The US Army is ramping up its efforts to recruit much-needed soldiers for psychological operations (psyops), beginning with the release of an intriguing video.
Titled Ghost in the Machine 2, the video features unsettling images of faceless people, fire, and soldiers aimed to trigger the curiosity of its target audience.
It also has a voiceover of recognizable figures from the past, with dramatic music to captivate the viewer’s attention until the end.
The newly-uploaded recruitment video employs a provocative strategy to present an enticing view of the work done by American psyops soldiers.
“Someone who watches it and thinks, ‘Wow, that was effective,’ ‘How was it constructed?’ — that’s the kind of creative mindset we’re looking for,” the Army Major who created the video told The Associated Press.
With the new recruitment ad already generating nearly a 100,000 views on YouTube, the Army Special Operations Command is hoping that the initiative will help bring in recruits for the “often unseen” and “little known” job.
Recruitment Challenges
Psyops refer to missions aimed at deceiving the enemy by using sophisticated propaganda and methodologies to influence target audiences.
Operating under the umbrella of the US Special Operations Command, US psyop units such as the 8th Psychological Operations Group at Fort Liberty are responsible for supporting asymmetric and information warfare.
In Ukraine, American psyops soldiers are helping Ukrainian troops counter Russian disinformation campaigns amid the ongoing war.
Despite its importance for military operations, US Army recruiters said they are only making about 75 percent of their annual recruitment goal for Special Operations, with only a small portion going to psyop units.
Officials are blaming increased competition from the corporate world, which pays more and provides similar benefits, as the main factor behind the struggle to fill the ranks.
