1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,600 Welcome back to The Deep Dive, the place where we take stacks 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,520 of declassified documents, policy papers, and obscure 3 00:00:05,520 --> 00:00:08,760 research and turn them into instant knowledge for you, the 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:10,480 learner. Today, we're embarking on a 5 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:14,560 mission that is less about bombs and bullets and much more about 6 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,760 beliefs and behavior. We are opening a really unique 7 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:21,960 window into the US military structure of the late 1990s. 8 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,240 A very specific time, right? Exactly. 9 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,040 This is a time when the global information landscape was 10 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,760 changing fast. But, you know, before the 11 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:32,840 massive shifts of the early 2000s came along and completely 12 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:34,840 altered warfare. That's right, our source 13 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,760 material today is a document that, well, until recently, was 14 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,640 strictly for official eyes only. It's a huge 330 page training 15 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:43,320 manual. And we got it through a Freedom 16 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:48,240 of Information Act FOIA request. Specifically, case number 16, F 17 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,480 1727, coming from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint 18 00:00:51,480 --> 00:00:53,080 Staff. The document itself is 19 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:59,000 identified as CJCSM 3500.08 and it's dated May 26th, 1999. 20 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:00,680 It served a very specific, specific purpose. 21 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:02,800 It was the official training curriculum for the Joint 22 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:07,320 Psychological Operations Task Force Headquarters or JPOTFHQ. 23 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:09,840 So this isn't some high level policy paper, this is the 24 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:11,080 blueprint. It's the blueprint. 25 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:13,320 It's how the people running influence campaigns were 26 00:01:13,320 --> 00:01:15,880 actually organized and, you know, educated. 27 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:18,600 And here's the crucial historical context that makes 28 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:22,120 this manual so valuable. I think it's a real snapshot in 29 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:23,960 time. The records confirm that this 30 00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:27,640 document was formally cancelled on January 26, 2004. 31 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,040 And very notably, it was not replaced. 32 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:32,120 Not replaced. So we're looking at the final 33 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,480 comprehensive doctrine that the Joint Staff used right before 34 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,680 the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq came and completely redefined 35 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,480 information operations. So our mission today is to move 36 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,360 past all the acronyms and really examine this blueprint in 37 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:47,520 detail. We want to show you exactly how 38 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:51,000 the Department of Defense trained its people to plan, 39 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:53,920 execute, and assess psychological operations, or 40 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:57,880 PSYOP, in a joint environment. And this manual really reveals 41 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:00,960 the specific variables, the metrics, and the whole 42 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,960 institutional mindset they needed for planning these huge 43 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,040 influence operations at the turn of the Millennium. 44 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,800 We're diving into this institutional attempt to 45 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:12,400 standardize and really to quantify the highly subjective 46 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,960 world of human psychology, foreign politics, and global 47 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:17,760 culture. We're asking the big question, 48 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,840 How did the US military conceptualize and measure the 49 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,920 human environment for these large scale campaigns? 50 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,680 So let's start with the basics. OK, let's unpack this. 51 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:32,440 What exactly are psychological operations PSYOP as defined in 52 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:34,160 this manual? Well, the manual gives a very 53 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,840 clinical definition. It says PSYOP are planned 54 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,040 operations to convey selected information and indicators to 55 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:43,000 foreign audiences. Selected information so very 56 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,480 deliberate. Extremely, the goal is precise 57 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,360 to influence their emotions, their motives, their objective 58 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,120 reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of foreign governments, 59 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,720 organizations, groups, and of course, individuals. 60 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:55,560 So the purpose isn't just to what? 61 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:57,400 Send out a press release. No, not at all. 62 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,720 It's to induce or reinforce attitudes and behaviors that are 63 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,240 favorable to whatever your objective is, whether that's 64 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,680 military or political. That sounds like a really 65 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,080 sophisticated effort to, I guess engineer consensus or 66 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,720 compliance. But if the goal is favorable 67 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:16,920 behavior, does the manual distinguish between, say, grand 68 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:20,360 long term policy goals and immediate battlefield support? 69 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,440 It absolutely does. The manual carefully separates 70 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:27,840 the concept into two key echelons, strategic PSYOP and 71 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,200 tactical psyop. OK, what's the difference? 72 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,040 Strategic psychological activities are planned and 73 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,680 executed in peacetime as well as during conflict. 74 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:38,800 Their objectives are broad. They're aiming to gain the 75 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:40,960 support of friendly and neutral countries. 76 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:43,120 While at the same time undermining the enemy. 77 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,240 Exactly, and reducing the will and the capacity of hostile 78 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,960 countries to wage war. Strategic psyop aligns directly 79 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:51,800 with long term US National Security. 80 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,000 Objectives so strategic is that high level messaging like 81 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,680 gaining long term regional allies or I don't know, 82 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,080 undercutting the political legitimacy of a rival power? 83 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:02,680 That's it exactly. It operates on a global or 84 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:05,880 theater wide scale. It often involves these overt 85 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,920 peacetime programs. Multinational coordination. 86 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,160 Tactical psyop, on the other hand, is conducted in a specific 87 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:15,760 area assigned to a tactical commander during conflict. 88 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,000 And its objective is immediate and localized. 89 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,160 Precisely. Tactical PSYOP directly supports 90 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,600 the mission against opposing forces in a a geographically 91 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:26,680 confined space. So we're talking about things 92 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,520 like loudspeaker broadcasts or quick leaflet drops. 93 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,920 Right, Things aimed at disrupting enemy troop morale, 94 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:36,120 encouraging surrender, or maybe enforcing A curfew. 