Phil Taylor's papers
|
BACK TO : PSYOPS IN IRAQ 2003-6
1st Armored Division PSYOP Team Makes Connections with Local Communities by C D Wilkerson 
BAGHDAD, Iraq -U.S. Army Psychological Operations teams are hitting Baghdad's streets with information to combat fear and misinformation being spread by the enemies. Soldiers from the 315th Psychological Operations Unit from San Jose, Calif., part of Task Force 1st Armored Division, are pushing out into the communities and meeting with residents to ensure that the Iraq people hear and see the truth about what is happening in their country. "Today, we went out and distributed copies of 'Baghdad Now' and the new 'Next Generation' posters," said Maj. John A. Grench, PSYOP operations officer for 1st Armored Division. "It is important to inform the Iraqi people of the coalition forces' intentions and what we are doing by distributing informative products and through face-to-face communication." "Baghdad Now," published every two weeks, tells residents about events and provides news about their neighborhoods. It is written in Arabic and English by Iraqi journalists and also contains news from the neighborhoods' military leaders. The paper highlights the accomplishments of coalition and Iraqi community members in the rebuilding of the country, said Grench. PSYOP's newest communication tools are the "Next Generation" posters. The "Next Generation" posters show representatives from the new Iraqi security forces: Iraqi Police Services, Force Protection Services, Iraqi Civil Defense Corps and the New Iraqi Army. Grench and his team hang the posters in local shops and businesses hoping Iraqis see that they are as much a part of the security of their nation as the Coalition, he said. PSYOP use the posters and newspapers as tools to break the language barriers and quickly spread vital, accurate information to the Iraqi public, but, Grench said, nothing is quite like personal contact. "'Building bridges' is one of the primary goals for PSYOP," he said. "By talking to people and gaining perspective in a local area, it allows us to build a picture of the overall perception in a region. After identifying the problems, concerns and misinformation, we can come back and begin to address it." Even with much misinformation being spread throughout Iraqi communities, Grench said that the overall attitude of Iraqis toward coalition personnel is very positive. "Most feel good about U.S. forces," he said. "There is only a small percentage out there who are somewhat put off by Soldiers, but that is mainly because they do not know how to react to us. Those people have had very little contact with U.S. forces and quickly latch onto anything they hear because they do not know the truth. That is why we are here - to make sure they hear the whole truth." With a circulation of more than 750,000 copies, "Baghdad Now" is reaching more Iraqis now than ever before. Distribution of the papers keeps PSYOP forces busy in the streets of the city but also allows them time to make contact with the people and learn about them. "I was happy to participate in the liberation of Iraq and now I am happy to participate in its rebuilding," Grench said. "If there is one thing I have learned, it is these people are no different from our own people. We have the same problems, troubles, worries and fears. Over time, with our facilitation, they will learn to help themselves and take advantages of the opportunities they have never had before." |