Improving PSYOP (and CA as a tangent)

[Ken White]

"That's interesting that you bring up the superman land mine comic, because at the schoolhouse we're taught that that was a great success, and heavily pre and post tested, resulting in something like an 80% reduction in land mine injuries to children - can you expound on your perception?"

They obviously didn't tell you that in the end it was recalled due to the incident that little Serbian/Kosovar kids ended up in minefields thinking that superman was real and going to save them.

Wasn't there, don't know but that's totally believable...

This is also why I continually annoy people by saying our training is REALLY bad...

[RTK]

This is also why I continually annoy people by saying our training is REALLY bad...

Ken, why do I keep getting deja vu about the training thing?

[Ken White]

Ken, why do I keep getting deja vu about the training thing?

I've never said anything about that before...

(I am not going to admit I'm in a rut!!! )

[Voodoun]

Were they recalled? I can believe their their efficacy is debateable, what isnt, but from what I understand numerous subsequent comic book series have been used all over. I wish there was some way to access the hard pre and post test data on that.

[RTK]

Were they recalled? I can believe their their efficacy is debateable, what isnt, but from what I understand numerous subsequent comic book series have been used all over. I wish there was some way to access the hard pre and post test data on that.

It's doubtful you'll find any. It was recalled due to perception management. Kids rolled into a minefield looking for Superman. It didn't make good headlines. The command recalled the books. End of story. There wasn't a study. It was a command decision.

[Voodoun]

If they were recalled for that reason, why were they used in other mine awareness campaigns 5 years later in Latin America, that's the question I'm trying to get at. All PSYOP material is supposed to have MoE's attached to them, as I mentioned its a pet peeve of mine that we can't figure out what works and what doesnt based on hard data.

[RTK]

If they were recalled for that reason, why were they used in other mine awareness campaigns 5 years later in Latin America, that's the question I'm trying to get at. All PSYOP material is supposed to have MoE's attached to them, as I mentioned its a pet peeve of mine that we can't figure out what works and what doesnt based on hard data.

Different command and different command decision. Think of who was in charge and making decisions in Bosnia in 1996 (NATO). The 1996 version was 10 pages long. They were given out in orphanages, hospitals, and refugee camps - children with very little in life who were looking for hope and heroes.

Now think of who was in charge in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras (SOCOM) in 1998. The 1998 version in Spanish was 32 pages long with more explanation and was given out by UNICEF, the government, the Ministry of Education, and SF Soldiers. It was a little smarter program.

Look into the PSYOPS archives for AARs of both operations. Go on CALL's JRTC cell and see if you can ask an RFI (the website walks you through it) and they should be able to help.

[Voodoun]

Thanks, thats sort of direction I needed to get it to click - thanks!

[ODB]

What is the turn around time for idea to implementation? We all know we are losing the information war here, so how do we streamline the process? Sorry two questions.