95 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:38,840 The timeline and the scope are just completely different from 96 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:41,320 their strategic cousins. That gives us the scope. 97 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:44,200 OK, now let's place this in the broader context. 98 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,640 The manual always frames PSYOP not as a standalone thing, but 99 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:51,920 as a major player within this larger information operations 100 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:53,680 ecosystem. What's that framework? 101 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:57,600 Information Operations or IO is defined as actions taken to. 102 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,520 It's like adversary information and information systems. 103 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:02,400 While at the same time defending your own. 104 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,400 Right, while simultaneously defending friendly information 105 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,760 and systems. It's a battle over data and 106 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:10,160 perception. The manual stresses that IO 107 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,400 requires this close, continuous integration of offense and 108 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,760 defense, all backed by effective command and control and good 109 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,000 intelligence. And PSYOP is just one of the 110 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,960 tools in that IO toolkit. It's listed as a major player 111 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:25,520 alongside things like OPSEC, military deception, electronic 112 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:29,600 warfare or EW, and even physical attack and Destruction, what we 113 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:31,320 now call computer network attack. 114 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:35,560 So IO is the total toolkit for information dominance, where a 115 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,960 physical attack, a bombing might be used specifically to 116 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,800 reinforce a PSYOP message. That link seems crucial. 117 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,760 It is the ultimate synergy and the manual really drives that 118 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,720 home when it talks about command and control warfare or C2 W. 119 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:52,240 OK with C2 WC? 2 W is the integrated use of all 120 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:53,560 those disciplines we just mentioned. 121 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:58,560 OPSC, Deception, PSYOPEW, and Physical Destruction all bundled 122 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,600 together. The goal of C2 W is specifically 123 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,400 to deny information to the adversary to influence them. 124 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:06,920 That's psyop. Degrade their capabilities or 125 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:08,840 just outright destroy their command and control. 126 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:12,000 So the key insight here is that PSYOP isn't treated as some 127 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:13,960 optional window dressing. Not at all. 128 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:17,000 It's a force multiplier. It only succeeds when it's fully 129 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,360 integrated with physical destruction and electronic 130 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:20,760 warfare. That's spot on. 131 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,120 The planning has to be interwoven from the start. 132 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,680 I mean, if you're going to bomb a critical communications node, 133 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,880 the PSYOP team needs to be ready with a message explaining why 134 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,960 that node was targeted and what the consequences are for the 135 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:37,160 enemy's command structure. Beyond pure information warfare, 136 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:41,120 the manual also emphasizes these these mutual support roles, 137 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:44,760 showing how PSYOP links to other non lethal missions. 138 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:47,800 Let's start with Civil Affairs or CA. 139 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,840 Civil affairs in PSYOP are described as explicitly mutually 140 00:06:51,840 --> 00:06:54,080 supportive. CA activities are focused on 141 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,880 managing the civil component of the operational environment. 142 00:06:56,880 --> 00:06:59,640 So things like population control, getting local support, 143 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:01,520 stabilizing governments after a conflict. 144 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,040 Exactly, and the psyop role there is. 145 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:07,000 To market the success. It's to market the success. 146 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,960 PSYOP publicizes the successes of those civil military 147 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:14,040 operations. If the CA team rebuilds a bridge 148 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:17,600 or delivers medical aid, the PSYOP team make sure the local 149 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,080 population knows all about the benevolence and the 150 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:21,880 effectiveness of the US presence. 151 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:24,280 It's like a positive feedback loop for stabilization. 152 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:29,080 OK, Next up, counter proliferation or CP that deals 153 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:30,960 with weapons of mass destruction? 154 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,680 Right. CP actions are aimed at seizing, 155 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:37,200 destroying, rendering safe, or recovering WMD. 156 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:41,240 This is a highly specialized, very dangerous mission, usually 157 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,240 for special operations forces. And PSYOP supports those 158 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:45,760 missions. The manual confirms it. 159 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:49,400 PSYOP supports CP actions just like it would a special 160 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:51,240 reconnaissance or a direct action mission. 161 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,320 This could involve preparing the local population for a high risk 162 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:57,640 operation, managing the story around a WMD seizure. 163 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,280 Or even sending messages to convince guards to defect. 164 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,040 Or to cooperate absolutely. And finally, foreign internal 165 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:06,720 defense or FID. FID involves programs where US 166 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:09,640 civilian and military military agencies help a foreign 167 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:14,480 government protect its society from subversion, lawlessness and 168 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,960 insurgency. When a host nation is 169 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,120 struggling, the US provides assistance. 170 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:23,120 And psyop helps how? The manual confirms PSYOP can 171 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:26,080 maximize these FID efforts through information products 172 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:28,880 that support the host nation's welfare and security programs. 173 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:32,200 It strengthens the legitimate government's message against the 174 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:34,679 insurgents. This detailed doctrine required 175 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:37,400 specialized units across the entire military. 176 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:39,200 And this is where it gets really interesting for me. 177 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:43,679 How did the different services, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines 178 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:46,640 organize and specialize to carry this all out? 179 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,800 Section 6 of the manual provides A fascinating look at that, 180 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:52,880 showing both centralization and specialization. 181 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,520 Let's start with the US Army, which has the largest footprint 182 00:08:55,520 --> 00:08:57,280 here. The Army maintains the bulk of 183 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:00,800 the forces for PSYOP. They're organized under the US 184 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:03,280 Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations 185 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:05,400 Command, USA Kapok at Fort Bragg. 186 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:07,720 It has both active component forces. 