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Airman Scholar Sp05-1.indd - United States Air Force Academy

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Bibliography<br />

Calkins, Raymond. The Morality of the <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Force</strong> <strong>Academy</strong><br />

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Kansas: 1968.<br />

Earley, Pete. “Family of Spies: The John Walker Jr. Spy Case.”<br />

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of National Security. .<br />

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Military Review, Jan/Feb 98, Vol. 78, Issue<br />

1. EBSCOHost Searchable Database. 18 Oct 2003.<br />

30<br />

“MIND OVER MATTER: THE CASE FOR DECEN-<br />

TRALIZING PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS<br />

(PSYOP) IN MODERN WARFARE”<br />

BY<br />

C1C KRISTEN L. FAGEN<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

Statement of Research Question<br />

“There are but two powers in the world, the sword<br />

and the mind. In the long run the sword is always beaten by<br />

the mind,” stated Napoleon Bonaparte, describing the power<br />

of the mind in battle over the physical aspects of war. 1 Psychological<br />

warfare involves the use of mental persuasion in<br />

manipulating the enemy to give in to military objectives without<br />

the use of weapons or destruction. Psychological operations<br />

(PSYOP) have been utilized in military conflict since the<br />

beginning of warfare. The importance of PSYOP is evident<br />

in the writings of Sun Tzu and documented in the military<br />

theory and doctrine of such historic figures as Clausewitz and<br />

Napoleon. PSYOP have been officially utilized under organized<br />

commands in the U.S. military since World War I and<br />

is likely to play an ever increasing role in military operations<br />

into the future. 2<br />

The organization and use of PSYOP in the U.S.<br />

military has been inconsistent throughout the last century as<br />

a result of the fluctuating requirements for PSYOP in different<br />

conflicts and varying combat situations. This leads to my<br />

thesis question: “Has the U.S. military developed the optimum<br />

organizational potential for the delivery of psychological<br />

operations in an era of expanding contingency operations?”<br />

This question demands an examination of current U.S. military<br />

PSYOP organization and of the roles PSYOP play in<br />

military operations. In addition, the need for better PSYOP<br />

organization and defined PSYOP roles will be analyzed and<br />

our present PSYOP capabilities will be determined. This<br />

paper will evaluate how well the U.S. is prepared to utilize<br />

PSYOP in the future. On the basis of this analysis, recommendations<br />

will be offered on ways to improve the conduct<br />

and organization of PSYOP. Sophisticated and well-organized<br />

PSYOP are critical to a modern U.S. military that is prepared<br />

to fight the wars of the twenty-first century.<br />

Background and Significance of the Problem<br />

PSYOP has the potential to play a vast role as a force<br />

multiplier and a combat reducer in the post-Cold War era. 3<br />

PSYOP allow a military force to mentally counteract and<br />

overcome the enemy with limited manpower, limited physical<br />

fighting, and limited carnage. Serving as a force multiplier,<br />

PSYOP expands force capability without the need for more<br />

personnel. Also, PSYOP reduces the need for combat since<br />

the enemy can be persuaded to surrender without physically

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