4th Military Information Support Group

The 4th Military Information Support Group (Airborne) or 4th MISG (A) (formerly the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) (4th PSYOP Group (A) or 4th POG)) is one of the United States Army's active military information support operations units alongside with the 8th Military Information Support Group, which was activated August 26, 2011 at Fort Bragg. The 8th Group will assume responsibility for the 1st, 5th and 9th Military Information Support Battalions. The 4th Group will retain responsibility for the 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions, with a total of about 800 soldiers.^[1]

On 21 June 2010, an announcement was made that the military intends to rename psychological operations, or PSYOP, to Military Information Support Operations. The decision, made a few days earlier by Admiral Eric Olson, Commander, United States Special Operations Command and Army's Chief of Staff General George Casey, was propagated through a memo dated June 23, 2010.^[2]

The unit is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and is a part of the United States Army Special Operations Command. The 4th POG was constituted November 7, 1967 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Psychological Operations Group. Activated December 1, 1967 in Vietnam. Inactivated October 2, 1971 at Fort Lewis, Washington. Activated September 13, 1972 at Fort Bragg.^[3]

Campaign participation credits

Vietnam

• Counteroffensive, Phase III
• Tet Counteroffensive
• Counteroffensive, Phase IV
• Counteroffensive, Phase V
• Counteroffensive, Phase VI
• Tet 69/Counteroffensive
• Summer-Fall 1969
• Winter-Spring 1970
• Sanctuary Counteroffensive
• Counteroffensive, Phase VII
• Consolidation I

Armed Forces Expeditions

• Grenada
• Somalia
• Haiti
• Panama

Southwest Asia

• Defense of Saudi Arabia;
• Liberation and Defense of Kuwait

Organization

4th MISG currently consists of a Headquarters Company, three Regional Military Information Support Battalions (or MISBs), and one Media Dissemination Battalion. The three Regional Military Information Support Battalions are regionally oriented and support the Regional Combatant Commands in the planning and production of MISO programs:

3rd Military Information Support Bn (A)

The 3rd MIS Battalion is the Media Dissemination Battalion for the 4th MISG. It is responsible for all radio, television, digital-audio-visual and print assets for developing MISO products such as leaflets, posters, handbills, newspapers, radio and television broadcasts.

• Constituted 20 April 1995 in the Regular Army as the 3d Psychological Operations Battalion.
• Activated 16 November 1995 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with personnel from the Psychological Operations Dissemination Battalion (Provisional) (organized 11 July 1990 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina).

6th Military Information Support Bn (A) – United States European Command (EUCOM)

• Constituted 20 October 1965 in the Regular Army as the 6th Psychological Operations Battalion
• Activated 1 November 1965 in Vietnam
• Inactivated 30 June 1971 in Vietnam
• Activated 13 September 1972 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
• Reorganized and redesignated 16 March 1990 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 6th Psychological Operations Battalion
• Reorganized and redesignated 16 November 1995 as Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company, 6th Psychological Operations Battalion (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated with personnel from provisional units)

7th Military Information Support Bn (A) – United States Africa Command (AFRICOM)

• Constituted 23 December 1943 in the Regular Army as the 3rd Mobile Radio Broadcast Company
• Activated 29 December 1943 at Camp Ritchie, Maryland
• Inactivated 27 April 1946 at Verdun, France
• Reorganized and redesignated 16 October 2010 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 51st Psychological Operations Battalion
• Redesignated 16 March 2011 as Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company, 7th Psychological Operations Battalion (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated with personnel from provisional units)
• Activates at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on 18 October 2011 [1]

8th Military Information Support Bn (A) – United States Central Command (CENTCOM)

• Constituted 7 November 1967 in the Regular Army as the 8th Psychological Operations Battalion
• Activated 1 December 1967 in Vietnam
• Inactivated 27 June 1971 at Fort Lewis, Washington
• Activated 13 September 1972 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
• Reorganized and redesignated 16 March 1990 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 8th Psychological Operations Battalion
• Reorganized and redesignated 16 November 1995 as Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company, 8th Psychological Operations Battalion (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated with personnel from provisional units)
• In 1996, 8th POB's B Company (with a PACOM area of operations) was split-off from the 8th POB and designated PACOM Battalion (A); PACOM Bn. later formed the nucleus of 5th PSYOP Battalion when it was reactivated in 2003.

Notable Members

• CSM Patricia Lee Frost, one of the few female Command Sergeant Majors to be a part of Psychological Operations. Since her retirement in 1999 there haven't been any other female Command Sergeant Majors in Psychological Operations.
• Master Sgt. Jamal H. Bowers, 41, of Newark, N. J. died March 18 at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, Africa, in a noncombat incident. He was assigned to the 6th Military Information Support Battalion, 4th Military Information Support Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.^[4]

See also

• Psychological Operations (United States)

References

External links

• 4th Military Information Support Group (Airborne) – Official Site