189:, but with themselves and their elected government. The unit runs a network of radio stations employing local Afghans as DJs, broadcasting music, poetry, debate programmes and even a Helmandi soap opera, as well as producing graphical posters and leaflets to communicate in an area where literacy rates are only around 20%. Recent projects include information campaigns to prevent children picking up spent ordnance they find, disseminating information from farming and veterinary workshops using their radio stations, and promoting debate on political issues of the day.
61:
43:
145:
Subsequently, conspiracy theorists have suggested incorrectly that 'shadow' was a covert code name for the group and members of the group have been targeted in the press. During the 1990s, for a short period, the name was altered to 15 Information
Operations Group (Info Ops) - it being deemed a more generic term suited to its role within the UK's newly formed Information Operations umbrella group which included Media Ops.
133:
activities in support of 21 Army Group during WW2 were conducted by
Amplifier Units (numbered 10-14). The Group adopted the stag's head formation sign used by the World War II Indian Field Broadcast Units (IFBU). Reputedly the deer's antlers symbolize both the combat support function of PSYOPS and the antennae associated with a major means of dissemination of psychological warfare messages.
148:
Since 1991, the group expanded significantly in size to meet operational requirements and participated in every major UK military operation since that period. The Black and White
Association (formerly club) is the regimental association for the group and for the first time, in 2013, members paraded
144:
convinced the
Ministry of Defence that the UK required a similar capability. Initially, it was composed of just a single desk officer with the intention that it would be augmented by additional personnel when required. As such, the group was referred to in military terminology as a 'shadow' unit.
132:
Following the Gulf War of 1991, the UK formed a shadow PSYOPS unit called 15 (UK) PSYOPS Group (Shadow). A double digit prefix was selected to avoid any confusion with the U.S counterparts of the 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 8th MIS/Psych Ops Groups, and the number 15 was chosen because PSYOPS battlefield
180:
for six years. Working predominantly with the Afghan civilian population, it has sought to inform, reassure, educate and through the promotion of free and unbiased discussion persuade
Afghans that their futures are best served not with the
236:
15 (UK) Psychological
Operations Group had over 150 personnel under its command, approximately 75 from the regular Armed Forces and 75 from the Reserves. The Group supported deployed commanders in the provision of
304:
172:
for its "valuable contribution to humanitarian activities by establishing good and friendly relations with the inhabitants of any community at home or overseas". The citation noted that:
112:
was a tri-service, or "purple", military unit formerly parented by 1 Military
Intelligence Brigade but from April 2014, part of the Security Assistance Group within the British Army's
216:, formerly Commander of Force Development and Training for the British Army, stepped down in 2014. In 2016, 15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group was moved from
714:
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338:
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157:. Leading members of the Black and White Association include Colonel Colin Mason (ret'd), Tony Rowlands (former Foreign Office official), Commander
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158:
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217:
141:
653:
186:
689:
488:
388:
Jolly, Stephen (October 2000). Minshall, David (ed.). "Wearing the Stag's Head Badge: British Combat
Propaganda since 1945".
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626:
261:
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The sword was presented to the group's then commanding officer, Commander Steve Tatham RN at a ceremony in London by the
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8:
294:"New British Army unit 'Brigade 77' to use Facebook and Twitter in psychological warfare"
213:
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150:
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94:
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15 (UK) Psychological
Operations Group was established immediately after the 1991
544:
343:
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299:
535:
269:
48:
683:
397:
162:
631:
473:
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511:"Firmin Sword of Peace awarded to 15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group"
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568:"15 (United Kingdom) Psychological Operations Group: Annual Report"
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A small team from 15 POG has been continuously deployed to
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224:, Hermitage, Berkshire, where it was integrated into
319:"Army sets up new brigade for the 'information age'"
600:
Military Survey (Geographic) Association
Newsletter
165:Director of Defence Communications, Stephen Jolly.
292:
110:15 (United Kingdom) Psychological Operations Group
205:which was granted exclusive access to the group.
681:
413:"Master of black propaganda gets top job at MoD"
715:Units of the Intelligence Corps (British Army)
116:. Since April 2015, it has been subsumed into
705:Psychological operations units and formations
339:"British army sets up social media 'brigade'"
168:In October 2012, the group was awarded the
241:in operational and tactical environments.