187 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,320 Like the 4th psyop. Group right with its regionally 188 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,200 focused battalions and also the crucial reserve component. 189 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:16,640 And the reliance on the Army Reserve is a huge take away 190 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:18,800 here. It's institutionalized reliance. 191 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:23,000 The majority of the Army's PSYOP forces reside in the Army 192 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:24,680 Reserve. This means that during 193 00:09:24,680 --> 00:09:28,000 peacetime, reserve personnel are actively participating with 194 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,600 active component personnel in planning and training. 195 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,200 So they're essential for regional conflicts or 196 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,040 contingency planning. Essential and for executing 197 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:41,280 overt peacetime PSYOP programs, this structure acknowledges that 198 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:45,000 influence operations require unique, often highly specialized 199 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,840 linguistic and cultural skills that you just don't always find 200 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:51,560 in the act of military. So the reserve component is like 201 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,000 the deep bench of civilian experts. 202 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,200 That's a great way to put it. It's a recognition that 203 00:09:56,200 --> 00:10:00,120 influence operations require skills, cultural, linguistic, 204 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:02,840 media production that the active component just couldn't 205 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:05,960 economically maintain 24/7 at the scale needed. 206 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,720 So the military basically made a doctrinal decision that the 207 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,720 scale of global influence OPS couldn't be sustained by the 208 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:14,720 active force alone. They needed reservists with 209 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:17,000 their civilian world expertise. That's it exactly. 210 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,920 OK, shifting to the US Navy, you don't usually picture sailors 211 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:23,240 dropping leaflets. What was their unique 212 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:25,880 contribution? The Navis contribution is 213 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:29,520 focused heavily on enabling rapid, high quality media 214 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:33,760 production at sea, at sea, at sea and intelligence support. 215 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,880 They have assets to develop and process high quality products 216 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:39,360 like posters and documents while they're afloat, which is 217 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:41,120 essential for maritime operations. 218 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:44,360 They can also transmit layouts electronically to other ships 219 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:46,080 for production. So they don't have to rely on 220 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:48,320 fixed land bases. It solves a huge logistics 221 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:50,480 problem. It does, but critically, the 222 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,480 Naval Intelligence Community also has extensive language 223 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:55,280 capabilities among native speakers. 224 00:10:55,560 --> 00:10:58,640 They cover languages from the Middle East, Asia, Europe. 225 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:02,360 They are vital for generating credible, culturally accurate 226 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:04,480 audio visual products. So they're the forward 227 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:06,520 intelligence and rapid production asset. 228 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:10,440 What about the US Air Force? The USAF contribution leverages 229 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:12,920 its vast fleet and its kinetic capability. 230 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:16,720 The manual states that nearly all USAF aircraft can conduct 231 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,160 various PSYOP missions. But the specialized assets are 232 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,160 the C one 30s. The conventional C130 and the 233 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:27,800 MC130P combat shadow right? They are specifically configured 234 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:31,240 for mass leaflet dropping. But the manual also highlights a 235 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:33,920 darker synergy with strike aircraft. 236 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:36,560 This is that kinetic, non kinetic integration we talked 237 00:11:36,560 --> 00:11:38,480 about. Strike aircraft can be used to 238 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:42,960 drop leaflet bombs on targets, but more profoundly, they can 239 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:46,200 conduct attack missions that are specifically designed to 240 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:50,000 dramatically reinforce a broadcast or a leaflet message. 241 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:52,840 So using physical destruction as part of the informational 242 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:54,800 strategy. Yes, ensuring the target 243 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:57,680 audience understands the gravity and the finality of the message. 244 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:01,400 It's a chillingly effective linkage, using the power of a 245 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:03,640 bomb to under score a piece of information. 246 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:05,760 And finally, the US Marine Corps. 247 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,880 The Marine's role is focused on observable actions designed to 248 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:11,680 convey selected impressions. They execute aerial and 249 00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:14,240 artillery leaflet dissemination similar to the Army and Air 250 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:16,440 Force. But they also emphasize combat 251 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:18,200 camera documentation. Why that? 252 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:20,920 Because the Marine Corps often operates in these highly 253 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:24,880 tactical small unit environments where verifiable documentation, 254 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:28,240 proof of friendly presence, proof of enemy actions is 255 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:31,120 immediately needed to shape the narrative on the ground, they 256 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:33,960 are geared toward immediate visual communication in a 257 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:36,840 contested space. So if the whole definition of 258 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:41,040 PSYOP requires this complex integration across services, the 259 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:44,320 next question is how do you train thousands of people to 260 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,960 speak this singular language of influence and operate as one 261 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:50,200 unit? Which brings us to Section 2, 262 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:53,680 the training architecture. This section really details how 263 00:12:53,680 --> 00:12:57,080 the JPOTFHQ gets smart. They institutionalized the 264 00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,120 training. It's categorized into 265 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:01,920 Individual, which is often computer based, and Collective, 266 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:04,360 which builds on that and is derived from the command's 267 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:07,160 mission essential task list. And collective joint training 268 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:10,160 needs realistic scenarios and pretty resource intensive tools. 269 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:12,680 Let's look at the resource spectrum in the manual, starting 270 00:13:12,680 --> 00:13:16,320 with the biggest one, Joint Readiness Exercises, or JRXS. 271 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:20,120 JRXS are the absolute pinnacle of large scale training. 272 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:23,680 They're so resource intensive because they require the 273 00:13:23,680 --> 00:13:26,360 assembly, support and transportation of massive 274 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:28,920 numbers of forces from all the different services over 275 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:30,400 realistic distances. So. 276 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:33,080 They're basically simulating an actual war, which requires a 277 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:35,040 massive logistical effort. They are. 278 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:38,640 They focus on large scale combat and non combat joint operations, 279 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:40,520 building teamwork and interoperability. 