The U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) is the headquarters for Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations units - Of U.S. Army CAPOC (Airborne) approximate 9,000 soldiers, about 83 percent are in the Reserve component and are located in 26 states and the District of Columbia.

The command has one active duty Psychological Operations unit, the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), with five battalions; and one active duty Civil Affairs unit, the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), with six companies. Both units are located at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

USACAPOC(A), also headquartered at Fort Bragg, is one of four major commands comprising the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. USACAPOC(A) soldiers maintain the highest standards of training and physical readiness in order to be prepared to deploy anywhere in the world on short notice.

Although Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations activities often complement each other, each battle system operates individually in support of field commanders.

Civil Affairs soldiers are the field commander's link to the civil authorities in his area of operation. With specialists in every area of the government, they can assist a host government meet its people's needs and maintain a stable and viable civil administration.

Civil Affairs soldiers possess unique training, skills and experience. Since the majority of the Civil Affair forces are in the Reserve component, these soldiers bring to the Army finely honed skills practiced daily in the civilian sector as judges, physicians, bankers, health inspectors, fire chiefs, etc.

Psychological Operations soldiers use persuasion to influence perceptions and encourage desired behavior. The cornerstone of PSYOPS is truth, credibly presented to convince a given audience to cease resistance or take actions favorable to friendly forces. During Desert Storm, the effective use of PSYOPS was a combat multiplier that directly contributed to the surrender of thousands of Iraqi soldiers. It is clear its effectiveness saved countless coalition and Iraqi lives.

Psychological Operations units also have soldiers with unique skills. These soldiers are communicators who provide the commander with the ability to communicate information to large audiences via radio, television, leaflets and loudspeakers. The PSYOPS soldier's language skills, regional orientation and knowledge of communication media provide a means of delivering critical information to host-nation audiences.

USACAPOC(A) units provide support to all theater commanders in meeting their global commitments. USACAPOC(A) soldiers have contributed significantly to recent humanitarian missions. They assisted victims of Hurricane Andrew in Florida, coordinated refuge for Cubans and Haitians in Cuba, and were among the first soldiers sent to Somalia and Haiti. Unique training, experience and the abilities of USACAPOC(A)'s soldiers make them an ideal asset in dealing with national priorities.

Gunnery Network - SOF