This new PSYOP recruitment video will blow your mind

Ghosts in the machine manipulate the emotions of foreign audiences and threats. That’s on full display in the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) second episode of the Psychological Operations Recruiting Series (PSYOP) on YouTube, titled “Ghosts in the Machine.”

The video was quietly released Thursday morning, combining stories of influence on PSYOP’s recruitment efforts. Some may find the footage “disturbing,” as the AP called it, as the viewer moves from a powerful quote about rising up to scenes representing oppressors and those fighting to free the oppressed.

Some may even think it is a psychological operation (PSYOP). Aaron Schmidt, a PSYOP reservist and information professional, said the actual definitions of PSYOP, propaganda and disinformation are simple but often confused.

“It’s become part of this cultural lexicon that we’ve just started saying the same thing as propaganda and disinformation, without understanding what those terms mean,” Schmidt said. “We’ve just become part of this informal lexicon, and they’ve lost their meaning.”

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Schmidt points to the definition of influence as it relates to PSYOP: “to change the opinions and ultimately the behavior of threat actors and foreign audiences.” The video is not and is nothing more than a powerful recruitment video.

Images of the Ghost Army’s symbolism are interwoven throughout the video, with multiple hints at PSYOP’s lineage. The Ghost Army recently received the Congressional Gold Medal for their actions deceiving the enemy during World War II. Schmidt says it’s important to stay true to their unit’s heritage and pay tribute to them.

He gave General George Patton’s fake army as an example, an operation the Ghost Army carried out to successfully distract enemy forces and increase the chances of an invasion of Normandy.

“That is the origin of that symbolism and of our field itself. If we go back to the definition of influencing a threat’s behavior, that was the intent behind creating fake signatures, information and deceptive activities, all in support of diverting attention from the main effort in Normandy,” Schmidt said . “When you have such a rich and deep history as a unit, we are very proud of where our heritage comes from.”

The fake army is an example of the symbolism in the video. Invisible hands manipulate people’s emotions from behind the curtains, as seen in the latest recruitment videos. Anyone aware of current world affairs will notice the Chinese money, the oppressors, and the symbolism of liberating the oppressed as they watch.

Schmidt said that once you understand the definitions of information, influence and other aspects of the PSYOP job, you can see that the video is an example of someone who is very good at his job while also passing on the history and importance of information .

“If that happens because of this information – these videos are there, and in the consciousness, it can only be a victory, not only for the recruitment of special operations – who scream at them – but also for us as consumers of information and citizens of the world,” says Schmidt.

To learn more about the process of becoming what Schmidt calls a “PSYOPer,” you’ll want to read about the training a soldier must complete to join the spirits.

Now we at Task & Purpose are starting to think there’s a newcomer on the block that has dethroned the Marine Corps and their recruitment ads.

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