1st Psychological Operations Battalion (Airbone)
1st Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne) History
Before PSYOP was the name on the door, the lineage of the 1st Psychological Operations Battalion was already built around radio broadcasts, printed material and the ability to reach an audience beyond the range of conventional weapons.
The unit was organized at Fort Riley, Kansas, on November 8, 1950, as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Group. Its Korean War lineage earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation for Korea 1951-1953 and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation for Korea 1951-1952. In 1955, the organization was consolidated and reorganized at Fort Bragg as the 1st Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Battalion. It became the 1st Psychological Warfare Battalion in 1960 and received its modern designation, 1st Psychological Operations Battalion, on December 20, 1965.
Over the following decades, 1st POB developed a particularly strong connection to Latin America and the Caribbean. The battalion received campaign participation credit for Grenada and Panama and became closely associated with PSYOP support throughout the U.S. Southern Command area. Its work in the region has included support to partner nations, counterdrug programs and operations in places such as Colombia, where 1st POB teams worked for years alongside U.S. and host-nation organizations.
The tools have changed considerably since the days of radio transmitters and mass-produced leaflets, but the basic problem has remained remarkably consistent: understand an audience, communicate with it effectively and influence behavior in support of the mission.
The battalion's motto, First With the Finest, reflects a lineage stretching from the Korean War through Grenada, Panama and decades of operations throughout the SOUTHCOM region. Its distinctive insignia carries that history as well, using the scroll, lightning bolt and Greek letter psi to represent written communication, electronic dissemination and the psychological mission.