of a unit like the 4th PSYOP Group.
“I look forward to the challenges of command and opportunities that lay ahead for the 4th PSYOP Group as we continue to provide the best possible PSYOP support for the war fighters deployed around the globe.”
After the ceremony, Phillips and his family stood to the side of the parade field as a long line of Soldiers, civilians, and family members welcomed him back to the unit, and Fort Bragg.
“Since Sep. 11, 2001, we’ve realized that we can’t kill or capture every possible terrorist or insurgent out there through direct action alone," he said when asked how he might describe the mission of PSYOP to someone who had never heard of it before. "What PSYOP aims to do is to reach out and talk to that borderline populace, someone that might be frustrated and thinking about trying to solve problems through violence. We’re using leaflets, radio broadcasts, online content, face to face interactions, and other things like posters to help steer people away from violent extremism.”
Phillips plans on continuing the developments started by Col. Boyd, including restructuring the battalions into a more modular force. He also looks forward to following in Boyd’s footsteps by leading the Joint Psychological Operations Task Force downrange.
--usasoc--