US Army’s Secret Mind-Control Unit Releases Chilling Recruitment Video
A secretive US military psychological operations unit has released a cryptic recruitment video featuring unsettling imagery and the ominous tagline “We are everywhere.” The 4th Psychological Operations-Airborne (4th PSYOP) based at Fort Bragg specializes in influence warfare using words as weapons.
Key Takeaways
- 4th PSYOP unit released viral recruitment video with “We are everywhere” tagline
- Specializes in psychological operations to influence enemy behavior
- Training involves 10-day assessment plus 41-week qualification course
- Unit references WWII “Ghost Army” deception tactics
Cryptic Video Imagery
The video opens with a burning 1980s CRT television showing the dancing ghost from Fleischer Studios’ 1930 cartoon ‘Swing You Sinners!’ It quickly transitions to dark forests with falling leaflets, soldiers among civilians, and WWII-era bombers dropping pamphlets.
A narrator states: ‘There’s another force applied in combat that we generally don’t think of as a weapon of war. That weapon is words.’ The gravel-voiced warning repeats: ‘We are everywhere. Words are our weapon.’
Psychological Warfare Techniques
The video showcases various PSYOP methods including Arabic-script leaflets, tanks with loudspeakers blasting distorted messages, and multi-lingual dashboards tracking sentiment. A brief animated segment shows a quill turning into a dagger, symbolizing the power of psychological operations.
The unit conducts ‘influence activities to target psychological vulnerabilities and create or intensify fissures, confusion, and doubt in adversary organizations.’ Their official website states they use ‘all available means of dissemination – from sensitive and high tech to low-tech, to no-tech, and methods from overt, to clandestine, to deception.’
Historical Connections
The video includes nods to the WWII ‘Ghost Army’ – the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops that used inflatable tanks, fake radio traffic, and sound effects to deceive German forces. Their deception efforts saved thousands of lives and remained classified for decades.
Rigorous Training Requirements
Soldiers seeking to join PSYOP endure a demanding 10-day assessment focusing on physical fitness, mental resilience, critical thinking, and communication skills. Master Sgt. Mathews explained they seek soldiers ‘adept at conducting research to understand target audiences’ and who can ‘use critical thinking to determine the best methods and arguments to influence.’
Candidates who pass the initial assessment proceed to a 41-week Psychological Operations Qualification Course studying human psychology, sociology, cultural dynamics, and ethical considerations of influence operations.
