What Happened?
The Army inactivated the 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg on Sept. 29, ending the unit's active-duty mission after 15 years of service. The move comes amid broader restructuring of U.S. special operations forces, according to a Legis1 review of an updated Congressional Research Service (CRS) report.
The Army confirmed that the group's personnel, capabilities and heritage will remain within the Psychological Operations Regiment. Inactivation also leaves open the possibility of reactivating the unit.
Why Does it Matter to Me?
The 8th Group, known as the Phantom Knights, supported military information operations, psychological warfare and global influence missions, including specialized support for other special operations forces. Its missions included influencing adversaries' perceptions and behavior and supporting the 75th Ranger Regiment and other joint special operations forces.
Army Special Operations Command, with approximately 36,000 personnel, accounts for more than half of U.S. Special Operations Command's (USSOCOM) roughly 67,500 service-component personnel.
A March 2024 Defense Department inspector general report identified structural and capacity challenges affecting Army psychological operations forces across active-duty and reserve components. A related report covered by Task & Purpose said the Army had not recruited, trained or retained enough psychological operations soldiers to meet growing demand.
Both Sides, Now
The Army maintains that the inactivation does not eliminate the 8th Group's capabilities. Its soldiers and institutional knowledge remain within the Psychological Operations Regiment, and the unit could be reactivated.
Retired Army psychological operations commander Robert Curris argued in a November 2023 Military Times opinion piece that reducing psychological operations capabilities would be a strategic mistake with serious national security implications.
Congress established USSOCOM through the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1987 and strengthened civilian oversight through the fiscal 2017 defense authorization law. An executive order signed Sept. 5, 2025, authorized the Secretary of Defense to use "Secretary of War" as a secondary title but did not change the department's legal name or the authorities Congress established.
What Happens Next?
On Oct. 21, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans to establish a new Florida Air National Guard Special Tactics Squadron, with operations planned at Hurlburt Field and an associated organization at MacDill Air Force Base. The Pentagon released a Sept. 23 memorandum directing the Air Force to establish the unit.
No activation date has been announced for the squadron, and the Army has not said whether or when it will reactivate the 8th Psychological Operations Group.
---
AllCiv makes it easy to stay politically informed and involved.
---
Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article