280 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:44,680 It demands detailed scenario injects, coordinating opposing 281 00:13:44,680 --> 00:13:48,280 forces, deconflicting air, sea and land space. 282 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:50,960 It's huge. The manual also mentions field 283 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,920 training exercises or FT XS. How are they different? 284 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:56,520 FT XS are still performed in the field under simulated 285 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:58,760 operational conditions, but with a tighter focus. 286 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,280 They concentrate on tasks at the tactical level, exercising joint 287 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:05,200 tactics and procedures. The primary audience is the 288 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:08,160 JPOTF staff itself, so it's a full rehearsal without 289 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:09,800 involving, you know, every single battalion. 290 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:12,840 And then there's a specific stress test exercise, the no 291 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:15,640 Notice interoperability exercise, or NIEX. 292 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:19,000 The NEX program is a critical piece here, sponsored by the 293 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:20,560 chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 294 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:24,560 You could think of it as the pre 911 equivalent of a fire drill 295 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:27,440 for a global crisis. The fire drill, Yeah, it 296 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:30,600 specifically examines strategic interoperability issues and 297 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:34,120 focuses on solving problems with command and control in a time 298 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:36,440 sensitive crisis. So it tests the military's 299 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:39,560 ability to pivot fast and act strategically without delay, 300 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:43,160 involving interagency, joint staff and tactical elements all 301 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:45,480 at once. It's about practicing for the 302 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:47,600 chaos of the unexpected. Precisely. 303 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:51,160 But as you can imagine, staging massive live exercises like 304 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:54,120 JRX's is extremely expensive and complicated. 305 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:58,000 This led the Joint Staff to rely heavily on a high quality, cost 306 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:01,480 effective alternative, the World of War Fighting simulations or 307 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,080 computer assisted exercises. CAX. 308 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:05,840 Tell us about the purpose of CAX. 309 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,240 CIX are really fundamental for staff training. 310 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:10,680 They use computers and analytical models to present 311 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:13,800 scenarios, simulate conditions a decision making, and then 312 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:15,800 portray the results of friendly actions. 313 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,840 They let a headquarters rehearse A wartime mission using real 314 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:22,080 world data, all while minimizing the cost of moving actual 315 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,360 forces. The complexity though, must be 316 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:27,640 getting all the different services simulations to talk to 317 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:29,520 each other in the same digital battlefield. 318 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,200 Which brings us to something called the Aggregate Level 319 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:37,160 Simulation Protocol, or ALSP. ALSP is essentially the digital 320 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,440 translator for the US military's war games. 321 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:42,440 It's a set of conventions and protocols that ensures the 322 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,400 interoperability of all these different simulation models. 323 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:48,280 So the Army simulation can interact with the Air Forces 324 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:49,440 simulation. Exactly. 325 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:52,120 It permits otherwise incompatible simulations to work 326 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:56,600 together as a single integrated whole without ALSPA decision 327 00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:00,000 made by an Army staff in one simulation might not translate 328 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,840 correctly to the air assets in the Air Force's system. 329 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:05,400 It's all about flexibility and realism. 330 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,320 Let's run through the specific models that relied on ALSP in 331 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:11,720 this 1999 manual because they show how each service 332 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:13,680 contributed a piece to the training puzzle. 333 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:16,880 OK, first up is the Core Battle Simulation or CBS. 334 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:19,920 This is the designated U.S. Army combat model. 335 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:22,920 It covers ground, air, ground, ship, ground, even cruise 336 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:24,920 missile activities. And the manual as they were 337 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:27,440 trying to model more than just tanks and infantry. 338 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:29,320 They were. It explicitly says that 339 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,160 capabilities for modeling civil affairs and psychological 340 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:35,200 operations were actively being developed and integrated into 341 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:37,600 CBS at the time. So trying to figure out how to 342 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:41,840 model the effects of information campaigns inside the simulation. 343 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,120 Exactly. Then the Air Force's 344 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:47,600 contribution is the Air Warfare Simulation, or AWS. 345 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:49,680 This one does what it says on the tin. 346 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:52,840 It models air, ground air, air, ship, air, and cruise missile 347 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:55,760 activities. It's integration via ALSP is 348 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:57,960 critical. And the Navy's piece of this? 349 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:01,440 That's the Research Evaluation and Systems Analysis, or RESSA 350 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:03,640 model. This is the naval simulation, 351 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:06,040 and the manual says it was primarily used in major 352 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,280 exercises in places like Korea and Germany. 353 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:10,960 And then we have the specialized one, the Joint electronic 354 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:14,680 combat, Electronic Warfare Simulation or just CAC. 355 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,319 Jesse Desai provides the electronic warfare dimension. 356 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:20,680 Since Information Operations relies so heavily on denying and 357 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:23,839 degrading adversary systems, this simulation is vital. 358 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,839 The manual also notes that Jessie SI was being expanded to 359 00:17:26,839 --> 00:17:29,040 simulate other key elements of C2 W. 360 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:33,800 So linking EWOP second PSYOP effects inside the simulation. 361 00:17:34,120 --> 00:17:37,080 Right, it shows how integrated their training was becoming. 362 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:39,360 That is a complex digital battle space. 363 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:42,840 Beyond that main group of models, the manual lists a few 364 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:46,480 others for more flexibility. The first is the Joint Conflict 365 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:48,680 and Tactical simulations or JCATS. 366 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:52,640 Gay Cats is described as a multi sided interactive entry level 367 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:55,240 simulation. It was designed to be scalable. 368 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,560 Why is scalability so important for PSYOP training? 369 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:02,280 Because Jcats can be used for exercises across the entire 370 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,360 spectrum of war, including what they called military operations 371 00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:09,600 other than war or MOTW, peacekeeping, disaster relief, 372 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:13,040 stabilization, things like that. Which is where PSYOP operates 373 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:14,280 extensively. Exactly. 