A secretive Fort Bragg operation that specializes in influencing people’s thoughts has released a hypnotic recruitment video that is laced with hidden meanings and strange images.
Known as the 4th Psychological Operations-Airborne, or 4th PSYOP, the group specializes in “using the power of the mind to persuade opinion and discourse” among the nation’s enemies.
The 1:17-second clip, posted Nov. 19 on social media, is a string of baffling clips, including old cartoons, masked figures hiding in plain sight and a group of people staring blankly at the viewer over the phrase: “We are everywhere.”
“There is another force applied in combat that we generally don’t think of as a weapon of war. That weapon is words,” the video says. “Words are weapons. ... This is psychological warfare.”
The video then beckons: “Join PSYOP.”
As of Nov. 26, the video has racked up more than 15,000 views on Facebook and hundreds of comments and reactions, many noting it “goes hard” with subliminal messages.
Among the surprises found, references to conspiracy theories, the “Ghost Army” that deceived the Nazi generals in WWII and the popular Pepe the Frog GIF shows up in a clown suit. At one point, the phrase “anything we touch is a weapon” flashes and fades.
“Watch it over and over again. Great little nuggets of information for us,” Nidia Law posted on Facebook.
“A lot of crumb drops in this one,” TheJason wrote on Instagram.
“I think y’all have so much fun at work! Would love to be on the other side of this ‘fog show’,” Leigh Eschew said on Instagram.
The U.S. Army noted in a 2024 article that the ideal candidate for psychological operations is “very cerebral and analytical,” which means different types of recruitment methods are required. The group’s recruitment videos are infrequent and tend to cause a stir due to the unusual content.
“The art of PSYOP relies on persuasion rather than physical force. The tools of the trade are logic, fear, desire and other mental factors used to evoke specific emotions, attitudes and behaviors,” according to a U.S. Army report. “The ultimate objective is to persuade enemy, neutral and friendly nations and forces to take favorable actions toward the U.S. and its allies.”
The 4th PSYOP is often referred to as “the ghost in the machine,” because its operations are seldom publicized.
It is based out of Fort Bragg – one of the largest military complexes in the world – and home of the 82nd Airborne and U.S. Army Special Operations Command. The fort covers about 251-square miles is about a 65-mile drive south from downtown Raleigh.
“PSYOP soldiers help ensure decision-makers, partners, and populations receive the right message at the right time. Quiet professionals. Global impact,” the 1st Special Forces Command-Airborne wrote in a post that shared the recruitment video.
