CA and PSYOP have been part of USACAPOC for years now, which was once known as the US Army Reserve Special Operations Command. In 1990 USACAPOC was created and aligned under USASOC according to functional lines (instead of component).

A couple years ago USACAPOC moved from USASOC to USAR, but "USASOC was to retain proponency for Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations -- including doctrine, combat development and institutional training."

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...y/ca-psyop.htm

I don't think you're playing Devil's Advocate, actually, I think there's a significant degree of pressure to continue to divest CA and PSYOP from its SOF roots. From my limited understanding, the AD components are supposed to be supporting only the SOF units, but the reality is the manpower simply isnt there yet.

I just personally don't see how this divorce with weekend custody can continue. If there's tension between your BCT and its CA and PSYOP element, and there's tension between the AD and RC of CA and PSYOP, and tension between CA and PSYOP itself, not to mention tensions between the reservists who went through reclass school and those who went through AIT at the unit level, there's just WAY too much tension and not enough love.

If you're with the 82nd, I suspect 'tension' is a kind way of putting it. I think there's a mutual disdain that hampers mission readiness. I hope I'm wrong, that's just the impression I've gotten in my limited experience.

Should CA and PSYOP be completely separated from SOF? I think if you polled CA and PSYOP, you'd get a resounding 'hells to the no'. If you asked big Army and USAR, the answers might range from 'absolutely' to 'who cares' to 'why do we even need those guys'?

As far as combining CA and PSYOP into a single company, I'm not sure thats a good move - there's a distinction between the two objectives that needs to be maintained. CA has a very specific function, whereas PSYOP has to be as flexible as a Ukrainian gymnast in order to maximize its potential contribution.

The Army needs to hire a bunch of relationship counselors so we can all explore and resolve our feelings. Group hug anyone?

This board is rapidly becoming my new procrastination excuse! Bad mojo.