374 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,600 Jcats allows for dynamic aggregation and drawdown of 375 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:20,120 units during the game, so you can play at the JTF level with a 376 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:23,320 huge number of entities but fewer actual human players. 377 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:25,160 It's very efficient for training staff. 378 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,800 So JCAS is the flexible tool for complex stabilization missions? 379 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:32,160 What about analyzing bigger theater level strategy? 380 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:35,200 For that, they use the Joint Theater Level Simulation, or 381 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:39,200 JTLSJTLS is used primarily to analyze theater operational 382 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:41,280 plans. It's both an operation support 383 00:18:41,280 --> 00:18:43,960 tool and a force capability assessment tool. 384 00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:47,080 So it can assess the value of different mixes of forces or 385 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:48,840 resources before you commit them. 386 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:51,680 Right. And crucially for our topic, it 387 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,800 includes full intelligence and logistics modeling, and can 388 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:58,200 explicitly model the effects of special operations, which are 389 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,120 often the tip of the spear for tactical psyop. 390 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,600 The depth of this training architecture really shows the 391 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:07,040 institutional commitment to interoperability. 392 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:10,680 But rehearsal isn't enough. The military needs to know if 393 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:14,240 the JPOTF was effective. That brings us to Section 3, 394 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:18,080 measuring success, the after action review process. 395 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:21,360 And this section details a highly rigorous, structured 396 00:19:21,360 --> 00:19:24,240 evaluation process. It's designed to assess mission 397 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:27,520 capability and ensure data is collected against every single 398 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:29,680 training objective. It's all about removing 399 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:31,760 subjectivity from performance evaluation. 400 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:35,640 The AAR process is structured across 4 phases of the exercise 401 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:36,600 cycle. Let's outline. 402 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:39,160 That it begins with planning, which involves conferences and 403 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:41,760 analysis. Then comes preparation, which 404 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:44,520 includes document review, rehearsals and finalizing the 405 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,960 Collection Management Plan, or CMP, a vital document. 406 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:50,440 And then execution is the live exercise phase. 407 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,920 Right, that's when observers are deployed and it all culminates 408 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:55,960 in the AAR facilitated discussion. 409 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:00,040 Finally, the post exercise phase is capped by the commander's 410 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,560 summary report. And the central teaching tool 411 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:06,480 here is the Facilitated After Action Review, or FAAR. 412 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:09,480 This isn't just a critique, it's a specific style of teaching. 413 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:12,480 What's its objective? The objective is very 414 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:15,520 intentional to allow the training audience, the 415 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,640 participants themselves, to discover what happened during 416 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:21,360 the training and why. It's a discovery process. 417 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,040 So it's designed to promote problem solving from within the 418 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,760 staff rather than just having an instructor tell them what they 419 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:27,920 did wrong. Exactly. 420 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,520 It's a data-driven process where participants are guided to 421 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:33,880 identify their own failures and successes based on objective 422 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:35,720 metrics collected during the exercise. 423 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:38,880 Critical to its success is the accuracy of that data. 424 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,680 If the data is flawed, the learning is flawed. 425 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:45,520 And to keep it focused, FAI is normally planned to last about 426 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:48,920 two hours, concentrating on just four to seven major issues. 427 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:51,400 That's right, let's break down the Arkansas team structure 428 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:54,720 because it demonstrates this clear, almost forensic approach. 429 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:57,480 Who leads the charge? The team has three core 430 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:01,520 components, the facilitator, the analysts and the observers. 431 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:05,440 The facilitator is usually a senior officer reporting to the 432 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:09,200 joint exercise director. Their job is quality control. 433 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:12,720 Making sure data is collected for every objective and compared 434 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:14,200 against a predetermined standard. 435 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:16,360 Exactly. Then you have the analysts. 436 00:21:16,360 --> 00:21:18,680 They're the subject matter experts, the SM ES. 437 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:20,680 They are. They function as planners before 438 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:23,760 the exercise and then as joint task analysts during. 439 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,680 Their core responsibility is developing that vital collection 440 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:31,080 management plan, the CMP, which dictates exactly what data gets 441 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:34,840 collected, by whom and where. And the observers are the boots 442 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:36,120 on the ground for data collection. 443 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:38,200 They are the essential eyes and ears. 444 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,120 Observers are usually drawn from within the command, and they're 445 00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:44,680 assigned specific structured tasks directly from the CMP. 446 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:48,360 Crucially, each task is associated with a specific 447 00:21:48,360 --> 00:21:50,600 condition and a clear standard of performance. 448 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:54,200 So all the raw data they collect is quantifiable and directly 449 00:21:54,200 --> 00:21:55,400 measurable. It has to be. 450 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:58,800 Once all this granular data is collected, what is the official 451 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:01,880 outcome for the commander? The process culminates in the 452 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:04,640 commander's summary report, which has to be completed within 453 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,400 20 days. This report includes all the 454 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:10,680 collected data, focusing on the task performance observations, 455 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,400 or TPO's for each training objective. 456 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:15,840 And this leads to the official grade card. 457 00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:19,800 What proficiency levels are used to describe how well the JPOTF 458 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:22,400 performed? The report uses specific 459 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,760 standardized descriptors. T means the task was 460 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:29,400 successfully trained, P means it needs practice. 461 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:31,920 Needs practice, meaning they tried but didn't meet the 462 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,320 standard. Right, U means the task was 463 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,600 untrained, the staff just couldn't perform the task and 464 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:41,120 finally N means the task was not observed, which tells the 465 00:22:41,120 --> 00:22:43,560 commander what still needs to be tested in the future. 