228:, formerly the Security Assistance Group.
622:"15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group"
540:"Psy-ops: Tuning the Afghans into radio"
290:
359:"15(UK) Psychological Operations Group"
682:
256:
254:
24:15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group
695:Group sized units of the British Army
534:
387:
441:"Cenotaph Ceremony & March Past"
410:
142:US military psychological operations
262:"Headquarters Force Troops Command"
251:
13:
450:. 10 November 2013. Archived from
392:(170). The Psywar Society: 86–89.
14:
726:
291:Sengupta, Kim (31 January 2015).
700:Organisations based in Berkshire
307:from the original on 1 May 2022.
59:
41:
646:
614:
585:
560:
528:
503:
481:
411:Muir, Hugh (13 December 2012).
201:. The award was covered by the
593:"Hermitage – The Next Chapter"
461:
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404:
381:
351:
331:
311:
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1:
690:Military history of Berkshire
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122:6th (United Kingdom) Division
7:
489:"Commander Steve Tatham RN"
10:
731:
127:
654:"Psychological Ops Group"
90:
82:
72:
54:
36:
28:
23:
493:Influence Advisory Panel
239:psychological operations
161:RN, and the UK's former
16:Former British Army unit
710:West Berkshire District
231:
212:Lieutenant General Sir
573:. 15 (UK) PSYOPS Group
495:. 2013. Archived from
195:Chief of Defence Staff
191:
469:"Colonel Colin Mason"
174:
170:Firmin Sword of Peace
77:Psychological warfare
602:(53): 8. August 2014
448:Royal British Legion
140:when the success of
114:Force Troops Command
627:Ministry of Defence
538:(27 October 2012).
515:Ministry of Defence
499:on 18 January 2017.
369:on 29 November 2004
457:on 2 January 2014.
347:. 31 January 2015.
327:. 31 January 2015.
272:on 10 January 2015
151:Remembrance Sunday
104:
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365:. Archived from
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268:. Archived from
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222:Denison Barracks
210:honorary colonel
95:Denison Barracks
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634:on 20 June 2006
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545:BBC News Online
536:Wyatt, Caroline
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344:Al Arabiya News
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324:BBC News Online
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300:The Independent
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86:~ 150 personnel
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664:on 2 July 2010
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49:United Kingdom
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666:. Retrieved
662:the original
657:
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636:. Retrieved
632:the original
625:
616:
604:. Retrieved
599:
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575:. Retrieved
562:
550:. Retrieved
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518:. Retrieved
514:
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497:the original
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483:
472:
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452:the original
447:
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423:. Retrieved
418:The Guardian
416:
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390:Falling Leaf
389:
383:
371:. Retrieved
367:the original
363:British Army
362:
353:
342:
333:
322:
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298:
286:
274:. Retrieved
270:the original
266:British Army
265:
235:
226:77th Brigade
208:The group's
207:
197:General Sir
192:
175:
167:
159:Steve Tatham
147:
135:
131:
118:77th Brigade
109:
108:
67:British Army
18:
606:22 December
214:Paul Newton
185:, nor with
91:Garrison/HQ
684:Categories
658:Royal Navy
552:28 October
548:. BBC News
245:References
218:Chicksands
37:Allegiance
638:23 August
474:Debrett's
398:0956-2400
373:9 January
99:Berkshire
32:1991–2015
520:26 April
425:26 April
421:. London
305:Archived
163:two-star
155:Cenotaph
138:Gulf War
276:4 March
183:Taliban
178:Helmand
153:at the
128:History
120:within
668:28 May
577:29 May
396:
64:
55:Branch
46:
29:Active
596:(PDF)
571:(PDF)
455:(PDF)
444:(PDF)
670:2013
640:2008
608:2014
579:2011
554:2012
522:2013
427:2013
394:ISSN
375:2015
278:2017
232:Role
187:ISAF
83:Size
73:Role
220:to
203:BBC
149:on
686::
656:.
624:.
598:.
542:.
513:.
491:.
471:.
446:.
415:.
361:.
341:.
321:.
303:.
297:.
264:.
253:^
124:.
97:,
672:.
642:.
610:.
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556:.
524:.
477:.
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377:.
280:.
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