466 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:45,840 That is very detailed and standardized framework. 467 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,560 OK, now we reach the absolute core of the manual and where we 468 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:53,040 get the deepest insight into the military's worldview in 1999 in 469 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:55,880 Section 4. This lists hundreds of criteria 470 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:59,120 used to classify the political, cultural and economic factors of 471 00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:01,720 a foreign nation before conducting any influence 472 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:03,720 operation. This is target audience 473 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:06,200 analysis. This section really reveals the 474 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:10,360 military's institutional attempt to simplify and categorize 475 00:23:10,360 --> 00:23:12,560 global complexity. I mean, if you're trying to 476 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,880 influence an audience's behavior, you have to first have 477 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,600 a clear, measurable understanding of their 478 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:20,360 environment. And this manual just 479 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:25,280 meticulously breaks down foreign nations into these standardized 480 00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:26,520 factors. It does. 481 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:31,120 It's all to ensure the psyop is effective, culturally accessible 482 00:23:31,120 --> 00:23:34,280 and well, susceptible to the desired influence. 483 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:36,560 Let's start with the political and legal factors. 484 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:40,760 The analysis begins with how a nation views US operations 485 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:43,040 classify simply as political policies. 486 00:23:43,120 --> 00:23:46,560 Correct policies are described using just four factors, fully 487 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:49,240 supportive, mixed support, neutral or opposed. 488 00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:51,360 This dictates the operational leeway. 489 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:53,680 And that's directly related to domestic public support? 490 00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:56,160 Right, the expressed attitude of the foreign public. 491 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:58,200 This goes beyond the government's stance and measures 492 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:00,880 the street level. Full support, limited support or 493 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:03,840 negative meaning the public is generally in opposition. 494 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,800 It also analyzes how much autonomy a nation has globally, 495 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:08,680 which it frames as internationalism. 496 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:12,080 This measures their involvement in international organizations 497 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:13,920 and their willingness to yield sovereignty. 498 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:17,080 The descriptors are fascinatingly specific. 499 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:19,760 What are they? Strong, which means they support 500 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:23,440 supranational approaches. Moderate, meaning they cooperate 501 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:26,480 but maintain autonomy. Low meaning they resist 502 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:30,360 involvement or anti actively opposing supranational 503 00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:32,880 approaches. That spectrum shows how much a 504 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:36,120 nation is willing to play by international norms, which 505 00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:39,920 directly affects the global narrative of any PSYOP campaign 506 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:40,880 run there. It does. 507 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,520 And in terms of US freedom of action, the manual tracks NCA 508 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:47,160 decisions, decisions by the National Command authorities. 509 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:50,800 These are just categorized as clear and unrestrictive, vague 510 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,600 or restrictive. Finally, the attempt to reduce 511 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,200 global legal systems into just three categories is pretty 512 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:58,480 stark. For legal systems, the law 513 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,800 source descriptors are Quran, English Common Law, and 514 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:03,760 Napoleonic Code. What does that tell us? 515 00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:07,000 It speaks volumes about the level of generalization needed 516 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,440 for a broad global training manual. 517 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:12,200 I mean, while there are countless variations, these 518 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:15,480 three represent the major philosophical roots of global 519 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,280 jurisprudence. It provides a quick baseline for 520 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,080 understanding legal predictability. 521 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,680 The resulting legal penalties are then simply rated low, 522 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:26,240 moderate or high. OK, let's move to the people 523 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:29,240 themselves. Cultural and social factors This 524 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:32,200 section attempts to measure the core identity and collective 525 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,200 psychology of the foreign audience. 526 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:35,840 And we start with the broadest stroke. 527 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,960 Cultural identity described simply as western or non western 528 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:44,280 language is primary English, English as secondary or other. 529 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:47,120 But where it gets really ambitious is an assessing 530 00:25:47,120 --> 00:25:49,720 national character. OK, this one stood out to me. 531 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:52,800 The manual attempts to put an entire nation's perceived 532 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:56,880 behavior into one of three boxes open and adaptable, careful and 533 00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:00,640 moderate, or closed and rigid. Isn't that an exercise in 534 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:02,720 dangerous oversimplification? It is. 535 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:04,560 Of course it is. But you have to remember this is 536 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,880 designed for military planners who need rapid standardized 537 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:11,360 inputs for complex modeling, not anthropological nuance. 538 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:13,880 The defense for this is likely operational. 539 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:17,000 Meaning what? Meaning a society perceived as 540 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:20,680 open and adaptable is viewed as more susceptible to outside 541 00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:24,680 messages, whereas a closed and rigid society requires 542 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:28,400 completely different, probably slower, influence strategies. 543 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:31,920 It standardizes the perceived resistance level of the target 544 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:34,000 audience. That distinction directly 545 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:37,520 effects how the PSYOP staff quantifies core beliefs that 546 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:39,720 drive group behavior, like nationalism. 547 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:42,680 Precisely, they quantify nationalism, the belief that the 548 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:46,440 good of the nation is paramount, as high, moderate or low. 549 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,360 Similarly, ethnocentrism, the degree of emphasis on a 550 00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:54,320 particular ethnic group, is also rated high, moderate or low. 551 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,560 These are vital metrics. And these factors feed directly 552 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:00,480 into the overall stability rating cultural unity. 553 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,280 Cultural unity measures the extent to which a country is 554 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:06,320 free from serious ethnic, cultural, and language 555 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:08,680 divisions. It's rated high for unified, 556 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:11,880 moderate for few divisions, and low for serious divisions 557 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,680 causing internal conflict. Which is essential for planners 558 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:16,600 who have to decide if their message should target the whole 559 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:18,960 nation or maybe exploit existing divisions. 560 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:22,200 And finally, they quantify the visible stability of the 561 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:25,200 population through the metric of civil unrest. 562 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:28,000 This measures the level of dissension by how often it 563 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,440 happens. Expensive weekly incidents, 564 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:34,000 moderate quarterly or little annual incidents. 565 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:36,000 Next, we have to get into religious factors. 566 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:40,600 Given the 1999 publication date, this is a particularly sensitive 567 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:42,920 and critical area for influence operations. 568 00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:45,760 It is, and the descriptors here are handled with a specific 569 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:48,760 attempt at objectivity. They first look at the strength 570 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:52,640 of religious beliefs in general, rated as strong, moderate, or 571 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:55,080 indifferent. Religious unity follows the same 572 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:57,160 pattern, strong, moderate or low. 573 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:01,480 But here's the critical detail. Religious militancy This 574 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:04,320 descriptor tries to gauge the degree a religious group seeks 575 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:08,520 to impose its views internally or externally by force of arms. 576 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:11,560 This metric is perhaps the most operationally weighted in the 577 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,160 entire cultural section because it determines the physical 578 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,160 threat level. It has four specific, very 579 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:19,200 distinct levels. Where are they significant? 580 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,160 Meaning the group pursues internal domination and actively 581 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:24,400 exports its beliefs by force of arms. 582 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:27,200 This is a high threat military grade risk. 583 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,160 Then moderate. Meaning the group is politically 584 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,240 active internally but exports its beliefs primarily by 585 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:36,360 missionary activity. Non coercive means this is a 586 00:28:36,360 --> 00:28:38,680 political risk, not necessarily a kinetic 1. 587 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:41,400 And then the other two. Limited meaning the group is 588 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:45,680 disinclined to impose its views externally and simply no. 589 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:48,640 It's a powerful classification that differentiates political 590 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:50,880 opposition from armed insurrection. 591 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:54,680 And this feeds directly into the religion state relationship, the 592 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,320 extent to which religion influences the civil government. 593 00:28:57,880 --> 00:28:59,760 This is also rated in three levels. 594 00:28:59,960 --> 00:29:05,440 Dominant, A theocracy, strong guides civil law, or limited, 595 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:08,360 only influences civil. Law that gives planners the 596 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:10,600 whole institutional landscape for governance. 597 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:14,560 OK, let's move to the tangible capacity of a nation, economic 598 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:17,840 and demographic factors, which are defined by very specific 599 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:20,600 numerical ranges. This section looks at a nation's 600 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:23,000 capacity to sustain itself and its military. 601 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:26,200 They start with sheer scale, using specific ranges for 602 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:30,400 population from very large, over 150 million, down to very small, 603 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,000 less than 5 million. And they apply similar scale to 604 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:36,280 the size of military. Right from very large over 5 605 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:39,400 million down to very small under 200,000. 606 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:42,960 Now for the economy itself. The manual classifieds the 607 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:46,120 economy based on the three waves of economic development. 608 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:50,480 Why use that specific framework? Agrarian, industrial and 609 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:52,920 knowledge based. Well, this framework, which was 610 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:56,320 popularized by the futurist Alvin Toffler, provides a quick 611 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:59,080 way to gauge a nation's technological maturity and, 612 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:01,040 critically, its systemic vulnerabilities. 613 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:04,520 OK, break that down an. Agrarian or first wave society 614 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,400 is based on farming. Its vulnerabilities are food 615 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:09,600 supply, weather, basic logistics. 616 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:13,560 Psyop messages there might focus on survival or land rights. 617 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:15,800 Makes sense. An industrial or second wave 618 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:17,960 society focuses on mass production. 619 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:20,760 It's vulnerabilities are it's complex infrastructure, power 620 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:24,720 grids, factories, railroads. PSYOP messages could focus on 621 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:26,560 employment or disrupting supply chains. 622 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:28,840 And the third wave. A knowledge based post 623 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:31,840 industrial society relies on information and services. 624 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:35,160 It's vulnerabilities lie in its networks, it's technology, it's 625 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:38,080 global financial connections. Influence operations here are 626 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:41,120 highly dependent on advanced media and telecommunications. 627 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:44,040 So classifying the economy this way immediately tells the 628 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:46,920 planner which influence mechanism is most likely to 629 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:48,120 succeed. Exactly. 630 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,040 And this is backed up by the quantitative measure of gross 631 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:54,800 domestic product or GDP, which is also broken down into very 632 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:58,680 specific dollar ranges from very large, over a trillion dollars 633 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,320 down to very small, less than 30 billion. 634 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:04,760 And finally, a key vulnerability assessment is infrastructure 635 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:07,240 dependence. This measures the degree of 636 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:10,600 infrastructure, roads, power, communications required to 637 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:14,000 sustain the economy. It's a vital operational metric. 638 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:16,800 How so? It's rated low, moderate or 639 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:18,800 high. A high rating suggests that 640 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:21,440 disrupting communication or transportation networks will 641 00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:24,480 have an immediate and severe effect, making it a primary 642 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:27,760 target for integrated IO and PSYOP efforts. 643 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:29,000 So. Beyond the people in their 644 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:32,400 politics, the manual also requires A detailed, almost 645 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:34,560 minute analysis of the physical environment. 646 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:38,000 For operational planning, this environmental data is just as 647 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:40,200 critical. It demonstrates the bureaucratic 648 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:42,640 detail required for planning air operations. 649 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:46,680 Section 5 covers the operating environment in granular detail, 650 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:49,760 confirming that even the smallest geographical and 651 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:53,480 atmospheric details have to be codified for a mission to 652 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:55,960 succeed. Starting with geographic 653 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:57,920 conditions. Right, they need to understand 654 00:31:57,920 --> 00:31:59,560 the physical makeup of the theater. 655 00:31:59,960 --> 00:32:02,720 The manual lists specific categories for terrain, 656 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:06,080 mountainous, desert, jungle, and vegetation. 657 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:10,120 Dense, flight sparse. This is necessary for logistics, 658 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:13,080 but also for audience reach. And because of the necessity of 659 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:16,560 leaflet distribution, climate and specifically wind or 660 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,520 catalogs meticulously. Oh yes, climate and weather are 661 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:22,840 tracked both long term and short term, but the level of detail 662 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:25,720 regarding wind velocity is almost absurdly bureaucratic. 663 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:28,560 This is because aerial dissemination requires precise 664 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:31,320 knowledge of dispersal patterns. Tell us about the wind velocity 665 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:33,960 at altitude descriptors. They track wind speed at 4 666 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:36,480 distinct altitude bands. This level of detail is 667 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:39,040 necessary to make sure the leaflets actually land where the 668 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:41,600 target audience is and not 50 miles off target. 669 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:44,080 We see specific criteria for surface wind. 670 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:47,200 Up to 500 feet. Low altitude wind from 500 to 671 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:52,360 10,000 feet, medium altitude wind from 10,000 to 25,000 feet, 672 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:56,560 and even high altitude wind above 25,000 feet, and the speed 673 00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:59,200 criteria shift drastically at each level. 674 00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:02,960 It sounds like they're planning a moon landing just to drop 500 675 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:05,320 leaflets. Yeah, the amount of bureaucratic 676 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:08,720 data required for this one task underscores the meticulous 677 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:12,000 nature of the doctrine. It forces planners to treat non 678 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,240 lethal delivery systems with the same operational rigor as they 679 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,520 would a guided missile. You can't influence an audience 680 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:20,720 if your message literally lands in the ocean. 681 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:23,160 And finally, even the quality of the intelligence they're 682 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:26,720 collecting has to be quantified. How certain are they about all 683 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:29,280 this data they're inputting? They use a metric called 684 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:31,800 certitude of Data which quantifies the degree of 685 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:33,800 confidence in the accuracy of the Intel. 686 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:36,240 This is the built in risk management system. 687 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:39,160 How does it work? It's a scale absolute for 100% 688 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:43,280 confidence, high is greater than 90%, moderate is 50 to 90, a low 689 00:33:43,280 --> 00:33:47,520 is 25 to 50, and little or no is less than 25. 5% confidence. 690 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:50,000 So if the data they're relying on to plan a major influence 691 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:52,880 campaign, say, the classification of a nation's 692 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:57,440 national character is based on little or no confidence, that 693 00:33:57,440 --> 00:34:00,160 uncertainty is explicitly factored into the planning. 694 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:02,480 It has to be. It forces planners to 695 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:05,200 acknowledge the inherent uncertainty of operating in 696 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:07,160 these complex foreign environments. 697 00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:10,719 When your mission is influencing people's minds, operating with 698 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:13,840 poor intelligence is potentially more damaging than operating 699 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:17,000 with poor fire control. This has been an incredible deep 700 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:22,320 dive into CJCSM 3500.08. We've traced the full journey 701 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:25,480 from high level policy of influence, through the detailed 702 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:28,920 mechanisms of joint training and simulations, and finally to the 703 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:32,360 granular data points used to assess a foreign nation's every 704 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:34,560 vulnerability. The overarching theme this 705 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:37,239 manual presents is this institutionalized effort to 706 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,920 break down the complex human and political environment into 707 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:41,639 measurable, standardized factors. 708 00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:44,159 This wasn't just about readying the forces, it was about 709 00:34:44,159 --> 00:34:46,960 creating a common language for influence operations. 710 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:50,159 And the sheer depth of the cultural and economic metrics in 711 00:34:50,159 --> 00:34:53,199 Section 4 shows that understanding the target 712 00:34:53,199 --> 00:34:55,560 audience, their nationalism, their infrastructure, their 713 00:34:55,560 --> 00:34:58,960 religious militancy was deemed as critical as understanding the 714 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:00,880 wind velocity for a leaflet drop. 715 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:04,360 It truly demonstrates the operational mindset of the post 716 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:07,760 Cold War military. Global engagement requires not 717 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:11,200 just force projection, but information dominance built on 718 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:14,840 standardized, data-driven analysis of the human domain. 719 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:16,720 It's a fascinating look into that world. 720 00:35:16,720 --> 00:35:18,280 It is. The document was cancelled in 721 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:21,680 2004, but the level of detail used to map human complexity for 722 00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:24,840 military planning remains A fascinating lens into how the US 723 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:27,880 government prepared for global engagement just before the 724 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:30,520 digital revolution truly upended everything. 725 00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:33,720 The system they designed was robust but fundamentally analog 726 00:35:33,720 --> 00:35:36,360 and its data sources. And that leads us to our final 727 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:39,560 thought for you, the listener, reflect on the comprehensive 728 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:43,440 list of factors used to define a nation in this 1999 manual, 729 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:47,720 everything from GDP size to religious militancy to 730 00:35:47,720 --> 00:35:51,320 infrastructure dependence. What new factors completely 731 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,640 absent from this list do you think would be added today if 732 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:58,000 the US military were to update its core assessment criteria? 733 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:01,760 I mean, consider the rise of pervasive social media, the 734 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,840 influence of non state cyber actors, the ability of 735 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:07,880 populations to self organize across borders using encrypted 736 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:10,480 networks. How would you even quantify 737 00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:14,120 social media penetration, information resilience or cyber 738 00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:17,360 vulnerability and make it a measurable input for strategic 739 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:20,280 planning that is the critical challenge for modern information 740 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:22,160 operations. That's something substantial for 741 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:24,200 you to Mull over until our next deep dive. 742 00:36:24,240 --> 00:36:26,880 It's a truly critical question for a world that changed 743 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:29,400 fundamentally just two years after this manual was printed. 744 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:31,120 We'll catch you next time for another deep dive.